My goodness. They really are mad at Our Glorious Shrub, aren't they? ... I think.
A pro-gay Republican group plans to file a lawsuit asking a federal court to overturn the U.S. government's "don't ask, don't tell" policy covering gays in the military. Log Cabin Republican leaders said the suit would be filed Tuesday in federal district court in Los Angeles. The "don't ask, don't tell" policy, put into place in 1993 during the Clinton administration, allows gays and lesbians to serve so long as they do not disclose their sexual orientation and do not engage in homosexual acts.
Log Cabin members serving in the military asked the group's leaders over the last four months to take legal action, the group's attorney, Marty Meekins, said Tuesday. They did not come forward because of a specific incident, but simply because "of fear of the military finding out their sexual orientation if they are gay and lesbian," Meekins said. "This case is fundamentally about correcting a misguided governmental policy based on prejudice toward gay and lesbian Americans," he added. [...] The lawsuit against the government and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld would have been filed sooner had the group and its lawyers been prepared, Meekins said.
"The decision to file the lawsuit doesn't have anything to do with any election," added Log Cabin political director Christopher Barron. "We are a nation fighting a war on terror and we need a policy that protects our national security."
It would be interesting to see the paperwork for the lawsuit itself. I would think that as an organization, LCR would lack standing to bring this lawsuit, unless it's being brought on behalf of an organization member undergoing involuntary separation from the military.
The timing is ... curious, I must say. If they are truly as upset at Bush as they have indicated, then it would make far more sense for them to hold this lawsuit until after the election. Either Bush will win, which would make no difference to bringing the suit, or Kerry will win, and he might simply issue an executive order suspending enforcement (... well, it's a nice thought, anyway). As it is, the lawsuit doesn't spur the left -- they could hardly be more emphatic about wanting Bush out -- but may in fact remind borderline conservatives who are on the fence about gay marriage that, yes, them gayboys are out there, and they want into the military so that they can ogle our fighting men! It just seems like a lawsuit that could and should have waited for a leter day, if they're really as disillusioned with Bush and the Republican Party as they've indicated.
Posted by iain at October 12, 2004 04:02 PM
