Bless his li’l peapickin’ heart…Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) just doesn’t give up when it comes to thwarting the implementation of DADT repeal. He’s determined, you have to give him that.
Faced with the reality of imminent DADT repeal – and the knowledge that no number of mean-spirited anti-gay amendments will stop it – Hunter is at it again. This time, he’s not focusing on stopping repeal, because, well, that’s just not going to happen. So instead, he’s trying to ensure that homophobia has a legitimate place in the United States military after repeal.
From the Army Times:
Essentially, this would mean that military people have to accept the presence of gays in the military but they would not have to like it, said an aide familiar with the legislation.
[…]
“We’ve heard the training is really pushing the line for people who believe homosexuality is wrong on religious and personal grounds,” said an aide, who asked not to be identified. “It is a legitimate concern, under the circumstances, with the services working on disciplinary policies for people who don’t agree with this decision.”
[…]
“The military always falls in line, but that doesn’t mean that the men and women who serve in its ranks should suddenly be forced to personally accept something that is contrary to their own principles,” the aide said.
The bill summed up: “You can make me see gay troops, but you can’t make me accept them!” Hunter is really channeling his inner 12-year-old with this legislation. This is pretty sick, even for Hunter.
So, in other words, Hunter’s legislation seeks to make it as easy as possible for anti-gay troops to make life living hell for gay soldiers. Because God forbid (literally) homophobic soldiers should have to treat their fellow gay soldiers with respect. There’s really no other way to see this legislation, since, as far as I know, no military policy is seeking to change the internal thought processes of homophobic soldiers. This is legislation aimed at facilitating the harassment of gay troops. That’s what the anti-DADT-repeal efforts have come down to.
And, not to mention, the idea behind it is just silly. Is Hunter seriously proposing a pro-homophobia-in-the-military bill disguised as a bill that aims to prevent straight troops from endorsing gay sex? Really? Come on, Duncan…has it really come to this?
And what about unit cohesion? Wasn't that the friggin' argument against DADT repeal in the first fucking place?
Here’s the language of the bill:
To amend Public Law 111-321 (Dont’ Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010) to require that… members of the Armed Forces are not pressured to approve of another person’s sexual conduct if that sexual conduct is contrary to the personal principles of the members.
The bill could be formally introduced as early as September 7. Who knows its fate in the House. But thank God for the Senate, the last line of defense to keep this insanity off of the President’s desk.