South Dakota — Jene Newsome played by the rules as an Air Force sergeant: She never told anyone in the military she was a lesbian.
The 28-year-old’s honorable discharge under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy came only after police officers in Rapid City, S.D., saw an Iowa marriage certificate in her home and told the nearby Ellsworth Air Force Base.
Newsome and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a complaint against the western South Dakota police department, claiming the officers violated her privacy when they informed the military about her sexual orientation. The case also highlights concerns over the ability of third parties to “out” service members, especially as the Pentagon has started reviewing the 1993 “don’t ask, don’t tell” law.
“I just don’t agree with what the Rapid City police department did. ... They violated a lot of internal policies on their end, and I feel like my privacy was violated.”
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smitty (anonymous) says…
A woman, a black woman, a black lesbian woman, who did not drop everything and obey demands is punished for societal and systemic homophobia.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35853365/...
excerpt:
**Police officers, who said they spotted the marriage license on the kitchen table through a window of Newsome's home, alerted the base, police Chief Steve Allender said in a statement sent to the AP. The license was relevant to the investigation because it showed both the relationship and residency of the two women, he said....
.....As the review is under way, officials were also expected to suggest ways to relax enforcement that may include minimizing cases of third-party outings. In particular, Gates has suggested that the military might not have to expel someone whose sexual orientation was revealed by a third party out of vindictiveness.**
They saw the marriage license through a kitchen window....right..yeah...sure.....
.....LE vindictive or suspect motives?....surely not...never would the police abuse their powers.....
parrothead8 (anonymous) says…
"do the crime do the time"
What a moronic response. She didn't commit a crime. It's not a crime to be gay and in the military. They just don't want you to tell anyone you serve with that you're gay. She didn't.
Who she loved was having no ill-effect on her ability to do her job in the military, obviously, as evidenced by the fact that she was serving without incident thus far. We just love to discriminate against anyone we think is "different," don't we?
jonas_opines (anonymous) says…
She totally deserved it. Teh gays always deserve what they get. She's just trying to create a spectacle.
ivalueamerica (anonymous) says…
bigots should loose their American Citizenship.
They are traitors to the country and a cancer to society.
They should not be allowed to have children, rent property nor have jobs.
vertigo (Jesse Crittenden) says…
TomShewmon (Tom Shewmon) says…
So let me get this straight. This woman was outed as a lesbian and wound up with a discharge?
-----------------------------------------------------
Yes- it's still common place to discharge gay members even though they didn't tell and weren't asked. Most of the gay servicemembers who get discharged are outted by ex-partners seeking revenge.
I guarantee some Rapid City cops are going to lose their jobs and this woman is going to get a nice settlement.
misplacedcheesehead (anonymous) says…
This is just plain wrong!
Liberty275 (anonymous) says…
"social justice" is one of the goofiest juxtapositions of words you will usually come around. Any time I see that idiocy, I quit reading the article or opinion snd move on the next on.
Some others that will stop me mid-sentence and send me on too next article are "living wage", sustainable. fair trade and any overuse of a word the has "common" as it' root.
sundancewierdo (anonymous) says…
Everybody!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3y3Qo...
Jhammons (Jeffrey Hammons) says…
The "Don't ask, don't tell" policy is unconstitutional. You can ask anyone actively serving in the military and overseas and I’m pretty sure the majority of them would say "What he/she does in his/her bed is of no difference to me. If he/she is fighting beside me, then that's all that matters" It’s a bigoted policy that was implemented out of fear and ignorance. Just like all the people here saying "she got what she deserved."
The only problem with societal evolution is that we have to wait for all of you bigots and armchair presidents to die out before real progress can be made. And by the time one social injustice is corrected, another generation of armchair presidents and bigots comes along to make a fuss about something else.
