Thinking A Good Idea To Death

This column was first published here on January 31, 2011.

Edited versions were subsequently published, with permission of the author,

in print and online editions of community newspapers across Chicago.

Government---especially the federal government---has a way of taking a good idea and thinking it to death.

That's my concern with the repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy regarding gays and lesbians serving in the U.S. military.

As you may recall, I wrote about DADT in my first column of last December, entitled "Grow Up, Get Over It."

Now comes word that the Pentagon will take until at least the end of 2011 to have the training materials ready to implement the repeal.

I find that highly suspicious. Training materials? What, to teach heterosexual soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines how to act like something other than a homophobe around their openly gay brothers and sisters in arms?

How about a simple "Knock it off! That's an order!"

And it should also be said that while implementation of the repeal of DADT is being worked out, there are still members of the military up for discharge for no other reason than their sexual orientation. Why is there no immediate moratorium on that?

Rest assured, the Obama Administration's repeal of DADT has not changed the hearts or minds of Pentagon brass who oppose gays and lesbians serving in the military. My suspicion is that, under the guise of deliberation and implementation, the Pentagon will try to think this to death in the hope that President Obama will lose his bid for re-election in 2012 to a conservative Republican who will be hostile to gays and lesbians in the armed forces and undo what Obama did---setting gays and lesbians (and the entire nation, frankly) back 25 years.

Could happen.

So the take-home message is this: If you support civil rights for all Americans regardless of sexual orientation (and I hope you do), don't assume that the DADT repeal is a done deal. Stay on your U.S. senators and congressman and make sure they keep the pressure on the military brass to follow through quickly and efficiently to put an end to discrimination in the armed forces.

See you next week....

Joan Hadac is a Chicago news/feature reporter, editor and columnist.

Read her online at citymomchicago.blogspot.com