February 2, 2010 – Today's Senate Armed Services Committee hearing concerns the repeal of the misnamed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) policy on gays and lesbians in the military. During the Senate hearing today, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will be grilled on Clinton's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) policy and will be asked what can be done to overturn it.

TVC Executive Director Andrea Lafferty has issued the following statement on this hearing and the efforts of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) movement to undermine our military:

The two witnesses testifying today cannot repeal a law passed by Congress, nor should they try to undermine the law by issuing policies violating the intent of the original law passed in 1993. President Clinton created the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy – which violated the 1993 law banning gays and lesbians from openly serving in the Armed Forces. 

Fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan is difficult and dangerous already.  We don't need someone sitting in a foxhole concerned about whether or not the night will turn into "date night" for someone serving beside him.

In addition, LGBTQ ally Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA) is attempting to pass H.R. 1238, which will repeal the 1993 law altogether. Yet, in his bill, there is no mention of "gender identity," which is code for drag queens, cross-dressers, transsexuals or she-males. Murphy's bill only deals with "sexual orientation."

Why isn't "gender identity" in his bill? One of the main goals of the LGBTQ movement is to have "transgender" included as a protected minority group under federal law. "Gender identity" is in every other major initiative or piece of legislation being pushed by the LGBTQ movement, their allies in Congress and the Obama Administration—hate crimes law, federal employment, health care and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) etc. Why not in H.R. 1238?

The answer is simple: The gay, bisexual and lesbian contingent of this movement is excluding "gender identity" from their list of goals for the military because, for now, it is clearly a "bridge too far" in the effort to homosexualize the military. They are using incrementalism in their plan to ultimately get transgendered individuals inside the military.  This will include cross-dressers, gay drag queens, transsexuals and she-males (males who have female breasts and male genitalia).

The goal to have gays, bisexuals, lesbians or she-males openly serving in the military will undermine unit cohesion, morale and military effectiveness. The 1993 law must stay in place and Clinton's DADT policy should be revoked. It violates the law passed by Congress.

For more information, Call Eldrith Hernandez , (202) 547-8570.