Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 2010)
OREGON S LESBIAN/GAY/BI/TRANS/QUEER NEWSMAGAZINE ______________ OCTOBER I. 2010 fe NW NEWS . 1 # , BY RYAN J. PRADO IN BRIEF DADT Repeal Effort Blocked in Senate. Oregon Community Leaders React On September 23, Democrats in the United States Senate failed to acquire the 60 votes needed to move forward and debate the 2011 National Defense Authorization Act. The bill included both a provision to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell” and a provision that would have im plemented the D REA M Act to allow children o f illegal immigrants to serve in the United States Armed Forces. But Republican sena tors, including gay rights ally and D A D T re peal proponent Sen. Olympia Snowe (Maine), joined to force a filibuster that blocked the bill from moving forward. Democrats and propo nents of D A D T will have to wait until No vember after the election for their second chance, or until after the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Department o f Defense analysis of D A D T repeal comes out in December. Until then, community and political leaders alike in Oregon remain stifled by the outcome o f the block. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) voted in favor of pushing the bill to debate that day, and said despite the complexities in herent in a bill as vital to the 2011 defense spending budget, the issue came down to its high-profile provisions. “Regardless o f the fact that the majority of Americans support both the D R EA M Act and the repeal o f ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ the mi nority chose to play politics and prevent the Senate from having an up-or-down vote on these proposals,” said Merkley. The filibuster, which Merkley called an “outrageous abuse o f Senate protocol,” was re ported to have been the result o f concern on the part o f G O P senators that amendments they were interested in adding would be ig nored. However, this procedural supermajority obstruction was actually used in this case on a “motion to proceed” to the bill. In other words, the Republicans were not objecting to the content of the final bill, but to proceeding to debate the bill at all. “This is perhaps the most absurd and de structive stance one can take in the Senate when it is our responsibility to debate,” said Merkley. “The Republicans put election-year grandstanding over the importance o f provid ing for our soldiers and national security.” Gay Libertarian Senate candidate Marc Delphine seemed less enthused to place all the blame on the GOP. “This is not a G O P issue,’’said Delphine. “The discrimination we, the L G B T community, face is from both Republicans and Democrats. Obama won California by 26 per cent-plus and Prop. 8 passed. That’s not a coincidence. John Kerry won Oregon by over 7 Senator Jeff M erkley (D -O re ) c a lle d the filib u ste r b y the GOP an o u tra g e o u s a b u se of Senate p ro to co l percent and Constitutional Amendment 36 passed by 10 percent ih Oregon.” Delphine acknowledged that the filibuster was squarely focused on the issue of allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly. “There is so much fear o f ‘morale’ in our armed forces, which is quite ironic if you think about it, considering military personnel are there to do a job by taking orders, not to frol ic,” he said. Longtime Portland gay rights activist Terry Bean also expressed disappointment at the outcome o f the vote. “It’s clear the Republican party will do what ever it takes to stop any progress on equality for the L G B T community,” said Bean. Bean, whose work with the Human Rights Campaign Steering Committee has been a beacon for national and regional gay rights, also related some o f the behind-the-scenes struggles that both the White House and H RC have had to endure to even get close to an internal position o f repeal. “Most will never know how much the H RC and the White House worked to get [Chair man o f the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike] Mullen and [Defense Secretary Robert] Gates on board to make their unequivocal statements back in February. I’m still very hopeful, but we’ve gotta push harder than ever. Ron Rasmusssen, vice president of publicity for the Veterans for Human Rights organiza tion, echoed Bean’s optimism, citing that the American public is becoming increasingly aware o f what he called “the three T s”: time, talent and tax dollars. “The continuation o f ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ is nothing more than a waste o f all three,” said Rasmussen. “This is a waste o f military prose cutorial time as they seek to discharge per fectly good gays and lesbians solely because they’re standing up and telling the truth. It’s a waste o f talent from these people who’ve vol unteered to enter the military and serve. It’s a waste o f tax dollars because we’re wasting an When you live at Terwilliger Plaza, art and culture are all around you. Portland's vibrant entertainment district is just a few blocks away. Museums, concert halls and galleries are right in the neighborhood or just a short ride by streetcar. Fill your life with culture and enjoy all the other benefits of living at Terwilliger Plaza. terwiliigerplaza.com 800.875.4211 503.299.4716 A Continuing-Care Retirement Community for People 62+ sandro . negri 50 Years of Painting THE BEST WAY TO ENJOY YOUR CAR? MEET the ARTIST at our OPENING GALA Friday, October 2nd, 5-8pm Show runs September 27 - October 31 Brian Marki Fine Art W ITH GREAT MUSIC, OF COURSE! 2236 NE Broadway Portland, OR 97232 503.2 4 9 .5 6 5 9 | www.brianmarki.com MOBILE W B T 140 NE Broadway • 5 0 3 .2 5 7 .0 4 8 8 • www.mobilewestpdx.com car audio/visual • navigation • security • remote start • wireless solutions • iPod • factory integration C heck o u t o ur ra tin g s o n lin e and see w hy M obile W est should be yo u r firs t ch oice!
