There are currently four openly gay members of Congress, out of 535 total,
Rep. Barney Frank (MA-05), Rep. Jared Polis (CO-02), Rep. Tammy Baldwin (WI-02) and
Rep. David Cicilline (RI-01). All four have signed a letter to President Obama
urging him to issue an official veto threat of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 if it is not stripped of it's provisions which would prevent the certification (and thus completion) of the repeal of DADT, the anti-gay policy which prevents open military service by lesbian, gay and bisexual Americans.
Pam Spaulding posted the letter to Scribd:
06-03-11 Letter to President Re DADTThere are other odious provisions in the Defense Authorization bill (such as a reiteration of the Defense of Marriage Act and a prohibition of solemnizing marriages on military bases in states which allow same-sex marriages)
which the White House has already expressed its opposition to, but this is a step below a veto threat in the Washington-based kabuki dance of how provisions become federal law.
That is probably why the 4 openly LGBT representatives to specifically ask for a veto threat. It should be noted that there is no way that a provision to prevent the repeal of DADT can become law without President Obama's affirmation. I am confident that will not happen, and DADT will be gone by the end of the year.
Hat/tip to
Pam's House Blend.
