In a post today noting that despite “untranslated terrorist intercepts . . . posing a significant security threat to the United States,” Christian Grantham notes that the federal government continues to discharge gay linguists under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

Christian is right to ask:

why is the political agenda of discrimination against gay and lesbian Americans taking priority over tracking down these terrorists? Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is a clear danger to the national security interests of the United States of America.

I urge the President to either move for an immediate repeal of this misguided law or, at the very least, ask government lawyers to try to interpret the law to allow openly gay members to serve the military in such “auxiliary” roles as translators. I’m no expert on military law nor am I familiar with the wording of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell legislation, but perhaps its language offers wiggle room for individuals serving in non-combat roles. (I’ll be forwarding this post to a lawyer friend of mine to solicit his comments.)

If that’s not possible, then we have former President Clinton to blame for this situation. Before he signed Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the ban on gays in the military was administrative policy not an actual law. The president could have overturned — or modified — the policy with the stroke of a pen. Had Clinton not signed the bill, President Bush could merely have issued an executive order exempting linguists from the gay ban.

Perhaps some Congressman or Senator should introduce a bill which would limit the application of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell to enlisted personnel. Or modify the law so that it does not apply to linguists. Gay activists may complain that such legislation would not go far enough and demand instead an outright repeal of the law. They would be right that this proposal doesn’t go far enough, but in opposing this modification, they would be making the perfect the enemy of the good.

While I daresay this Congress would not repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, it might consider a few minor changes. In pushing for these changes, we need to promote them as part of the War on Terror. To show how allowing gays to serve in the military — even in this limited capacity — would help defend our nation against terrorist attacks and so further our national security.

-Dan (AKA GayPatriotWest): GayPatriotWest@aol.com

Heh. I wasn’t sure what “category” to even put this in. I’m certainly not creating one for this bizarre story.

I wanted to draw your attention to this Jonah Goldberg posting over at The Corner. I agree with Jonah, this is a well-thought out position from the left that doesn’t involve digging into someone’s personal life and exploiting it.

Now… drum roll please…. while I think the obsession with this story is overblown, especially to the slander committed by Eason Jordan against our troops in a time of war (maybe Jordan wants to run for Prez in 30 years? It worked for Kerry)….

I hereby say that allowing Gannon access to the White House Press Room was stupid, sloppy and dangerous. Who knows who is responsible, or was asleep at the wheel. If all the blame lies with the Secret Service or other fail-safe measures, I’d like to know.

If in fact this was some Republican media plant in the White House, then this is very stupid and reckless and someone in the Bush White House should be held accountable.

There, I’m done for a while until we find out Gannon had connections to an al-Qaeda prostitution ring… then I’ll have a stroke.

-GayPatriot: gaypatriot2004@aol.com

A new survey was published yesterday by HCD Research showing that a large majority of physicians and the general public favor MANDATORY HIV testing.

The survey revealed that among the general public:

– 63% of Americans believe that mandatory, federally funded HIV testing would improve the overall health of the U.S. population

– 60% indicated that the associated health care benefits of mandatory, federally funded HIV testing outweigh the social implications

– 40% indicated that the social implications of mandatory, federally funded HIV testing outweigh the associated health care benefits

Hat tip on this one goes to Charging Rhino. And Ted has his own very strong thoughts on the prospects.

First comes the “mandatory testing”.
Next comes the databases.
Followed by armed raids, and “…rounding up the usual suspects”.
From there it’s tattoos and “legal” sanctions.
Then the “camps”.

…From my cold, dead hands.

Well, I’m not so sure. I haven’t had to think about this…. so I’d like to open up to comments and see what y’all think. This is a toughie.

Also, an enterprising reader might want to find out more about HCD Research. Follow the money, as they say…

-GayPatriot: gaypatriot2004@aol.com

I noticed these two items at BoiFromTroy today…

Senator Offers Limited Apology – Hartford Courant

“It’s a sickness, I think,” Colapietro said in a story about same-sex marriage published Saturday by his local newspaper, the Bristol Press. “It’s not a cure for the sickness allowing them to marry.”

Colapietro was quickly criticized on an Internet bulletin board devoted to Bristol-area politics and in person Monday during a conversation with Sen. Andrew McDonald, D-Stamford, who is gay.

“I feel bad they took the word `sick’ as derogatory,” Colapietro said Monday. “It wasn’t meant that way.”

That reminds me of the Jessica Rabbit line…. “I’m not bad, I was just drawn that way.” So I guess I’m gay, but not sick… because he didn’t mean it that way? How else would one take that other than derogatory. I mean clearly his apology didn’t mean he found gay salvation over the weekend. It means he found CYA.

Then there’s this number from Pennsylvania State Representative Thomas Yewcic: Pennsylvania lawmaker wants repeal of pro-gay protections — the Advocate.

A Pennsylvania lawmaker has proposed a bill that would remove a section from Pennsylvania’s hate-crime laws that bans harassment based on sexual orientation. Democratic state representative Thomas Yewcic of Cambria said he filed the bill in response to the arrest of five evangelical Christian protesters at a gay pride festival in Philadelphia. The five were charged with violating Pennsylvania’s Ethnic Intimidation Act when they disrupted the event with a bullhorn preaching that homosexuality is a sin. The Repent America demonstrators resisted a police order to pull back, and police said they were concerned about possible violence.

Now, he is probably right and even some of the pro-gay groups in Pennsylvania question the validity of using this law to squelch free speech. After all, if you applied it to ACT-UP I would imagine throwing batteries and condoms at some one might be a bit worse than telling someone they are a sinner. We are all sinners, after all, no?

But wouldn’t you have expected these comments and initiatives to becoming from conservative Republicans, not Democrats?

Verrrrry interesting. I will keep a watch on this potential trend.

-GayPatriot: gaypatriot2004@aol.com

Please note that I have extended the deadline on the 2nd Movie Trivia contest to Sunday, February 20, 2005, @ 9 PM Pacific. Just e-mail your answers to GayPatriotWest@aol.com.

This time, you don’t need to get all the answers right. You get one point for each correct answer and multiple points for correct answer to the bonus question. The person with the most points wins.