The LGBT community can often be its own worst enemy and that was proven in fine style this week, thanks to two obscure groups who managed to throw a wrench into the fast-moving developments to hold a vote on the defense authorization bill which includes an amendment to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
Members of Congress returned to Washington, D.C. on Monday to an odd twist in the ongoing effort to repeal DADT. A news release issued through the Palm Center, a widely respected think tank on gays and military matters, stated that the two small, recently formed groups would accept passage of the national defense spending bill even if DADT repeal language was removed.
The statement, and its timing, caught off guard Servicemembers Legal Defense Network and Servicemembers United, the two main national organizations whose primary goal is to lift the ban �" in SLDN's case since DADT was passed in 1993. And officials at those organizations must have been scratching their heads over this paragraph in the news release from OutServe, a group of active duty military, and Knights Out, a group of gay West Point graduates: "There is nothing more important than loyalty to those with whom we serve. This means ensuring that no one issue interferes with funding the courageous and selfless work our fellow service members are doing around the world. Therefore, on behalf of the more than 1,000 active duty gay and lesbian service members and 500 gay and lesbian veterans we represent, we respectfully urge Congress to pass the FY2011 National Defense Authorization Act to fund the aircraft, weapons, combat vehicles, ammunition, and promised pay raises for all troops, whether or not the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' is included."
It's quite clear: OutServe and Knights Out's position is that DADT repeal language does not need to be included in the defense spending bill. It would be nice if it was, but it doesn't have to be, they say, if it jeopardizes military funding.
A Palm Center spokesman tried to spin the statement by saying that OutServe and Knights Out members were being "principled" �" missing the very critical point that the statement sends a mixed message to members of Congress. For some time, and especially in the last several months, SLDN, Servicemembers United, the Human Rights Campaign, and even GetEqual, a direct action group, have been imploring the Senate to vote on the defense bill that includes the DADT repeal amendment. Up until now, all of these organizations have had one message: repeal DADT. Heck, Lieutenant Dan Choi, a West Point graduate, again tied himself to the White House fence this week to bring media attention to repealing DADT.
The mainstream media, upon receiving the OutServe and Knights Out statement, wasted no time in pointing to a "rift" in the LGBT community over DADT repeal in the final days leading up to a possible vote. And the larger repeal groups quickly issued a statement saying they are "united to send one strong and consistent message to senators �" repeal the unjust and discriminatory law known as 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' as part of the National Defense Authorization Act this year. Under no conditions should DADT be stripped from the underlying defense authorization bill; that is simply a non-starter."
Unfortunately, we fear some damage has been done by the careless and, frankly, counterproductive statement from OutServe and Knights Out. Their position creates confusion on Capitol Hill, which we certainly do not need, and severely undermines the work of SLDN, Servicemembers United, and HRC, among many. They also provide political cover to those senators who are inclined to support DADT like John McCain. As we are on the cusp of possible victory that a vote on an amendment to repeal DADT will finally come to fruition, they risk losing all of the lobbying and networking up until this point. Their basic message is, "Oops, we don't really care if the repeal language is included or not. We just want our ammunition and pay raises."
Even if OutServe and Knights Out disagree with the strategy of SLDN and the others, issuing a statement without coordination is not the way to air those grievances. And the timing could not have been worse.
We call on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to schedule a vote during this lame-duck session on the defense spending bill with the DADT repeal amendment intact. The next few weeks of the 111th Congress is the community's last, best opportunity to see the end of the military's discriminatory, anti-gay policy.