You're no better than people 150 years ago that didn't believe black men to be equal to white men. If there was a policy that said no blacks could serve in the military you'd be okay with that too wouldn't you? The "Don't ask, Don't tell" policy is legalized discrimination. Luckily, I believe it will be removed within the course of the next decade.
beatrice (anonymous) says…
tattle tales.
I hope she wins her lawsuit, and that the ridiculous "don't ask, don't tell" business goes away once and for all. One of the worst things to come from the Clinton administration.
jackbinkelman (anonymous) says…
jonas opines writes "She totally deserved it. Teh gays always deserve what they get. She's just trying to create a spectacle." You aren't offending anybody, you are just revealing what a sad and lonely person you are. I am so sorry your world is so grim. We forgive you.
jcstepmom28 (anonymous) says…
Don't ask, don't tell was a good compromise, for the early 1990's. And let's save the "unconstitutional" talk until all the Muslims are kicked out of the military. Going to happen, I am afraid to say. Muslim groups are turning midwest housewives into assassins, and we should be scared.
merrill (anonymous) says…
What a load of crap!
During my tenure both my roomies were gay. I had no idea for they did not meet the preconceived notions that I grew up hearing. These men were well respected by their superiors and never were passed up for promotions. Two individuals with brilliant minds and two of my best friends.
One day the investigative arm asked for my presence. They began asking a series of questions centering around their social lives which I thought was quite strange. Others were also mentioned.
Simply because these gay and lesbian people mingled well with others and socialized often( sipping drinks etc etc) the office of special investigations assumed I and others might know something they should know. Suddenly i did discover how naive i was. Simply put there was nothing from me.
This investigation was ballooning however it did not change my opinion of my friends... great people. Suddenly the investigation hit a mammoth road block aka powerful Texas senator.
His nephew was among those whose privacy was being invaded. The investigation was squashed.
All of the individuals being investigated were considered the best and the brightest which I discovered is a fair stereotype. Wow what an education that situation provided me.
denak (anonymous) says…
Putting aside the whole issue of "Don't Ask, Don't tell" what I want to know is how is this even legal? Wouldn't this be a violation of her 4th amendment rights? A person has a reasonable expectation to privacy in one's own home and the close areas around the home. A marriage license is not contraband. A person, straight or gay, has the right to one and has the right to put it whereever one wants in one's house. To me this is akin to a cop seeing my credit report and reporting me to my boss as a security risk. I don't see where he had any legitimate right to report her to her superiors.
I hope she gets a big fat settlement from the police department because to me, this was a huge violation of her 4th amendment rights.
Dena
jonas_opines (anonymous) says…
Woot, caught meself a fitty pound binkelfish today
Olympics (anonymous) says…
I don't know how you hypocritical right wing bigots sleep at night.
deathpenaltyliberal (anonymous) says…
I have to side with VP Cheney and General Petraeus that DADT needs to be repealed so that gays can serve openly in the military.
How many tax dollars did it cost to train and then discharge her?
vertigo (Jesse Crittenden) says…
Pogo-
Ok ask me. I'm in the military- 16 years now. Multiple tours (more than three) overseas in support of OIF, OEF, and JTF Horn of Africa.
Do I want women serving beside me in combat zones? Yes - apparently you underestimate the caliber of women in todays military. Maybe you should get out of the 60's/70's mindset and go visit Fort Leavenworth, Fort Riley, Whiteman AFB, and McConnell AFB and take a look at the strong, tough, hard working women we have in our ranks. The female Marines I worked with in Al Taqaddum, Iraq impressed the hell out of me. They pulled their own weight and more.
Do I care if gays serve openly? No - they're already serving with us. It hasn't affected our mission one iota. What a person does in the privacy of their bedroom doesn't have any impact on combat operations. I want a person that I know is going to be there for me, someone I can trust. I'll trust a gay person much more than I would a bigot. Who knows what other hatreds the bigot has... and those unknown hatreds leads me to distrust them.
consumer1 (anonymous) says…
Parrot head strikes again.
