US District Court Dismisses Don't Ask Don't Tell lawsuit

[PageOneQ]

Full Story: http://pageoneq.com/news/2006/dadt_042406.html

The United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts has dismissed the case Cook v. Rumsfeld, PageOneQ has learned. The suit is a chalenge to the US 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell' ban on lesbian, gay and bisexual service members.

The decision was released earlier today.

Story: http://pageoneq.com/news/2006/dadt_042406.html

[TechBear_Seattle]

1. Text of ruling

Looking at the list of recent rulings for the USDC/Mass, the link below will be good for one, maybe two months:

http://pacer.mad.uscourts.gov/dc/cgi-bin/recentops.pl?filename=otoole/pdf/cook%20v%20rumsfeld%20mem%20ord.pdf

[Ian David]

2. Why would a gay person actually WANT to serve now?

I wouldn't wantt to serve a country that has declared me an enemy of civilization and refused to recognize my right to marry.

Gay people should start their own all-gay "Security Contractor" company. They'll make ten times the money they'd make in the military, plus they'd get to pick and choose their assignments.

Pinkwater Consulting.

[TechBear_Seattle]

3. There are a number of reasons

First off, people kicked out because of DADT get a general discharge, sometimes even a less-than-honorable discharge depending on the circumstances. Those categories disqualify them from various perqs and benefits that come with an honorable discharge. This, despite the fact that policy is to keep active duty gay people on active duty for prolonged periods of time and then summarily kick them out.

The suit was just as much about gay soldiers getting the benefits they have earned for serving. Also, remember that the occupation of Iraq probably won't last forever; someday soon, serving in the US Armed Forces will once again be a matter of patriotic pride rather than international shame.