Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif.
Your weekday morning blend from Instant Tea:
1. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., plans to introduce an amendment this week aimed at derailing the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” Hunter’s amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act would require all four service chiefs to certify that DADT repeal won’t hurt the military’s readiness before it can be implemented. Under the DADT repeal bill passed by Congress last December, only President Barack Obama, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Defense secretary must certify DADT repeal. The Washington Blade reports that Hunter’s amendment is one of several anti-gay measures that could be introduced. Hunter may also introduce an amendment to overturn DADT repeal completely, and Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo., plans a measure that would reverse guidance allowing chaplains to perform same-sex weddings in Navy chapels, which we reported on Monday.
2. A bill that would bar transgender people from marrying people of the opposite sex is back on the Texas Senate’s intent calendar for today. The Senate needs 20 votes to take up SB 723 by Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, meaning Republicans need at least one Democrat to break ranks and support the measure, which would remove a court-ordered change of sex from the list of documents that can be used to obtain marriage licenses. The bill is a direct response to the Nikki Araguz case and could lead to the state not recognizing the transitioned status of transgender people for any purpose. Equality Texas and other groups have been urging folks to contact their senators and ask them to oppose SB 723. To send an email to your senator, go here. To call your senator, go here. Daniel Williams at Legislative Queery reports that the most likely source for the 20th vote is Sen. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio. Uresti’s Capitol office number is (512) 463-0119.
3. The Texas Aggie Conservatives’ assault on Texas A&M’s GLBT resource center continues. The Aggie Conservatives were behind the Student Senate bill backing a state budget amendment that would require schools with GLBT resource centers to equally fund centers for “family and traditional values.” Now, the Aggie Conservatives are taking issue with a recent safe-sex seminar hosted by the GLBT resource center. The group apparently sent one of its members to the seminar undercover, and he reports that it included “pornographic videos and new sex acts.” First of all, so what? Did anyone who was at the seminar for its intended purpose actually complain? Besides, why are the Aggie Conservatives so obsessed with the GLBT resource center? Something tells me their interest in these alleged pornographic videos goes a little beyond politics, if you know what I mean. Watch a report on the “controversy” from KHOU.com below.
202-224-3121 is the Congressional switchboard. I called Duncan Hunter’s office and Todd Akins’ office and told the staff person answering that their anti-gay efforts were reprehensible and that they should do meaningful work for their publicly paid salaries. I hope everyone reading this will also call.