The public overwhelmingly supports openly gay service. The U.S.'s closest allies, including Britain and Israel, allow openly gay people to serve. ..attach an indefinite suspension to the ban to an upcoming defense spending bill. -AS Why not "immediate action"? Gay men and women are risking their lives for their country - and we can't support them now? -AS
BUT ...
Meehan's [D-REP-MA] efforts on behalf of gay rights have been lauded by the Human Rights Campaign, the preeminent political advocacy group for the gay, lesbian and bisexual community. The Campaign's quarterly magazine for the Summer of 1997 named Meehan to its "Hall of Fame" for his stand against discrimination in our armed forces. - Marty Meehan website on the issues
Meanwhile, like the Immigration Reform issues, the DADT shows up similarly, with the current c0-sponsor at 110 Democrats and 3 GOPers.
These "challenges", for legislation that is already in the works AND introduced by Democrats (D-Meehan), simply look like a surprisingly transparent attempt by gay-Conservatives to seize the spotlight and avoid getting pegged (by themselves, not others?) as irrelevant to the Gay Rights fight altogether.
Here is the co-sponsor table, arranged by state and including party affiliation, for ease of use.
| Pastor, Ed D-AZ-4 | Gilchrest, Wayne T. R-MD-1 |
| Grijalva, Raúl M. D-AZ-7 | Sarbanes, John P. D-MD-3 |
| Tauscher, Ellen O. D-CA-10 | Wynn, Albert Russell D-MD-4 |
| Lantos, Tom D-CA-12 | Cummings, Elijah E. D-MD-7 |
| Stark, Fortney Pete D-CA-13 | Van Hollen, Chris D-MD-8 |
| Honda, Michael M. D-CA-15 | Allen, Thomas H. D-ME-1 |
| Lofgren, Zoe D-CA-16 | Michaud, Michael H. D-ME-2 |
| Farr, Sam D-CA-17 | Dingell, John D. D-MI-15 |
| Capps, Lois D-CA-23 | McCollum, Betty D-MN-4 |
| Berman, Howard L. D-CA-28 | Ellison, Keith D-MN-5 |
| Waxman, Henry A. D-CA-30 | Oberstar, James L. D-MN-8 |
| Becerra, Xavier D-CA-31 | Clay, Wm. Lacy D-MO-1 |
| Solis, Hilda L. D-CA-32 | Carnahan, Russ D-MO-3 |
| Watson, Diane E. D-CA-33 | Cleaver, Emanuel D-MO-5 |
| Roybal-Allard, Lucille D-CA-34 | Miller, Brad D-NC-13 |
| Waters, Maxine D-CA-35 | Payne, Donald M. D-NJ-10 |
| Harman, Jane D-CA-36 | Holt, Rush D. D-NJ-12 |
| Napolitano, Grace F. D-CA-38 | Pallone, Frank Jr. D-NJ-6 |
| Sánchez, Linda T. D-CA-39 | Pascrell, Bill Jr. D-NJ-8 |
| Matsui, Doris O. D-CA-5 | Rothman, Steven R. D-NJ-9 |
| Filner, Bob D-CA-51 | Berkley, Shelley D-NV-1 |
| Davis, Susan A. D-CA-53 | Towns, Edolphus D-NY-10 |
| Woolsey, Lynn C. D-CA-6 | Velázquez, Nydia M. D-NY-12 |
| Miller, George D-CA-7 | Maloney, Carolyn B. D-NY-14 |
| Lee, Barbara D-CA-9 | Rangel, Charles B. D-NY-15 |
| DeGette, Diana D-CO-1 | Serrano, José E. D-NY-16 |
| Udall, Mark D-CO-2 | Engel, Eliot L. D-NY-17 |
| Larson, John B. D-CT-1 | Lowey, Nita M. D-NY-18 |
| Courtney, Joe D-CT-2 | Israel, Steve D-NY-2 |
| DeLauro, Rosa L. D-CT-3 | Hinchey, Maurice D. D-NY-22 |
| Shays, Christopher R-CT-4 | Slaughter, Louise McIntosh D-NY-28 |
| Norton, Eleanor Holmes S-DC | Ackerman, Gary L. D-NY-5 |
| Castor, Kathy D-FL-11 | Meeks, Gregory W. D-NY-6 |
| Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana R-FL-18 | Crowley, Joseph D-NY-7 |
| Wexler, Robert D-FL-19 | Nadler, Jerrold D-NY-8 |
| Wasserman Schultz, Debbie D-FL-20 | Weiner, Anthony D. D-NY-9 |
| Hastings, Alcee L. D-FL-23 | Kucinich, Dennis J. D-OH-10 |
| Brown, Corrine D-FL-3 | Jones, Stephanie Tubbs D-OH-11 |
| Johnson, Henry C. ``Hank'' Jr. D-GA-4 | Wu, David D-OR-1 |
| Lewis, John D-GA-5 | Blumenauer, Earl D-OR-3 |
| Abercrombie, Neil D-HI-1 | DeFazio, Peter A. D-OR-4 |
| Hirono, Mazie K. D-HI-2 | Brady, Robert A. D-PA-1 |
| Hare, Phil D-IL-17 | Schwartz, Allyson Y. D-PA-13 |
| Gutierrez, Luis V. D-IL-4 | Doyle, Michael F. D-PA-14 |
| Emanuel, Rahm D-IL-5 | Fattah, Chaka D-PA-2 |
| Davis, Danny K. D-IL-7 | Kennedy, Patrick J. D-RI-1 |
| Schakowsky, Janice D. D-IL-9 | Langevin, James R. D-RI-2 |
| Carson, Julia D-IN-7 | Cohen, Steve D-TN-9 |
| Olver, John W. D-MA-1 | Jackson-Lee, Sheila D-TX-18 |
| Delahunt, William D. D-MA-10 | Johnson, Eddie Bernice D-TX-30 |
| Neal, Richard E. D-MA-2 | Moran, James P. D-VA-8 |
| McGovern, James P. D-MA-3 | Welch, Peter D-VT |
| Frank, Barney D-MA-4 | Inslee, Jay D-WA-1 |
| Tierney, John F. D-MA-6 | McDermott, Jim D-WA-7 |
| Markey, Edward J. D-MA-7 | Smith, Adam D-WA-9 |
| Capuano, Michael E. D-MA-8 | Baldwin, Tammy D-WI-2 |
| Lynch, Stephen F. D-MA-9 | Moore, Gwen D-WI-4 |
link: Bootstrapping Andrew Sullivan
