Tag Archives: dadt

US Navy Appears to Equate Religious Sailors with Racists, Bigots

mabus

What used to be taboo has now become widely accepted by the Defense Department.
– Airman 1st Class Kristan Campbell, 432nd Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary Wing

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus oversees the entire US Navy. He recently lauded the Department of Defense’s diversity — by seeming to denigrate a “diverse” view held by many US Sailors and their fellow troops.

During the Pentagon’s celebration of “LGBT Pride Month,” Secretary Mabus gave a speech (video) lauding the day.  After describing the now-repealed DADT as “morally wrong,” Secretary Mabus seemed to equate those who opposed DADT repeal — that is, a large portion of religious American citizens and US troops — with racists Read more

President Obama Gives Shout Out to Homosexuals, Muslims at USAFA

usafaobamaWhen speaking of the “values” that are an enduring element of America’s power, President Obama said this during the graduation address at the US Air Force Academy yesterday:

We’re stronger when our gay and lesbian cadets and troops can serve their country…without hiding who they love.

Of all the quotes in the long speech on war, policies, sacrifice and the future, this is what the White House highlighted with a “tweet” — and this is what USAFA retweeted.

While this statement received an affirming Read more

Army Chaplain Reportedly Resigns over War Policies

antalUS Army Reserve Chaplain Christopher Antal submitted his resignation “in protest” in April due, according to Antal, to the American policies regarding drones, nuclear weapons, and “preventive war, permanent military supremacy and global power projection.”

Antal publicly submitted his letter directly to his Commander-in-Chief, President Obama.

Reached for comment, the Army somewhat subtly said Antal had submitted his resignation, but Read more

Navy: Ship Commissioning Not Changed over LGBT Bill

portlandThe US Navy has disputed reports that the USS Portland (LPD 27) will be commissioned in Portland, rather than where it is being built in Mississippi, because of Mississippi’s recently passed legislation protecting religious objections to homosexuality.

When the Navy announced the commissioning would happen in the namesake town of Portland, activists and some news outlets seized on the timing, with CBS reporting that “Navy ceremony moved over Mississippi anti-gay law objection.” The Navy disagreed: Read more

US Army Announces Intent to Protect “Self-Identity”

Buried deep in the proposed Defense Department Budget for 2017 (PDF, 5MB) was a little noticed comment on discrimination in the US Army [emphasis added]:

The Army remains committed to ensuring the dignity and respect of Soldiers, civilians, and their families…The Army will provide every Soldier and civilian equal opportunities to rise to the level of their merit regardless of their gender, their race, or their self-identity.

Just what is a “self-identity”? Good question, since it isn’t defined in the budget nor apparently in a Defense Department policy, and it hasn’t appeared in any prior DoD budget. It’s also not a Federally-protected class.  Given the context of current events, it seems likely it is intended as a reference to the Army’s foregone plan to repeal the ban on transgender troops, though the Army seemed to dispute anything unique about this year’s new budget wording:  Read more

Colonel Bob Starr: “Obligated” to Support LGBT in US Air Force

starrpride1A fascinating set of developments has occurred in a Texas GOP primary race for the US House of Representatives. Michael Bob Starr is a retired Colonel and was recently the Wing Commander at Dyess AFB, which is in the district for which he is running. Promoting himself as a conservative — his Twitter tag line says “Conservative. Christian. Husband. Father.” — one of his opponents is accusing him of participating in “social engineering” while in the Air Force:

The candidate, Colonel Bob Starr, can be seen in a number of photos wearing gay pride clothing, throwing his arms in the air as a champion in gay pride runs, and even wearing a rainbow painted gay pride shirt…

Col Starr eventually responded, saying [emphasis added]

“I believe and strongly support traditional marriage, but as commander of Dyess Air Force Base, my job was to enforce the law and not discriminate against anyone who made different lifestyle choices than the ones that I agreed with,” Col. Starr says. “All I had to do was make sure that homosexual airmen were not discriminated against. That’s what changed in the law in 2011…”

“As leader of the base, I participated in as many events as I could to support as many airmen as I could…”

“I created an atmosphere of acceptance,” Col. Starr claims. “I did it regardless of the group or organization.”

Critics pointed out that he seemed to go beyond “all [he] had to do” when he participated in the “gay pride” events.  In another article Col Starr is quoted as saying he was “obligated” to Read more

US Military Uses Strong Bonds to Aid Male, Female Relationships

strongbondsLast fall, chaplains from the 181st Intel Wing, an Air National Guard unit in Terre Haute, Indiana, led a Strong Bonds marriage retreat called “Laugh your Way to a Better Marriage.” Though they haven’t been in the news much, chaplain-led marriage retreats have been an ongoing source of tension as chaplains and service members try to navigate the sensitivities of ‘other sexuality’ — a point that sometimes taints the “non-event” narrative of supporters of DADT repeal.

The Racers’ retreat highlights from where some of that tension can come:  Read more

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