U.S. Military Tried To Stop Gay Spouse Of Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin From Trip
The military needs to have a long series of sensitivity classes.
I know that the military, for the most part, has a wrong-headed problem with gay Americans serving openly in the armed forces. The military seems to forget that gay citizens also wish to fulfill their view of what being a patriotic American demands. The law about ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ is horribly wrong and outdated, and needs to be discarded. But when the military brass thought they could keep a gay spouse to current elected member of Congress Tammy Baldwin from Madison, Wisconsin off a plane, I had to do a double take at the headline. Surely no military jar-neck (jughead) would think they had balls big enough for that? Why would anyone even try…..or want to?
The Pentagon balked at U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin’s domestic partner accompanying her on a military flight for a congressional trip to Europe, officials said.The Politico reported Tuesday that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi intervened before Congress’ Easter break so the Wisconsin Democrat, the only openly lesbian member of Congress, could be joined by her partner.The Web site reported that House rules allow members of Congress to take their spouses with them on military flights if there is room for them and when it is “necessary for protocol purposes.”But the Defense Department did not consider Lauren Azar a “spouse.”
Pentagon spokesperson Geoff Morrell said it is not a case of the military attempting to impose “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” on members of Congress. Rep. Barney Frank told the Politico he thinks the issue is much deeper.
“I think the military was following orders,” Frank said. “I think the administration disapproves of same-sex marriage.”
It is not the first time the administration has been accused of LGBT discrimination. A bill currently is before Congress to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” the ban on gays serving openly in the military. The White House has threatened to veto the inclusion of hate crime legislation aimed at protecting gays and lesbians. And, it opposes any form of ENDA. Baldwin has been an outspoken advocate for an all-inclusive form of ENDA.
Last year the US ambassador to Romania, Michael Guest, resigned after the State Department refused to recognize his same-sex partner.
Baldwin sent a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice last month calling for basic protections for LGBT State Department employees that would include allowing domestic partners of foreign service officers to travel and stay with them.
Former Attorney General John Ashcroft ended a policy that allowed a Justice Department LGBT group to post notices of its meetings on DOJ bulletin boards and distribute such messages through the department’s e-mail system. The decision was reversed this year by new Attorney General, Michael Mukasey.
In addition, Special Counsel Scott Bloch, the man responsible for protecting whistleblowers and investigating complaints of discrimination by federal workers, refused to take on complaints of discrimination based on sexuality.
Technorati Tags: TammyBaldwin, Congress, GayRights, Don’tAskDon’tTell, DefenseDepartment,
The Law was not overstepped by the millitary.. it over stepped, crushed, and bent to breaking status by this women….
On November 7, 2006, Wisconsin voters approved on a nearly 60%-40% vote, the following amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution:
“Only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state. A legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized in this state.”
you and your G/F are not legally married and as a non legal marriage your G/F should not have been on that plane..
you may like to break the laws, and bend them in your favor, but the law is the law. period
kinda hypacritical if you ask me..
“support the law, break the law, support the law break the law”
With all due respect to Ms. Baldwin and her long time partner, I think she is wrong to push this issue and insist that her partner be allowed to travel on the tax-payers money. The problem here isn’t that they are gay, but rather that Ms. Baldwin is a member of congress. What is the real need for anyone’s spouse or partner or girlfriend to travel along on a brief trip to europe–supposedly to conduct the people’s business. Wherever possible, these members of congress have a duty, in my mind, to conduct themselves as servants of the people, humble servants. Why should I, as a taxpayer have to fund this one way or another? I’m well aware of the fact that all lawmakers are allowed to bring spouses–a privlage they voted themselves (wrongly). I hope Pelosi and her so-ethical friends will do away with this in the future. But if Rep. Baldwin cares so much for the rights of LGBT soldiers, why is she extending to herself privlages that they cannot have? A more useful protest than crying to Nancy might have been paying for her own way, and that of her partner, as a protest. Perhaps she and Pelosi might alter house rules so that no member of the house may bring their spouse on a military flight until all spouses are able to do so.
I rarely agree with you Mr. Rivers, but you have a point here. The military has clearly overstepped, if not law, then good taste.