Norton Says Equal Military Service for Gays, Most Significant Civil Rights Legislation since 1960s

Norton Says Equal Military Service for Gays, Most Significant Civil Rights Legislation since 1960s, Opens Path for Gay Equality in Civil Society

December 23, 2010

WASHINGTON, DC -- Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), a former chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), said today that the President's signature on the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" marks the most significant civil rights legislation since the passage of the civil rights laws of the 1960s. "I know what historic legislation looks like, and this was historic," Norton said. She believes that equality for gays in the armed forces opens the way for a faster pace for full and equal rights for our gay citizens in civil society. Republican support in the Senate for the bill echoes bipartisan support for "don't ask, don't tell" repeal in the nation and signals a sea change that neither Democrats nor Republicans can ignore.

She said that now the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is ripe for passage and enforcement by the EEOC because ENDA has had even longer support from the American people, regardless of party or background. "If one Congress can produce passage of both hate crimes legislation and of ‘don't ask, don't tell' repeal," Norton said, "it's time to continue to challenge Congress to rid the nation of all discrimination against our gay citizens, regardless of who controls the Congress."

Norton called on Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who strongly supported the repeal, to be vigilant in his oversight of progress going forward and for top officers who have predicted disruption to "do an about face on that message so that the troops know unquestionably that now that the President and Congress have spoken, the brass intends to do their duty to enforce the non-discrimination policy, and that they expect no less from personnel in all units of the armed services." She said that military discipline required no less but that the expressed views of some commanders may have left the unintended impression in the minds of some now serving that this issue is different from other military mandates. Recent "stunning" evidence of an upsurge in reports of sexual harassment against women at the elite military academies "offers concern that the services have not given adequate attention to the entry of non-traditional groups into their ranks as full equals," Norton said.

Although President Truman ordered the racial integration of the armed services during peace time, the parallels deserve attention because that effort was undertaken when the laws of the United States and much of its official policy required or fully condoned racial segregation throughout the nation. The Congresswoman said, "Integration of the armed forces was much more difficult to accomplish in peace time than I believe this challenge will be today if the will of the people and military leadership and discipline are brought to bear."