H.R.1283 - Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2009
To amend title 10, United States Code, to enhance the readiness of the Armed Forces by replacing the current policy concerning homosexuality in the Armed Forces, referred to as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", with a policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. view all titles (2)
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- Short: Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2009 as introduced.
- Official: To amend title 10, United States Code, to enhance the readiness of the Armed Forces by replacing the current policy concerning homosexuality in the Armed Forces, referred to as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", with a policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. as introduced.

U.S. Congress - H.R.1283 Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2009




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The policy should never have been put in place to begin with.
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Good point. By extension, I think all races should have their own facilities. If it’s not okay for your straights to shower together, then you shouldn’t have blacks, whites, latins, or anyone else showering together…….right?
That’s the worst logic I’ve ever seen.
trust me, you’re not that special. nobody wants to do you in the shower
So you’re fretting that all the faggots will be peeping at peepees in the loo.
Let’s say you’re a member of the armed services: Under DADT, those damn homosexuals are allowed to operate in stealth mode, and any one of your shower buddies could be secretly craving your cock. You would never know the difference unless perhaps you caught a wandering eye. Paranoia much?
Now let’s say that they allowed GLBs to serve openly. Suddenly, you know who might be lusting after your 2-incher, and you know who to avoid in the locker room. Isn’t barracks life suddenly so much more easy?
Gays, lesbians, and bisexuals, whether closeted or open, are in every single bathroom, locker room, public shower, military barrack, and dormitory. Fact of life. Either people can get over it, all facilities could be made completely private, or same-sex seekers could be segregated (which would be problematic for the same reasons non-sex-segregated facilities don’t work). Options 2 and 3 are a bit more costly.
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So, if having gay men serving in the armed forces risks having PDA getting in the way of military life, couldn’t the same be said of allowing heterosexual men and women serve. Though I’m sure the men and women of the armed forces never mingle, ever.
There are husbands and wives who met in the armed forces. Should they divorce because their relationships “get in the way” of military life? Or, as I’ve noticed, most of the partners of the soon to be discharged homosexuals in the military are civilians, with no ties to the military. Should all heterosexual members of the armed forces be barred from having romantic relationships in that case?
I say either repeal don’t ask don’t tell, or remove all persons who have relationships, which as you say “get in the way of the military life”. One standard across all sexual orientations. Discharge the person who is openly straight if the person who is openly gay faces the same punishment.
You assume that all gay people in the military would be there only to find a love.
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You’ve got a point there. I think men and women of the armed forces should also have to adhere to specific guidelines to whom they marry, including race, hair color, eye color, et cetera, as well as what TV they watch (CNN only, of course), what kind of dogs they have, and what kind of cars officers drive. (Everyone knows non-officers all drive Ford trucks).
Many of you already know me from HR 1913 and s 909 so you know of my military service. I am calling for all gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered current active duty members to go and resign immediately from the US military, all by July 20th. There straight heteros, lets see how you defend the country now.
In my mind I fantasize an “I’m Sparticus!” scene in which every member of the military “comes out” as gay. What could the Armed Services do then? Force every member to resign?
But, alas, it’s just a fantasy.
I think it’s crazy to deny someone the right to serve based on their sexuality — ppl had the same concerns (morale, discipline, etc.) before the service was desegregated.
The strong training and discipline of our military will find a way to make it work – because it’s right to stop discriminating based on sexuality.
I served in Iraq from 2003-2004. As an attachment to other units we often found ourselves working with British and Australian military forces. Both countries allow gays to serve openly, as do 18 other countries. Our deployed soldiers serve with gays all the time, just not from our own country. The policy of not allowing gays to serve openly in the military has been detrimental to our readiness. We have lost much needed Arabic linguists over this issue. Heterosexual soldiers are allowed to have their loved ones present for award ceremonies. They are allowed to visit their wounded soldiers in the hospital. They have their loved ones there when they are on the parade field to take over a new command. The same rights should also be extended to gay soldiers as well. Twenty-eight retired Generals and Admirals have written to express the same.
