As of this morning, the Department of Justice hasn’t sought a stay of the DADT injunction. We’re expecting it. The White House has been telegraphing it.
The New York Times has a great article on the history of the Log Cabin Republicans lawsuit against DADT. It was an improbable quest, but they prevailed. And, the piece quoted the named plaintiff in the case, our friend Alex Nicholson:
“We have been surprised at every stage of this,” said Alexander Nicholson, a member of the Log Cabin Republicans and a former Army intelligence specialist who was discharged because of the policy. “We thought the judge would follow every other pattern the other judges have followed: deference to the military.”…
…“The fact that she did not dismiss the case was a huge surprise,” Mr. Nicholson said. “Then she continued to surprise us.”
Then, there was this interesting development at the end of the piece. In the wake of the decision, a discharged Vet, joined by GetEQUAL, tried to re-enlist:
But with the ultimate fate of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” rule still unclear, some celebrations are being delayed.
With a briefcase full of commendations under his arm, Omar Lopez walked into an Austin, Tex., recruiting office Wednesday. Mr. Lopez, 29, had served nearly five years in the Navy. He was honorably discharged in 2006 for “homosexual admission,” according to documents he carried. He wanted to re-enlist.
But recruiters turned him away hastily, saying they had no knowledge of any injunction or any change in military policy.
“I like the civilian world, but I miss it,” Mr. Lopez said of the military, as he arrived with a worker for Get Equal, a gay rights advocacy group. “I feel lost without it.”
