by Laura & Jamie
Bring on the song and dance for the day has arrived! Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is officially repealed today. Thank you President Obama, and the many people who have worked so hard to make this happen. (Katie Miller, you know we are talking to you.)
Obama signs DADT repeal
The policy forcing lesbian, bisexual and gay soldiers to remain closetted which has been in place since December of 1993 is officially over. We’ve been counting down the days, and now it’s time to celebrate! Jezebel has a bunch of cute pictures of people kissing, hugging, holding babies, and doing other things that people might do when they’re really happy about the end of a really oppressive law.
Alrington, VA Unitarian Church hosts celebration of DADT repeal
So we’re coming out! We want the world to know! Like this guy who came out to his dad on the phone and shared it with the world:
And this 25 year old Air Force officer “J.D. Smith” who has been using an alias while travelling to advocate for the repeal at the White House, the Pentagon and around the country. Meet Air Force First Lt. Joshua David Seefried:
photo credit: AP Photo/Alex Brandon
Huong T. Nguyen, a soldier dismissed under DADT, wrote a post yesterday for the National Center for Lesbian Rights on their blog Out for Justice of what the repeal of DADT means to her:
Tomorrow, like most Americans, I will wake up early and help my kids get ready for school before I grab coffee, get dressed, and drive to work. Nothing exceptional will happen for us—except I will remind my kids of DADT’s official demise. Their reaction will likely be: “Mom, isn’t this old news?”
But tomorrow, in thousands of households across the world, American lesbian, gay, and bisexual soldiers and their families will let out a big collective sigh of relief. Their lives will be much more secure, and the pressure of having to monitor every statement and action will be gone. Starting tomorrow, an Army medical officer, home after her second tour in Afghanistan, could be greeted with public displays of love and affection at the airport by her wife. A Navy mechanic could name his husband as his emergency contact without fear.
A Marine officer could bring her girlfriend to the yearly Marine Birthday Ball. Civilians and straight soldiers alike take these life events for granted, but the repeal will usher in significant, tangible changes in the lives of lesbian, gay, and bisexual soldiers and their families.
Activist Lt. Dan Choi says he’s already scheduled an appointment with a military recruiter to talk about reenlisting, but hopes that everyone continues to fight so that all benefits available to straight soldiers will be extended to their LGBT comrades. If Obama keeps on keeping on, that just might happen sooner than we think.
photo credit: Jezebel
Of course there is still much headway to be made in addressing LGBT rights in the military community, but for today let’s appreciate the progress that has been made!
That video has me sobbing at my desk.
I love Southern boys who call their fathers “daddy.”
Daddy: “I will always love you, no matter what.”
Son: “Yessir.”
My heart is bursting!!!
Check out glorious former West Point cadet, Katie Miller, in her interview with dapperQ, where she talks DADT, fashion, and femmes
http://www.dapperq.com/interview-with-katie-miller-former-west-point-cadet/
This interview was yummier than a turtle sunday.
I have tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat after that video.
oh that video. i love all of this.
Yay! Now gotta do the same for trans* people too!
Though I must say I wasn’t really excited to learn from my endo that switching my gender marker to ‘M’ will put me in the selective service databases. As much as I support people in the military and all, it is most definitely not something for me.
Also crying at the video. “Okay” was my parents’ response, too, so watching his nervousness followed by his “so relieved I don’t know what to do” was like reliving my own experience…
But this is wonderful.
I got “Okay” also! It was so anticlimactic.
Right? I had this whole argument/debate/thing planned if necessary, and I mean I’m glad I didn’t have to use it, but…
Thanks for sharing that video Laura and thanks to AreYouSurprised for being brave enough to share a moment like that with all of us, wow!
I saw that video on Maddow and started crying. It was so sweet when the dad said he would always love and be proud of his son.
Maddow had a nice interview with Lt Josh Seefried and Lt Col Victor Fehrenbach.
Best half-birthday present ever. Hooah.
ohmygosh. that video had my heart literally racing while the phone was ringing. and his relief at the end – “oh my LORD.”
this just made me so happy
crying like a little bitch
LGB soldiers. Not T. Trans soldiers are still seen as “medically unfit to serve.” :(
As much as I despise armed forces, I’m still happy that these people have a safer working environment now. And O M G the boy video. How awesome is his daddy’s reaction? I totally feel his wish for the dad to tell his mother. I always wish the rumor would just spread and I could simply react to any negative feedback that hits me.
Wow that video has me sobbing!
Excuse me, I need to call my father. :(
Although I was in bed all day due to an allergic reaction, yesterday was one of the happiest days of my life. I never thought this day would happen, and it brings tears to my eyes to know that the day I board the plane to deploy I will be able to kiss my girlfriend goodbye. September 20th was a great day.
i can officially change my status from can’t date to just can’t get a date…sigh…
yeah its not like this really changes much lol we will still get treated like shit they just cant kick us out for it now. I will give it some time, we have a bible thumping super star e-8 in my unit hopefully he will PCS soon
my unit really doesn’t care that much but it still sucks. it’s really worse for the guys in the military. every now and again, i’ll get hit on by some dude and when i tell him why i’m not interested things tend to turn more than awkward. i’m not too worried about because my time in service is almost up.