Quote "What a moronic response. She didn't commit a crime. It's not a crime to be gay and in the military. They just don't want you to tell anyone you serve with that you're gay. She didn't.
Who she loved was having no ill-effect on her ability to do her job in the military, obviously, as evidenced by the fact that she was serving without incident thus far. We just love to discriminate against anyone we think is "different," don't we?"
I especially like the name calling about being intolerent of other's views. No hypocrisy there.
And Dear parrot head,, please tell us how you know she was serving without incident, thus far? Do you have access to her military jacket? I didn't think so. So you are just "spewing hate" at those who don't agree with your thinking?
vertigo (Jesse Crittenden) says…
Look on a map and tell me if Al Taqaddum is rear echelon (I'll give you hint it's near Ramadi and Fallujah, in an area known as the "Triangle of Death").
Look on a map and tell me if Camp Lemmonier is rear echelon.
Look on a map and tell me if Bagram is rear echelon.
honeychild (Mel Briscoe) says…
hi, fellas! :) just thought i'd bring some much needed sweetness and light in this thread! i'm smiling and feeling all cutesie from head to toe! tee hee!
anyway, i hope this chick is able to sue the crap outta the military. don't ask don't tell was mad bogus anyway. i'm glad its under review now but what was done to her was just wrong. i'm not a big fan of the police (anywhere), but y'all probably already knew that since i live in the far left (according to some).
vertigo (Jesse Crittenden) says…
Oh yeah, forgot to mention. Combined Arms Center Command College - about as REMF as you can get. AKA "Shoeclerk school"
jonas_opines (anonymous) says…
Vertigo, arguing with pogo is pointless. "They" have too much invested in negative musing and contempt to let it go. Read some of "their" profile.
Just FYI
Cooky_the_Cook (anonymous) says…
You wanna review Rush Limbaugh's resume before he got into "entertainment"?
(laughter)
Yes, please!
(laughter)
Is this an Al Franken bit?
(laughter)
Dude is a billionaire. You are just jealous.
vertigo (Jesse Crittenden) says…
Pogo- I've been on the streets of Habbinayah and I didn't like it one bit. The shellings were frequent but random and with no aim. Luckily we had a SEAL team nearby that quieted down the shelling for a few weeks.
I only use Bagram because that's the closest I could come to saying where we were in actuality. That was when I was posted in Fayetteville. You do know who else resides on Ft Bragg? Well I'm not with them, but have deployed with and supported them.
jaywalker (anonymous) says…
That's messed up. Glad to see the Rapid City PD tattling like two year olds. What were they doing peaking through her window? Coincidental discovery? Sounds like a mission to me.
Cooky_the_Cook (anonymous) says…
Isn't everyone a little gay?
vertigo (Jesse Crittenden) says…
Not the same, but not REMF either. And I'm not talking about swick or psy, Im talking Joint.
puddleglum (anonymous) says…
rush is not a billionaire.
i think only glenn beck is jealous, and maybe he isn't after thinking about it.
LoveThsLife (anonymous) says…
This article isn't very good at discussing what happened.
From another article I read the police were looking for her spouse due to a warrant (I believe) and couldn't find her. They apparently knocked on the door and talked with this lady who is serving in the military and she wouldn't cooperate.. During the course of their visit, they noticed the marriage license from Iowa and contacted the military.
Anyways, I can see why this lady would be upset. I'm not sure why they felt the need to contact the military? Maybe trying to find more information on the spouse? I know from living in a military town if a service member is being uncooperative with a legal matter often time they (police) will contact the military.
LJWorld..post a better article than this!
denak (anonymous) says…
"......I'm gay! I'm one of the gayest guys around! .....
It is about time you admitted it Barry. Don't you feel better now?
kimmydarling (anonymous) says…
This is just disgusting overall. The woman did nothing and had her privacy invaded, for that she lost her job and her benefits after service in the military.
