There are moments when you wonder why, when some legislative initiatives are absolutely doomed to defeat, that liberal newspapers publicize liberal lobbying that’s totally in vain – except for the publicity. Thursday’s New York Times promised on its front page an article on how "gay groups" are once again pushing for a repeal of the military’s "don’t ask, don’t tell" policy, instituted in the Clinton administration. One "centrist" group told the Times said the proposal has "zero chance" of passing, but Lizette Alvarez wrote a story completely promoting the pro-gay point of view. Shocking.
The gay group in question here is not the usual one, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, but rather the group called "Soulforce," led by Mel White, the gay former aide to Jerry Falwell. Alvarez set the stage right where the gay left wanted it, at a Wisconsin recruiting office:
MADISON, Wis. —The three young men who tried to enlist at an Army recruiting station here appeared to be first-rate military material.
Two were college students, and the other was a college graduate. They had no criminal records. They were fit and eager to serve at a time when wars on two fronts have put a strain on American troops and the need for qualified recruits is great.
But the recruiter was forced to turn them away, for one reason: they are gay and unwilling to conceal it.
"Don’t judge me because of my sexuality," said one of the three, Justin Hager, 20, a self-described Republican from a military family who has "a driving desire to join" the armed forces. "Judge me because of my character and drive."
As the Pentagon’s search for soldiers grows more urgent, gay rights groups are making the biggest push in nearly a decade to win repeal of a compromise policy, encoded in a 1993 law and dubbed "don’t ask, don’t tell," that bars openly gay people from serving in the military.
Alvarez was intent on underling that openly gay soldiers was supported by a majority of Americans in polls, and inevitable, even citing a former general with the surname of Christman in agreement.
While Soulforce (and the SLDN in a late mention) were positively described as "gay rights groups," their opponents you just knew would be labeled conservative:
On the other side of the divide, Elaine Donnelly, president of the conservative Center for Military Readiness, said permitting gay men and lesbians to serve openly would prompt recruitment rates to drop and disrupt unit cohesion, a linchpin in the decision to allow gay troops to serve only in silence.
The Urban Institute, who estimated 60,000 gay people serve in the military, was not labeled "liberal." Even California professor Aaron Belkin of the Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities wasn’t a "liberal." Instead, the growing popularity of sexual liberalism drew a much nicer word, according to the New York Times: "Young people in particular now have more tolerant views about homosexuality."
All in a day's work for the Gay Games-sponsoring newspaper.
