• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Towleroad Gay News

Gay Blog Towleroad: More than gay news | gay men

  • Travel
  • Sports
  • Law/Justice
  • Celebrities
  • Republicans
  • Madonna
  • Books
  • Men
  • Trans Rights
  • Royals
  • Monkeypox
  • Watch: Thousands of Israelis celebrate Pride in Jerusalem despite counter-march
  • World Bank’s new chief asks staff to ‘double down’ on development, climate efforts
  • California law would make tech giants pay for news

White House Indicates it Has No Intention of Repealing ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ This Year

Andy Towle April 21, 2010

TRANSCRIPT:

Q Let me get back to the question. So there was the heckling on Monday night, there's the veterans yesterday at the White House gates handcuffing themselves to the fence. All of these actions are aimed at getting repeal this year, something the White House has sort of declined to commit to since the State of the Union address. Has the White House misjudged the level of patience among LGBT and grassroots activists on this?

MR. GIBBS: No. Again, I would remind anybody on this issue — look, first of all, I will say this. Obviously the President made a commitment in the presidential campaign, and understands the passion that people hold the belief that all should be able to serve. The President holds that belief too.

But I would remind folks that wasn't a belief that the President held in 2007 — that's a belief that the President held in running for the Senate as far back as 2003.

The President has made and is committed to making this changed law. I don't think he's underestimated the — as you said, the patience of some. The President wants to see this law changed, just as you've heard the Chair of the Joint Chiefs and others in the military say that it's time for that change to happen. 

Q But he's committed to them letting the Pentagon work through its working group process until December 1st, is that true? He's committed to that?

MR. GIBBS: Yes. The President has set forward a process with the Joint — the Chair of the Joint Chiefs and with the Secretary of Defense to work through this issue.

Q Before any legislative action is taken — that rules out legislative action this year?

MR. GIBBS: Well, again — the House and the Senate are obviously a different branch of government. The President has a process and a proposal I think that he believes is the best way forward to seeing, again, the commitment that he's made for many years in trying to — changing that law.

Gibbs

At a White House press briefing today, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs indicated that the President is committed to waiting for the Pentagon to finish its "study" on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" before actively pushing for repeal, effectively pushing it into 2011.

So, while the repeal could conceivably be attached to a Department of Defense authorization bill to be considered next month, in line with the President's promise made in the State of the Union address, this is the clearest indication yet that no support will be coming from the White House on that.

Transcript, and video, AFTER THE JUMP…

The hopeful news is that there are a growing number of Democrats in Congress who say they are unwilling to wait for the lengthy military study, as evidenced by Senator Udall's statement I posted earlier today. 

David Mixner reports: "I have spent the day visiting on the phone with extremely reliable sources on Capitol Hill in both the Senate and House. With over twenty calls, I have been able to determine that the revolt is perhaps much larger than the media realizes. There is a sense of total frustration with the administration. They just don't understand why the White House won't move on this issue. Many of persons on the Hill that I spoke too are from states with large urban populations, including in the South. They feel the failure to vote this year on DADT will have a 'chilling effect' regarding voter turn out in the Fall elections. Those interviewed think that not only will many LGBT citizens stay home but also other progressives."

Topics: Military, News More Posts About: Barack Obama, Barack Obama, Don't Ask Don't tell, Military, News

Related Posts
  • Disney v. DeSantis judge called Florida governor’s law ‘dystopian’
  • Ted Cruz claims Buttigieg running against Biden because his ‘cadence’ is ‘mimicking Barack Obama’
  • These are the ‘dumbest’ and ‘silliest’ things that ‘triggered’ far-right culture warriors in 2022: podcast
  • World Bank’s new chief asks staff to ‘double down’ on development, climate efforts

    World Bank’s new chief asks staff to ‘double down’ on development, climate efforts

    Published by Reuters By David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The World Bank’s new president Ajay Banga on Friday asked the lender’s 16,000 staff to “double down” on development and climate efforts as he seeks to accelerate …Read More »
  • California law would make tech giants pay for news

