Don’t Ask Don’t Tell: Gaga in Portland

Maine’s two U.S. Senators, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, both Republicans (along with Scott Brown of Massachusetts), are thought to be two possible swing votes on the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy toward gay and lesbian people in service. The issue is up for a vote this afternoon, tacked onto a military appropriations bill.

At the moment, Democrats are just one vote shy of the 60 (a “supermajority”) required to begin debate. For the past 17 years, “don’t ask, don’t tell” has been the bane of queers in the military. Far from giving them privacy, it became the means for witch-hunts to snoop out non-heterosexuals and kick them out of the military.

With Republican votes expected to increase in both the House and the Senate after the midterm elections, it could be years before there is a chance to get rid of this policy again — mainly because 60 votes are needed in the Senate under the “supermajority” rule.

Here in Portland yesterday, as volunteers for various citizen-action groups handed out leaflets with phone numbers for the senators at the rally, a string of local politicians and gay and lesbian former service members gave their stories to warm up the crowd.

Lady Gaga delivered an impassioned speech (albeit with inconsistent metaphors) noting that she was not aware the US had a “cafeteria constitution,” where one is able to pick and choose which parts one upholds.

The Portland Press Herald reported the following:

It was unclear what impact the rally had on Snowe and Collins.

“Let me be clear, the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ law should be changed,” Collins said in a prepared statement. But she criticized Reid’s handling of the bill.

“Now is not the time to play politics, and I again call on the majority leader to work with Republican leaders to negotiate an agreement so that the Senate can debate the defense bill this week,” she said.

Snowe said the 17-year-old policy is “overdue” for review, but a vote on the policy should wait until the Defense Department’s comprehensive review, ordered in March, is complete.

“We should all have the opportunity to review that report which is to be completed on Dec. 1, as we re-evaluate this policy and the implementation of any new changes,” she said in a prepared statement.

Um, which faction is more guilty of “playing politics” at this point? I have my suspicions. Luckily the visibility and volume seem to be growing for the message of inclusion and equality. It’s not a moment too soon; and it needs to be accompanied by action.