LGBTQ news and entertainment
As millions observe Pride Month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Navy to take the rare step of renaming a ship, one that bears the name of pioneering gay rights activist Harvey Milk.
A Defense Department official confirmed that that the timing of the announcement – occurring during Pride month – was intentional. Continue reading “Pete Hegseth Orders US Navy To Remove Harvey Milk’s Name From Ship”
Some news items you might have missed: • The Advocate: Chasten Buttigieg called out homophobes who left ugly comments on his holiday photo with hubby Pete Buttigieg and their two children. Continue reading “News Round-Up: January 4, 2022”
Captain Brett E. Crozier (image via U.S. Navy)
The commander began exhibiting symptoms before he was removed from the warship on Thursday, two of his classmates said.
Crozier was fired following a leak to The San Francisco Chronicle of a letter he had emailed to Navy leaders that detailed the failures on the service’s part to provide the necessary resources to swiftly move sailors off the carrier and disinfect areas on board as the virus spread through the ship.
Thomas B. Modly, the acting secretary of the Navy, said he had lost confidence in Crozier’s ability to command the ship effectively as it dealt with the evolving crisis after Crozier sent the letter on an unclassified email system to 20 to 30 people. Sending such a letter, Modly said, caused unnecessary alarm about the operational readiness of the ship and undermined the chain of command. “In sending it out pretty broadly, he did not take care to ensure that it couldn’t be leaked,” Modly said. “And that’s part of his responsibility.”
In a briefing Saturday, President Trump offered support for Modly’s decision. “He shouldn’t be talking that way in a letter,” the president said of Crozier. “I thought it was terrible what he did.”
During an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper said there were 155 confirmed cases of coronavirus among sailors aboard the aircraft carrier, and that more than half of the ship had been tested.
For folks hinging on the social distancing piece of this Crozier Send-off video, this is where the crew sleeps. The whole point of the letter was that the environment they live and work in is impossible to enforce CDC guidelines in. pic.twitter.com/oNOwpHM9QB
— David B. Larter (@DavidLarter) April 3, 2020
Being a navy enlisted veteran I found this action unfathomable. His entire crew must be dumbfounded. Having served aboard a carrier myself, the very idea of any kind of isolation for those infected is a complete joke. Thank you captain for looking out for your crew. THANK YOU!!
— Pazhalusta (@pazhalusta) April 3, 2020
An email obtained by USA Today indicates the Navy will not be discharging transgender sailors anytime soon in response to Donald Trump’s surprise tweets yesterday morning announcing a sudden ban on transgender service in the military.
The email from Vice Adm. Robert Burke also acknowledges that Trump’s announcement is “causing concern for some of our sailors and that they likely have questions.”
What’s more, it indicates that the Trump’s tweets that the U.S. military will not accept transgender troops into its ranks or allow them to serve in any capacity caught military brass unawares.
His email represents the military’s first known steps to deal with the tumult unleashed by Trump’s tweets.
Burke notes that the office of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is “working to quickly discern the President’s intent.” Mattis was on vacation when Trump made his announcement.
Also on Thursday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Joe Dunford sent a memo to the service chiefs Thursday saying there will be no change in current policy on transgender troops until Mattis receives direction from Trump. That indicates there has been no formal policy guidance issued from the White House.
In the meantime, Burke said that no transgender sailors – nor likely troops from other services – will be discharged until there is clear guidance from the White House.
There may be as many as 6,600 transgender troops on the military’s active duty force of 1.3 million, according to a RAND Corp. report.
UPDATE – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff issued this further guidance (from Reuters):
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine General Joseph Dunford, said in a written message on Thursday to military leaders that there has been no change yet to the military’s policy on transgender personnel, despite plans for a ban announced by President Donald Trump.
“There will be no modifications to the current policy until the President’s direction has been received by the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary has issued implementation guidance,” Dunford, said in the written message to service chiefs, commanders and senior enlisted leaders, first reported by Reuters.
“In the meantime, we will continue to treat all of our personnel with respect. As importantly, given the current fight and the challenges we face, we will all remain focused on accomplishing our assigned missions.”