LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Capital Letters |
by Hastings Wyman |
Pentagon Redux: Gay Issues Get Hot Again
Since 1993, when President Clinton's first months in office were all but paralyzed by his gays-in-the-military debacle, Washington policy makers have preferred to let this particular sleeping dog lie. The case for inaction got stronger when the more conservative Bush Administration took office. Bush stretched his credibility with his party's right wing by endorsing the Clinton "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" compromise and is hardly likely to advocate significant changes in the policy. In recent weeks, however, a series of straws in the wind suggests that military policy toward gay and lesbian service members could get back in the headlines. The most important development was the report of the Cox Committee, a panel of the National Institute of Military Justice, which recommended the military lift its ban on sodomy. While this change would not remove the military's ban on openly gay members, it would improve conditions for gays serving in the armed forces. C. Dixon Osburn, Executive Director of the highly effective Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, describes the Cox Committee as "a blue ribbon panel of military legal experts... with impeccable credentials." The fact that the panel made only four recommendations, notes Osburn, underscores the importance these military lawyers place on removing the commission of sodomy as a basis for dismissal from the armed services. The Cox recommendations are now before Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who is reviewing personnel policies, and have also been sent to the Senate Armed Services Committee, now chaired by Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), a supporter of gays in the military. Another important development has been the substantial shift in public opinion regarding gay service members. Analysis of data from the National Election Survey of 1,807 respondents, performed by political scientist Alan Yang for the Policy Institute of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, found that 71 percent of Americans now favor allowing gay men and lesbians to serve in the U.S. military. The trend is apparent in both parties66 percent of Republicans and 82 percent of Democrats favor gays in the military. Moreover, this finding was confirmed in a recent Gallup poll, which showed 72 percent of Americans favor allowing gays to serve in the military, a substantial pro-gay shift since 1993. Finally, the case for allowing gays in the military got an update recently when Lawrence J. Korb, who served as assistant secretary of defense under President Ronald Reagan, authored an op/ed in the Washington Post. Korb, a long time foe of the gay ban, pointed out that the CIA, FBI, Secret Service and National Security Agency have not had problems since they began allowing gays in their ranks; that 23 foreign militaries now allow homosexuals to serve openly; and that the armed services are having recruitment problems, but last year discharged a record number1,231of service members for being gay. Despite these developments, Osburn doesn't see the political will in Congress to take up this touchy issue right away. However, Osburn does believe the Cox report will have its effect. "I don't think [Rumsfeld] will be able to ignore it. He will have to do something." Stay tuned. California Gay Men Running for Assembly At least four gay menall Democratsare likely to run for the California Assembly next year and could become the first openly gay male lawmakers in the Golden State's legislature. In San Francisco, Mark Leno, a San Francisco supervisor, is expected to run for Carole Migden's (D) seat in the legislature. Migden is term-limited and will probably run for the Bay Area on the state Board of Equalization. Leno will not have a free ride, however, even among gay voters. Former Supervisor Harry Brittwho succeeded Harvey Milk, the first of the city's openly gay supervisorsis also seeking the Migden seat in the Assembly. In addition to a personal following from his years in politics, Britt has Migden's support. "The entire gay establishment is being rocked by this race," says one gay politico. In Santa Cruz, former Mayor John Laird is a likely candidate for an Assembly seat. Laird has held a number of elective and appointive positions in Santa Cruz, including a seat on the City Council, where he served nine years. Laird, who was one of California's Democratic electors in the last presidential election, looks like he'll have no opposition in the primarythe filing period is fast approaching and other prospects are bowing out. That will give him a major boost in his Democratic district. And in the Palm Springs area, Greg Pettis, mayor pro-tem of Cathedral City, is expected to run for an Assembly seat. Pettis' chances depend significantly on redistrictingby a Democratic legislature. A fifth possible candidate, Special Assistant to the Governor Eric Bauman, has decided not to run for the legislature, but plans to work to keep Gov. Gray Davis (D) in office. "My partner and I spent three months debating," Bauman told me, before deciding that he could accomplish "as much as a member of the Governor's senior staff" as he could in the legislature. Hastings Wyman publishes Southern Political Report, a nonpartisan biweekly political newsletter. He may be reached in care of Letters from CAMP Rehoboth or at HWymanSPR@aol.com. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 11, No. 9, July 13, 2001. |