You are here: Home » Commentary » And We Would Like To Thank On This Journey To Repeal

And We Would Like To Thank On This Journey To Repeal

12/18/10-by Bridgette P. LaVictoire
I want to thank the academy. . .

Ok, maybe not. It has been a long strange trip and the people over at Americablog have a list of those whom they want to thank for the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. The list is long. So many of us contributed to the repeal effort that it is not easy to say everyone’s names, but today is the culmination of those long efforts.

The most important people to thank are Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen for the work that they did as well as General Carter Ham, for ushering in a study that paved the way for repeal.

Thanks must also go out to the 7.7 in 10 Americans and the 7 in 10 service personnel who want to see this corrosive law repealed.

There are the sixty-three Senators who voted for the cloture motion, who were lead by Senators Joseph Lieberman, Mark Udall, Carl Levin and Kirsten Gillibrand. Most important thanks must go out to Senator Susan Collins for leading the charge from the Republicans, and to Senators Olympia Snowe, Lisa Murkowski, Mark Kirk, George Voinavich, and Scott Brown  for voting ‘yes’. Kirk should now be able to show his face around the DC gay bars again.

Representatives Patrick Murphy and Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House, also deserve credit for their support.

Thanks must also go out to the soldiers and activists who have made this possible:

Sue Fulton, JD Smith, Victor Ferhenbach, Eric Alva, Nathan Cox, Leonard Maltovich, Dan Choi, Autumn Sandeen, Robin McGehee, CD Kirven. Americablog also lists Perry Watkins, Aubrey Sarvis, Alex Nicholson, Zoe Dunning, Justin Elizie, Michelle Beneke, Dixon Osborn, Grethe Cammermeyer, Joe Steffan, Keith Meinhold.

We should not forget:

Anna-Marie Cox, who got into so much trouble at one point for asking about DADT repeal. Kerry Eleveld at the Advocate, Richard Socarides, who spoke out against this bill all the time.

Thanks should also be extended to former President Bill Clinton and retired General Colin Powell for finally coming around and supporting repeal.

There are, of course, those who should be ashamed right now. Topping the list is President Barack Obama who did as little as he could to really get this passed, and seemed reluctant to really fight for LGBT rights, but there are those who are worse.

Those feeling shame should be Tony Perkins, the head of the hate group Family Research Council, as well as Peter LaBarbera, Bryan Fischer, Maggie Gallagher, and the twenty-three percent of Americans who feel that this law should remain.

The shame award also goes to former Marine Commandant General James T. Conway for his opposition to this repeal, and to current Marine Commandant General James F. Amos for his last minute attempt at fear mongering.

And finally to Senator John McCain, who has disgraced his service in the military, the service of the women and men in the military today, yesterday and tomorrow for his attempts to take American national security hostage in order to prevent DADT from being repealed, and who tried every last ditch effort to keep this bill from coming to a vote.