President Barack Obama, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen certified Friday that the U.S. military is prepared to accept openly gay and lesbian service members, and that doing so will not harm military readiness, according to the White House.
Under a bill passed last year that set up a process for repealing the controversial "don't ask, don't tell" policy, all three men needed to sign a certification that confirms the military's ability to accept the integration of openly gay and lesbian troops.
A 60-day waiting period will now begin before the repeal is fully implemented.
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I am so glad I retired from the US Army before all of this happened! I can just see all of the trouble this is going to cause in the long run! Way to go.....
What kind of trouble would that be? Every other country allows gay persons to serve and it's not been any more of a problem than letting straight people serve. What will be the "troubles" you envision?
Yup. Before you know it, our army will be as wimpy as the Israeli army.
Currently serving. I don't care and I'm glad you're gone.
I'm currently serving...glad this is happening, couldn't happen at a better time.
And I'm glad you're gone.
I don't get it. What's the difference? Gays are already serving but are simply not letting their commanders know about their orientation... if they are allowed to serve openly they aren't any more gay than before and they are still serving.
Yeah, that's what I thought. I figured Army Ret wouldn't back up his ignorant comment.
Trouble? Seems to me that you were plenty of trouble for others with your bigoted ideas of people. And I'm sure they're glad to have gotten rid of you. Good riddance bro.!
Why are you not allowing my comments on this space????? I just praised the President for finally finding his priorities.
This was the most or should I say the only important Agenda for him. Thank you Mr President keep up the good work.
Your name says it all.
Your comment is on pg 2...stop whining.
Sheryl is sitting here, and she's crying. I gave her a martini
She says that she feels unappreciated and–what, baby?
Oh. She said, "the hell with equal rights..."
Her–what, dear?
Oh, they'll never print what you said about hot wax and your suffering, honey.
People thinking that gay people are going to want to hump every naked person they see, gay or straight, is downright delusional.
I am straight, and you are sorely mistaken if you think I want to jump the bones of every man I see.
It's the same with gay folks, so say my gay friends.
Thinking gays are a rabid pack of horndogs is disingenuous, at best.
Grow up.
I was never in the military, but have been in a number of communal showers from high school gym forward, and I can say without any doubt that many of these straight guys give themselves far too much credit for how much anyone, gay straight bi or whatever, would want to look at them. Please, don't flatter yourselves guys.
That is great ! Now we can go to all these countries and sacrifice our lives with absolute dignity. Our President figured
this out.
Sometime you just have to do the right thing. And it feels great, doesn't it, Mr. President? Kudos to Mr. Obama for getting this one correct.
Look out Taliban – here comes the sissy Brigade. You'd better run!
Marine – Looks like the sissy Brigrade would do well. The Gays seem to scare the hell out of at least one Marine.
Yeah, Mike, the "marine" seems to just run and scream at the thought of a G-ay male walking his way. Sad isn't it how frightened some supposedly straight macho "men" can be of G-ays! Truly sad!
@JIF:
Was it a dirty martini?
GOOD JOB MR. PRESIDENT. THIS WAS WAY PAST DUE. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THEY'RE GAY OR STRAIT THEY'RE DEFENDING OUR COUNTRY AND SHOULD NOT BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY.
At last we will join all the other countries of the world where this is a non-issue. We should have been a leader instead of a follower on this.
@Cody:
Oh, I got it, and I applaud your levity.
Thanks!
haha! thank you.
Will the military have different sleeping and shower arrangements now for the young men and women whom are straight and dont want to bunk or shower with people that are attracted to the same gender?? (boot camp etc..)
Nope.
No, vulcan, they won't. Seems to me if guys are that ho-mop-hobic and scared of their fellow soldiers who happen to be G-ay, they need to reassess whether they were really serious about defending their country in the first place no matter what or who was in their way. Of course, they would have to be STRONG enough to do that and many aren't I'm seeing more and more. But if they can't stand the heat, they should get out of the kitchen!
hello
Gays will walk point very well.
It's about time. This is only 2011, we are only about 20 -30 years behind on this issue, but then again that's where we are on most social and civil rights issue. I'm glad this happen, but it's sick that it is just now happening.