St. Louisan presses Obama on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell
From Think Progress comes this:
In January, Sandy Tsao, an army officer based out of St. Louis, MO, told her superiors that she is gay — a violation of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law. Tsao then wrote to President Obama, urging him to change the DADT policy: “I do hope, Mr. President, that you will help us to win the war against prejudice.” On May 5, Tsao received a handwritten letter from Obama with a pledge to repeal DADT at some point:
Over at Glaadblog (to which Think Progress linked, thanks TP), Tsao talks about her decision to tell her superiors that she is gay and about getting a personal note from President Barack Obama.
At least Tsao got the note from the president before her last day in the armed service. From Glaadblog:
Sandy’s last day in the army is May 19. She is being forced to leave the military, another service member discharged under the DADT policy.
Tsao should be commended for coming out as a gay American to her military superiors, even though it cost her her job. With the U.S. House adding sexual orientation and gender identity to hate crimes laws, it is time to dump the dumb don’t-ask-don’t-tell policy and end the prohibition of gays in the military.
(Also check out Rach Maddow’s discussion with former U.S. Army National Guard Lt. Dan Choi, who was dismissed after he admitted on an earlier Maddow show that he is gay. He is an Arabic-speaking linguist, a skill said to be in high demand.)
Jamie Riley is the P-D letters editor and gatekeeper of the letters blog. Before joining the editorial page in May 2005, she was a reporter and page designer. Jamie lives in University City with her husband, Charles, daughter, Elise, and the world's best Jack Russell terrier, Logan, better known as Stinky. 
Before the hate crimes bill passes let me go on the record and state that Homosexual behavior is in clear violation of God’s Word and intention. How can one be fruitful and multiply in a homosexual relationship? If we violate God’s Word and promote this behavior God’s judgment is forthcoming..
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Care.
Wonder how she got commissioned? ROTC scholarship? Academy?
What’s her motivation for coming out now? To avoid repaying her commitment? I wonder.
Hey Bulletinman,
Newsflash for you… we are a secular nation. That means we don’t take god’s word or intention into account in making laws. If you don’t like it, go join the Taliban…
I see the “standards” or the “editorial staff” havent improved any. Linking to a hate site that is (dont)thinkprogress? I guess the bottom feeders have to stick together; the Post Disgrace’s “editorial staff”, the hate sites of the far left (thinkprogress) and the talentless hacks of DNCTV “Rach” Maddow and the failure that is Keith Overbite.
As far as Tsao; she came in gay, and she knew the rules, and the consequences for violating them. When she violated the rules, she got EXACTLY what she was told would happen to her.
This is crap. She simply “Outed” herself to get out of service obligation. Perhaps she found out her next duty station was going to be Iraq or Afghanistan. If she had an ROTC scholarship she should be forced to pay back every nickel that taxpayers spent on her education. She knew the rules when she signed up.
I suppose we should impose rules upon the military because they seem fair to the progressive minds of the Post-Dispatch Editorial Board. Just because the military has done a great job of protecting the United States for over 230 years doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be subject to some sort of social experimentation. We’re only in the middle of two wars with combatants that live by 13th century rules and facing a threat from an increasingly confident and capable China and Russia. What could possibly go wrong?
Well, don’t blame the military for this one….they simply obey the regulations that Congress sets down. And if this Lieutentant wasn’t aware before she got commissioned that Congress deems homosexuality incompatible with military service, maybe she wasn’t all that smart to begin with. But, if the P-D thinks she ought to be commended for coming out to her military superiors (what…superiors??? sounds like sexism/racism to me…who said anyone is superior???)…fine, she’s commended. I commend you. Happy now?
To the posters who are saying, “She knew the rules when she signed up”: that’s true, but she may not have known that she was gay. (Denial is a powerful psychological force.) She also may not have realized what a terrible burden it is to be in the closet.
I think it’s really nasty to accuse this poor woman of coming out in order to get out of her obligations to the military. She clearly wants to continue to serve her country.
If gays ever take over the army you can bet your sweet bippy everything won’t be painted green.