pride: Army on DADT

Not sure how I hadn’t noticed this before, but the Army actually has a webpage devoted to the details of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) and its repeal:

Since 1993, the law and policy known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) has provided that homosexual conduct is a bar to service in the Armed Forces. On Dec. 22, 2010, the DADT Repeal Act of 2010 became law. It provides for the repeal of DADT to be effective 60 days after the President, the Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff certify to Congress that the Armed Forces are prepared to implement repeal. The Army began educating Army personnel on the process and policies associated with the repeal of DADT on Feb. 17, 2011, in order to prepare the force for implementation. Until 60 days after certification, the law commonly known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” remains in effect, and the Department of Defense will continue to apply the law as it is obligated to do.

Of course, it’s likely due to concerns of efficiency and disseminating information from a single source, but still impressive. Also, watching the videos and reading the articles seems to stress the point that higher-ups think DADT should be repealed eventually, just not right now during “wartime”. By all reports, the training is effective, but those interviewed admit that it’s currently “an intellectual discussion” as most gay and lesbian servicemembers likely aren’t jumping at the chance to make their sexuality known to their units or commanding officers.

This seems to have become my unofficial “pride week” for posts. With the heat in DC lately, not sure how many of this weekend’s activities I’ll be participating in, but it’s a good thing to look past the usual fare in DC and realize what type of pride-related things are happening outside of our little ‘burg.