Asking and Telling

After last week's flurry of excitement, including the support of eight Republican senators on the final vote, President Obama signed into law the bill that will lead to the end of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in the United States' military, allowing gay men and lesbians to serve openly.

As a good, smug Canadian, I'm tempted to quip, "Welcome to the 1990s!" Of the various human rights concerns facing the gay and lesbian population in the United States, this issue would have been one of the lower-priority causes for me. But on the other hand, I'm well aware of the symbolic importance of being able to serve in the military in a country where this is considered an important part of national service and citizenship. It is also an important federal recognition of equal rights and equal treatment regardless of one's sexual orientation.

However, as someone who got legally married to another man six years ago, I can't help but think that it would have been nice if the lame duck session's efforts had been used to repeal DOMA, or address any of the other relationship recognition issues that are still facing the United States. The ability to serve and die for one's country is important, but the ability to have one's love for others be acknowledged by the state, and granted equal privileges and rights (such as inheritance, hospital visitation rights, etc) would be even better. And that's without even getting into the host of issues related to challenging the sexual conservatism of the US.

Nonetheless, this is a victory, and should be acknowledged as such!

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Owning the Podium - the Empires Snipe Back

I personally have a number of qualms about Canada's "Own the Podium" program, which has spent over $100 million on top-flight Canadian Olympic athletes. For starters, I'm not certain that this is the best use of taxpayers money.

That being said, I find it extremely rich to have American and British commentators sniping at Canada for having the temerity to be competitive. The formerly dominant empire in the world, and the current superpower, which each have sunk fortunes into global dominance, are upset with Canada for trying to win a lot of Olympic medals. The impudence! The gall! The shock!

I'll be curious to see how much money Britain invests in its athletes for the 2012 games in London...

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The power of language

I'm currently teaching a graduate seminar on the history of social movements in North America. This week, one of the issues we discussed was the power of language, and the ways that members of social movements and those who oppose their objectives have learned how to use key phrases to mobilize public support.

With that in mind, this report from CBS news is highly illustrative of this point. Fully 14% more of Americans surveyed are willing to allow "gays and lesbians" to serve openly in the military than would support "homosexuals" being allowed to do so. It's a difference between a solid majority opinion in support (58% support) and a bare plurality (44% support vs 42% opposed).

Mind you, it's also disappointing that fully such a large percentage of the American population is opposed to gay men and lesbians serving in the military, no matter what they are called. But it does speak strongly to the powerful issue of messaging and the careful use of language. As John Aravosis points out, "homosexual" evokes cold, clinical connotations of disease, while "gays and lesbians" brings to mind living, feeling human beings - which is what we are!

[ETA: Hmmm... that got a bit earnest and treacly at the end. Don't worry - the hard-edged cynicism will return shortly!]

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Filibuster

At some point, and I'm not sure if that point will come, the Democrats are going to have to decide if they really believe in their agenda. If they do, they're going to have to sell it hard to the voting population. Because if they do that, the threat of a filibuster will not scare them into craven submission. They will meet the challenge head on, confident that the Republican party will pay in the ballot box in the midterm elections for making Congress non-functional.

In the last 30 years (it goes back further than that, but it illustrates my point), the Republican party has never held 60 Senate seats. And yet their legislation got passed. The same applies to the Democrats. The filibuster is a scare tactic, and one that should not be treated as if it can be undertaken lightly. Unless the Democrats think their legislation is so weak that it could be brought down in a "Mister Smith goes to Washington" scenario, they need to strap on a set of spines, and get down to the business of governing, and pillory the Republicans in the press for daring to flout the will of the American people.

If not, they might as well hand the keys to the White House back to Dick Cheney.

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Arizona stands alone

Permit me a moment, in a hubbub of American election analysis, to draw your attention to the voters of Arizona, who stood against the tide, and rejected a ballot proposition to ban same-sex marriage. Unfortunately, it looks like the other seven states where this proposal was on the ballot have opted for the politics of exclusion - most notably in Tennessee, with 80% support for this measure.

I was hoping for something better out of Wisconsin, Colorado, or Virginia. But it's not to be, as a majority of American states have now passed this sort of measure.

Thank-you, Arizonans!

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