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Actually the military is doing quite well recruiting. In fact, they are doing so well that they can now have higher standards. Making stuff up like “the military is already having a hard time recruiting fighting men” is not cool. Get the facts instead of making fabricating them.
Army had 6,914 accessions, making 101 percent of its 6,858 goal
Navy had 2,926 accessions, making 100 percent of its 2,926 goal
Marine Corps had 2,851 accessions, making 100 percent of its 2,843 goal
Air Force had 2,198 accessions, making 100 percent of its 2,198 goal
Army National Guard had 4,425 accessions, making 112 percent of its 3,947 goal
Army Reserve had 3,348 accessions, making 125 percent of its 2,675 goal
Navy Reserve had 671 accessions, making 100 percent of its 671 goal
Marine Corps Reserve had 1,132 accessions, making 144 percent of its 787 goal
Air National Guard had 698 accessions, making 124 percent of its 562 goal
Air Force Reserve had 1,083 accessions, making 100 percent of its 1,083 goal
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It works everywhere else… but the U.S. can’t handle it eh?
How would it harm our nation’s forces?
your forgetting one simple fact. Gay people are already in the military. They are in every aspect of every branch of it. Already. They have been for years. There are an estimated 65,000 homosexual people currently in service, and an estimated 1.5 million veterans. Homosexual people have been in every war we have ever fought. Why would letting them talk change anything? Besides, if your a homophobe, you would want DADT repealed. That way, you know who is gay and you can wait for them to get out of the shower if it really bothers you that much.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZqs-5z_y9Q
Equal rights and justice!
As a heterosexual libertarian I support this bill, it is not the duty of our government to adhere to the constitution at all times. Don’t ask don’t tell is a government form of contol of freedom of speech. If you say something the military does not like such as “I am gay.” you are discharged. Come on conservatives you can’t have some of the constitution some of time you need all of it all the time.
Heterosexual, Veteran, Officer and morally opposed…, HOWEVER well said McLeancc3 you hit the mark. I don’t like the idea and I think there are some issues that would have to be worked out. I am morally opposed but as a patriot and veteran I couldn’t vote against this bill. Thats just the truth folks.
Freedom of speech is not part of the military. I cannot say what I wish about whom, or what I wish, when I wish. It’s part of serving. It’s also in reallity part of living. In the civilian sector, no one goes to jail for acting in an insubordinate manner. You will probably get fired, but jail time is unlikely. The Uniform Code of Military Justice however does have jail time as a possible penalty for such behavior.
That is not what we do. We give, and/or follow orders. We defend the civilian sector’s ability to do what it does. That’s the job.
I am conservative, and I support this bill. Although I believe homosexuality is morally wrong, denying openly homosexual individuals from serving their country is beyond unconstitutional. It is wrong. Some argue that allowing openly homosexual individuals join the military would undermine unit cohesion, but this argument is reminiscent of the argument used to prevent African-Americans and women from joining the military. I am not under the impression that I can impose every aspect of my moral code on the rest of the world.
As an American Libertarian I support this bill. I only wish that it had also included Gender Identity as well. The key is to get it out of commitee and on to the floor.
As a human being, I beleive that it is morally wrong. But I do have friends whom are gay and they didn’t choose it. From a military stand point, it could open another whole can of worms. Now suddenly we have to pay for individual showers in camps to releive the possibility of having a “problem” and for the comfort of those whom are not gay. Men and women don’t shower together and it makes it equally wrong to have gay men showering with other men.
I always had thought ’don’t ask, don’t tell’ was best – until I considered gay members who were in the military for life… and for 15.. 20.. even longer years they couldn’t reveal the truth. When I combine that with the fact that basicly every other nation has gotten past it.. except us… I say it’s time to end don’t ask don’t tell.