Do tell!

Last night America made another step forward in the sometimes discouraging two steps forward and three steps backward dance that is the slow journey toward equality in our Country.
Back in May the House voted to repeal DADT by a vote of 234 to 194. Last night the Senate took an important step toward ending DADT by their vote of 63 to 33.
You can read about it here, here and here.
So, do tell!

Two steps forward, three steps back

So much hope was in the air when the current President was elected in 2008. Not only hope--but promise for change. Has there been any substantive change from this President who pledged to be a fierce advocate for the LGBT community?

Yesterday the Senate shot down attempts to repeal DADT. Senate Republicans blocked an effort to allow gays to serve openly in the military leaving the hope to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy on the shelf. That is one of many steps back. 
The repeal of DOMA has not even come a fraction of the distance that DADT traveled. And with the Republicans taking the majority rule in January, it seems more likely that there would actually be a snowball in hell before DADT or DOMA would be repealed in America.
So, it looks like we had two baby steps forward (at least the hope of that) but in reality we as a country are heading three steps back with regards to inclusion and equality.

Where is the fierce advocate? Not only for LGBT issues, but for middle class concerns (as in tax cuts for the middle class without tax cuts for the richest 1% of Americans), for the unemployed of America? Honestly, what kind of politicians "hold hostage" extending unemployment benefits unless the President granted tax cuts for the richest citizens. Then again, what kind of fierce advocate would capitulate to hostage takers?

The M Word

Two of the biggest equality issues that our current President pledged to be a fierce advocate for once he was elected are DADT ("Don't ask don't tell") and DOMA ("Defense of marriage act"). Whether it is equality for those seeking to serve in our military or for all who wish to seek marriage in America, it is clear that politicians are dedicated to whipping up their conservative base into a lather in order to prevent forward movement in the equality movement.

One more case in point today. Senator John McCain successfully led a Republican filibuster of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), to which the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is attached. Wait, didn't McCain state that he would support the repeal of DADT as long as the top military brass supported it?

"The day that the leadership of the military comes to me and says, 'Senator, we ought to change the policy,' then I think we ought to consider seriously changing it," McCain said in October 2006 to an audience of Iowa State University students. 

One ray of hope, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has committed to bringing the bill back up following the election. Here's hoping the mid-term elections don't net more conservative base "tea" lovers sitting in the valuable moderate seats in Congress.