Lawmaker Warns "Don't Ask" Repeal Means Talking to Kids About Homosexuality

CBS

Conservative Missouri Democrat Rep. Ike Shelton, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said today that the military should keep the "don't ask, don't tell" policy intact in part to avoid parents having to talk to their children about homosexuality.

Congress has moved toward authorizing repeal of the Clinton-era policy, which bans gays from serving openly in the military. The House voted to overturn the law last month.

If a repeal provision gets through the Senate - a fierce fight is expected in the coming months - repeal could go into effect after the conclusion of a Pentagon study ending December 1st and subsequent approval from President Obama and military brass.

According to the Associated Press, Skelton told reporters that repeal of the policy could put families in a difficult position because it could prompt children to ask about homosexuality.

"What do mommies and daddies say to their 7-year-old child?" he asked.

Skelton, one of the 26 Democrats who opposed repeal in the House, added that his "biggest concern are the families."

[Ihamanoid]

WARNING
The repeal of DADT is NOT, that is NOT the same thing as letting gays serve openly in the military.
Before DADT it was DO ASK MUST TELL
Are gay? Not allowed to serve
Lie about being gay, serve prison time as it's a crime
DADT meant if you kept it secret you could serve.
This was enacted because nutjobs thinking gays in the military would lead to the downfall of civilization would not allow for the passage of a bill allowing gays to serve - a compromise was reached, it's called DADT and was and is the biggest preservation of any rights gays have in the military.


I am all for gays doing whatever they want (as long as say it's legal for the rest of us....)
Marriage, serving in the military, spousal rights, etc....

In order for this to mean what people are stating it means (gays allowed in the military)
There MUST be a law passed allowing for gays to serve openly in the military THEN repeal DADT as a side issue.

This legislation is NOT for allowing gays to serve openly
It is only repealing a specific set of you can do this but not that and if you get caught you can suffer consequences. If you can be secretive and not be found out through actionable displays/associations/outright statements/etc - then your rights to serve are protected.

BEFORE DADT and IF IT IS REPEALED THE THEN AND STILL CURRENT LAWS MEANS IT IS ILLEGAL TO BE GAY IN THE US MILITARY
IT'S FORBIDDEN

WAKE UP
When Gay rights activists and gays in the military support a repeal to a bill that is the only current thing allowing them to serve - it's a sad day.

[Brunton1812]

Maybe we should abolish the military since I have trouble telling my 7 year old why a peace loving country trains people to kill. Explaining that all kinds of people love each other seems easy in comparison.

I guess Shelton lives in a different world.

[lilbear925]

The repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" doesn't mean parents should only NOW talk to their kids about homosexuality. It is the duty of every parent to talk to kids about everything, so they don't feel like they need to go find out themselves. Don't ask, don't tell has nothing to do with having to talk to your kids about this, NOW. You should have already done it.

[texbelle123]

Missouri needs a new Democratic representative -

one who actually has a brain.

[jmdiaz10]

Well, why not just kill all gay people and be done with "the gay problem" once and for all? It seems like the best solution. Don't stop at just not talking about them, because you might as well put all your cards on the table so we can see all the bigotry, hatred, ignorance, and vile with which you view a sexual minority.

[cjknutson]

I wish I'd spoken to my son about homosexuality when he was seven. He knew long before that age that he was gay.

He left the closet when he was in middle school, long before it became acceptable. Due in large part to his activism, my son's high school formed a diversity club the year after he graduated.

Years later, my son is an extremely happy, well adjusted and successful young man. I couldn't be more proud of him!

[justsane-2009]

:-) you have a lucky son.

[cybzz]

I don't get it.... How does allowing Gay people to serve in the military even remotely apply to having to explain what "gay" means to your child?

[r-u-effin-serious]

I'll just pay the same person I hire to take care of my children to talk to them about everything I'm too uncomfortable talking about. Problem Solved

[BobSF_94117]

Speaking of 7-year-olds and how to explain things to them, how do you tell a child that one of his parents, can't phone him on his birthday because daddy is in Afghanistan and can't be put in the awkward position of saying Happy Birthday to his son because the Army doesn't know he has a son and CAN'T find out he has a son without ending daddy's career?

[david0296]

This is quite possibly the stupidest reason yet for not repealing DADT... using the old standby "Won't someone think of the children!!!" defense. Yeah, if we keep forcing gays to pretend to be straight then they really aren't gay anymore, see? Why are these fossils allowed to make public policy? This guy still thinks it 1920. He is an absolute embarrassment to our country... and especially the Democratic party.

[Ihamanoid]

The most stupid reason for not repealing DADT is that if you are gay and are fighting to repeal the ONLY protection you have to being allowed to serve in the military you are stupid, stupid, stooopeed, sttopid, stupied,
sttt,, sttttt, stupe,

Just plain dumb.

GAYS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SERVE IN THE UNITED STATES MILITARY
DADT _ALLOWS_ People who may be gay (see: are gay) to serve in the military as long they aren't discovered by displays, statements (like saying I'm here, I'm queer.... to your commanding officer) or associations.

DADT is the only thing currently protecting your service.
The legislation is being incorrectly touted as allowing gays to serve THIS IS NOT THE CASE