Crossposted at Equality Loudoun
This morning’s Virginia Politics blog brings us tidings of great desperation. In the wake of the historic vote to repeal DADT, Delegate Bob “Virginia’s Chief Homophobe” Marshall claims to be drafting a bill for the 2011 session that would establish a ban on openly gay servicemembers in the Virginia National Guard.
Marshall, who is considering running for U.S. Senate in 2012, is one of the House’s most conservative members. He said Article 1, Section 8, Clause 16 of the Constitution gives Virginia the authority to uphold the ban by “reserving to the states respectively, the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress.”
{Not to hijack David’s wonderful post, but Mike Kondratick, our candidate against Bob Marshall, has a post up about this issue on Blue Virginia today. Go give him some love! – P13}I’ve helpfully bolded the final clause, as Mr. Marshall appears to have missed it. The “discipline prescribed by Congress” was just corrected on Saturday, such that gay and lesbian patriots can now serve in our military without, as one servicemember put it, “a knife in my back.”
Like the architects of Virginia’s shameful “Massive Resistance” to an earlier era of civil rights, long after the rest of the world has moved on these bitter old men will still be lashing out at their imaginary enemies and wasting everyone’s time. Mr. Marshall’s legislative career needs to join DADT in the dustbin of history.
Bonus: On a lighter note, watch these two videos and tell me you don’t see the uncanny resemblance.
Larry, thanks for publicly and consistently speaking out against ignorance and bile like this.
No more bashing, period. We need to get together and get things done. We don’t have time for division and hate.
I hope everyone is tired of hearing Delgaudio refer to Transgenders as IT and tired of hearing Marshall bash gays in the military.
I actually served in the US Army, was a volunteer, and would have no problem being in a fox hole with a gay soldier. We all knew gay soldiers, and when I was a peacekeeping officer in Egypt, we had them there as well at all ranks. They served with great honor.
All Americans need to be treated equally. As the candidate for Supervisor in Dulles District in Loudoun, I will defend gays and transgenders, make sure they can’t be denied a job on the basis of sexual preference, and make sure they receive full marriage benefits. It’s the correct American thing to do.
No more ethnic bashing of hispanics. No more gay bashing. No more bashing of Islam or people of any faith.
Civil rights must be at the heart of governance. Most Republicans are not bigots. They are as good and true as any Democrat or Independent. What’s wrong with the leadership around here?
Time for politicians and bullies like Delgaudio and Marshall to stop behaving like bigots. Grow up, guys and be a man.
Larry Roeder, candidate for Dulles District Supervisor
http://www.roederfordulles.com
I see from Del. Marshall’s bio on his own website that he doesn’t have any military experience. Interesting that he can forsee, without having any experience in the matter, what will happen in our armed forces as a result of the repeal.
Mr. Marshall, I served in the U.S. Navy from 1984 to 1988. I know for a fact that I served with shipmates who were homosexual, both male and female. I can say from experience that they did not detract one iota from military readiness. In fact, one of the females was one of the best line captains in our helo squadron.
It’s time to end the prehistoric psycho-babble about gays in the military. They’re there, they’re patriotic, and they’re good sailors/Marines/soldiers/airmen. And they deserve the same rights as every other member of society.
Thanks to Saturday’s vote, one less hurdle has been removed.