Rep. Ridicules Gov't Policy Toward Gays

(AP)  A New York congressman on Wednesday jokingly suggested the Bush administration may fear a "platoon of lesbians" more than terrorists in Baghdad, given the military's resistance to letting homosexuals openly serve.

Rep. Gary Ackerman's criticism of Pentagon policy came as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Ackerman, a New York City Democrat, complained to Rice that the military had fired Arabic and Farsi translators after learning the translators were homosexuals.

"For some reason, the military seems more afraid of gay people than they are against terrorists. They're very brave with the terrorists, and if the terrorists ever got ahold of this information, they get a platoon of lesbians to chase us out of Baghdad," said Ackerman, prompting laughter in the hearing room.

The lawmaker, who in 2002 voted for the invasion of Iraq but is now a fierce opponent of the war, made one other crack, too, this time in reference to the Bush administration's opposition to gay marriage.

Ackerman suggested the State Department could hire dozens of outed — and ousted — former military translators.

"Can we marry up these two — or maybe that's not the right word. ... Can we have some kind of union of those two issues?" Ackerman asked, prompting a fresh outburst of laughter.

Rice, in diplomatic fashion, played it cool.

"Congressman, I'm not aware of the availability of people, but I will certainly look," she said, adding that her department has quadrupled the number of employees in critical languages.

A Washington-based gay rights group, the Human Rights Campaign, said Ackerman was right to criticize the military's policy of "don't ask, don't tell" concerning gays.

"It is clear the congressman was underscoring the ridiculousness of the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy and how it's hurting our efforts to fight the war on terror," said HRC spokesman Luis Vizcaino.

[bm6005]

bm6005, why do you think anyone should send themselves or anyone else into this misbegotten war? Fighting for a reason I can understand, but fighting to save Bush's PR image? Screw that!
Posted by pakaal

Because they (rightwing nutjobs) support sending someone else to fight their war. Because Iraq had nothing to do with the W.O.T. It was & is an illegal war of their choice. Because they ignored and continue to ignore the facts.

[newsjeff-2009]

I think it is still funny how the GOP party claims and speak about being against homosexual marriages or same-*** marriage, I think I have figured out why so many GOPers and Bush voting red republican states are so anti-homosexual, I read about how the top 10 states that have the highest divorce rates(traditional marriages of course)with so many domestic tradional marriages failing in 10 of the Bush-voting republican states it makes sense to bad-mouth Massachucetts,New York, and a few other democrat voting states that have the lowest divorce rates in the nation.(Massachucetts has the lowest divorce rate.)When domestic marriage and traditional marriages are failing all around the country, I guess that is why many GOPers are jealous that some people actually have marriages or realationships that do not failure and without divorce rates. Maybe some of these top republican voting 10 divorce rate states should work on the failure rate of traditional marriages, before trying to tell others how to live their lives.

[pakaal]

bm6005, why do you think anyone should send themselves or anyone else into this misbegotten war? Fighting for a reason I can understand, but fighting to save Bush's PR image? Screw that!

[bm6005]

Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to Iraq. When does your flight leave. Remember they raised the age limit to 42 just for you crackers. Couldn't make it to any previous wars so let's see you in this one and if not you how about your kids!!

[fryedbread]

singinrick you never answered my question. :(

You are aware that the word "homosexuality" does not appear in the Bible before 1946?

[Ed0719]

In Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, our American troops already serve along side openly gay miliary personnel from other countries such as the UK and Australia, Italy, etc. Those countries have seen no problems with gay people serving openly. Are detractors trying to say that American military personnel are too immature to accept someone different? Are they really using the same tired and false excuses that were once used to demand segregation of blacks in the military?

American men are so backward when it comes to sexuality. They are like middle school children. It is time they grow up and act like men, whether they are gay or straight.

[pakaal]

Go platoons of lesbians! That's so hot.

And yeah, that last comment is so completely non-PC of me.

Israel and England - both accept gay/lesbian soldiers in their armies, and the world hasn't collapsed. Big surprise there. Meanwhile we lead the back of the pack once again thanks to fringe Christianists who feel a need to deny people the right to serve their country.

Bks59, the Government's current military policy is based on a specific interpretation of the Bible. Like it or not, this debate is ALL about religion.

[legendary240]

Keep the pervs out of the military. Let them sew uniforms.

[plowhandle]

Religious extremism has run this nation since Ronny Ragoon won back in 1980 - and look how the nation has suffered.

Instead of the "heartland" people rising up angry and booting the Republishit Party out of office, these ignorant, green-teeth Baptist Cracker idiots voted them in time and time again - because of their insistence that GOD was on the side of the Republicrap Party...that they would save America from the kweers and would protect the tadpole babies (unborn 'rights' over a mother's health and well-being). The goofs fell for it all - and here we are.

The tide has finally turned - Republiscum Party dispatched out of power and the Democratic majority put back in place. Soon to be "Madame President Clinton," but it will take DOZENS of years to get America back from the Fundamentalist Trolls that still think they matter.

Republishits...........buh bye.

[bks59]

An Honorable Representive critizes a US military policy and this blog has become about religion. Well then, God, the only Power, created All, Man (humans) included, God gave us the power to reason and be self aware, choices. The only good or bad in our lives is that which we create, the feeling or opinion about a situation. Christian theology is no more or less correct than any other theology, therefore the after life is the same for Everybody. This puts Hitler and Sadam with Mother Teresa.