DADT Update

Another setback in LGB equality, but a big win for the president who once claimed to be a "fierce advocate for equality for gay and lesbian Americans," which would be hilarious if it weren't so tragic:

A federal appeals panel on Wednesday temporarily blocked a lower court ruling that halted enforcement of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy banning openly gay and lesbian soldiers from the military.

The ruling by a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals gave the government the delay it sought in challenging a federal judge's order last week to stop enforcing the policy around the world.

"The order is stayed temporarily in order to provide this court with an opportunity to consider fully the issues presented," said the appellate panel's ruling, which gave parties in the case until October 25 to file further documents.

Aubrey Sarvis, an Army veteran and executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, said the appeals court panel's ruling "means that 'don't ask, don't tell' is once again on the books, and is likely to be enforced by the Defense Department."

...The administration argued that changing it abruptly "risks causing significant immediate harm to the military and its efforts to be prepared to implement an orderly repeal of the statute."

Such bullshit. If they were arguing that "changing it abruptly" (as if this hasn't been coming for nearly a year now, anyway) could put LGB soldiers at risk, that would still be bullshit, but at least it would put them on the bullshit side of the bullshit angels. But they're just going full-tilt garbage.

The military reportedly wants time to consider, and possibly implement, sexuality-segregated housing into which straight soldiers can voluntarily opt-in, if they don't want to live with gay soldiers. Personally, I believe that housing already exists: It's called civilian life.

After hundreds of years of LGB soldiers not being allowed to serve openly, the least they're owed is the requirement from their fellow soldiers to like it or lump it. LGB soldiers shouldn't be required to fight for separate but equal.