    California law would make tech giants pay for news

    Published by AFP A bill making its way through the California state legislature would mandate that internet giants pay news agencies monthly 'journalism usage fees' based on viewing of stories via their platforms San Francisco (AFP) …Read More »
  • New Yorkers gather to watch ‘Manhattanhenge’

    New Yorkers gather to watch ‘Manhattanhenge’

    Published by AFP The sun lines up between rows of skyscrapers in Manhattan on the evening of May 30, 2023 New York (AFP) – Snapping pictures with cell phones, hundreds of New Yorkers and tourists gathered …Read More »
  • Covid lockdowns fogged our memories of big events, study shows

    Covid lockdowns fogged our memories of big events, study shows

    Published by DPA Our memory of events during lockdown is on a similar level to prison inmates, according to new reseach showing that many who stayed at home during the pandemic struggle to recall the timing …Read More »
Previous Post: « Interview: Next Fall‘s Patrick Breen on Homophobia, Religion, and Being Bisexual
Next Post: Gay Divorce Argued in Texas Appeals Court »

Primary Sidebar

Adjacent News

  • Drag queen story time comes to Independence Hall

    Drag queen story time comes to Independence Hall

  • onePULSE Foundation says it’s time to shrink down plans for Pulse museum and memorial

    onePULSE Foundation says it’s time to shrink down plans for Pulse museum and memorial

  • Raven-Symoné Admits She Makes All Her Dates Sign NDAs ‘Before the Naughty Time Comes’

    Raven-Symoné Admits She Makes All Her Dates Sign NDAs ‘Before the Naughty Time Comes’

Good Trash: Going to Read It Somewhere, Y'know

  • Andy Cohen Admits Further Plastic Surgery Discussions Were Cut From ‘KUWTK’ Reunion Special: ‘People Would Be Really Surprised’

    Andy Cohen Admits Further Plastic Surgery Discussions Were Cut From ‘KUWTK’ Reunion Special: ‘People Would Be Really Surprised’

  • Neil Patrick Harris feels excited to turn 50

    Neil Patrick Harris feels excited to turn 50

  • Ben Platt engaged to fiancé Noah Galvin – again!

    Ben Platt engaged to fiancé Noah Galvin – again!

Partner Links

  • Celebrate Pride With 'The Village, A Disco Daydream'
  • Paramore’s Hayley Williams: Vote DeSantis, You're Dead To Me
  • Jennifer Lawrence Looks Sporty on the Way to the Gym in NYC While Husband Cooke Maroney Grabs an Uber
  • Natalie Portman And Her Husband Benjamin Millepied Are Reportedly Working Through Their Marriage Woes After He Cheated On Her
  • Trailer for season two of “And Just Like That”

Most Recent

  • Watch: Thousands of Israelis celebrate Pride in Jerusalem despite counter-march

    Watch: Thousands of Israelis celebrate Pride in Jerusalem despite counter-march

  • World Bank’s new chief asks staff to ‘double down’ on development, climate efforts

    World Bank’s new chief asks staff to ‘double down’ on development, climate efforts

  • California law would make tech giants pay for news

    California law would make tech giants pay for news

  • New Yorkers gather to watch ‘Manhattanhenge’

    New Yorkers gather to watch ‘Manhattanhenge’

  • Covid lockdowns fogged our memories of big events, study shows

    Covid lockdowns fogged our memories of big events, study shows

  • ‘This is Disgusting and Wrong’: Disney Blasted by Conservative Critics After Male Disneyland Employee Dons Dress and Makeup

    ‘This is Disgusting and Wrong’: Disney Blasted by Conservative Critics After Male Disneyland Employee Dons Dress and Makeup

  • Trump captured on tape acknowledging he kept a classified document on Iran -CNN

    Trump captured on tape acknowledging he kept a classified document on Iran -CNN

  • Amazon’s Ring used to spy on customers, FTC says in privacy settlement

    Amazon’s Ring used to spy on customers, FTC says in privacy settlement

Most Commented

Social

Twitter @tlrd | Facebook | Instagram @tlrd

Footer

Copyright © 2023 · Log in

×