Being gay is not a crime. Being gay is not a choice. Being gay in America is to be treated as an unequal citizen and that is absolutely horrific
denak (anonymous) says…
"......The female Marines I worked with in Al Taqaddum, Iraq impressed the hell out of me. They pulled their own weight and more....."
Yes, we are impressive, aren't we? :)
As for you Pogo and NYEAT, the only person to go UA when we were sent to Desert Storm was a MALE Marine. All the Women Marines, who had orders, showed up. So, I would rather have a Marine, male or female, straight or gay, serving with me who actually shows up then some little &*&&*** who doesn't have the integrity or courage to put his fears to the side and show and fight alongside his fellow Marines.
As for the article, as I stated a day or two ago, I think this is a violation of her 4th amendment rights and I hope that she wins a significant judgement against the police department.
Dena
beatrice (anonymous) says…
Kimmy, you really are a darling. Well stated.
kimmydarling (anonymous) says…
Well thank you, beatrice. I tend to get a little annoyed by the shortsighted homophobia that runs a bit rampant in this part of the country after working so hard with friends just so they can have the right to legally marry and sacrifice 50% of their stuff just like everyone else :P
vertigo (Jesse Crittenden) says…
Pogo- Irag/Afghanistan is not Vietnam. The dynamics of the war changed from your era. Just because I'm smart enough to be in a MOS besides infantry doesn't mean I'm a REMF. Apparently you were infantry... which by default means your intellect is too small to comprehend that. I'm sure those doing convoy escorts taking the IED hits appreciate you calling them a REMF because they are "walking point".
Not near as many USA soldiers dieing now than there was in Vietnam. And that was an all male combat force. Hmm...
Vietnam all male force = 58,236 dead
OIF/OEF forces with women serving = 5407 dead
The numbers don't lie. Todays forces are superior to your all male combat force.
The point is you say "we wouldnt of WANTED you anywhere around" (past tense). We are talking about the present forces (of which you are not a part of and I am) and we do WANT them around.
Your ignorance of today's military is laughable.
vertigo (Jesse Crittenden) says…
LOL- those doing the convoy escort duties... Ever hear of ILO (in lieu of) forces? You make assumptions on things you have no clue about. The only true REMFs are those that never have to go in country. Even the supply troops, the comm folks, the traditionally rear echelon folks are getting tasked to go outside the wire. Feel free to take the foot out of your mouth and your head out of your arse. Again this isn't Vietnam and things have changed. You can't put your experiences in Vietnam and expect them to be the same for oif/oef.
The only people I was mocking was... you. LOL. Thanks for proving your ignorance on this matter.
smitty (anonymous) says…
Correct! If you find one 'ism or 'obia there will always be more. Always.
Un-doing the societal brainwash takes commitment to one's own spiritual and psychological growth.
vertigo (Jesse Crittenden) says…
Pogo you spew assumptions and regard them as fact. Since you were in Vietnam and since you infer that you "walked point" (although you never really said that- are you really a self-hating REMF?) then it's safe for me to assume you of being a murderer of innocent women and children. How many children did you kill while clearing villages during your two tours?
See how easily assumptions can be thrown around.
I like how first you inferred I was a REMF, and then changed the definition of REMF to a person not necessarily in the rear (hmm... I thought RE in REMF meant rear echelon) but to a person that wasn't in the rear but never goes outside the wire. And when told that even those troops are now going outside the wire now you change the definition of REMF to something even more restrictive.
If you haven't caught on yet... there was a reason I brought up ILO forces. Try to figure it out, genius.
pace (anonymous) says…
It is absolutely naive to think the police will be fired or even reprimanded. They will be slapped on the shoulder, not slapped on the hand.
jaywalker (anonymous) says…
"Being gay is not a crime. Being gay is not a choice. Being gay in America is to be treated as an unequal citizen and that is absolutely horrific"
Couldn't agree more with the first two sentences. Too general with the last, I believe a lot of that has to do with where someone lives, 'course that's easy for me to say.
smitty (anonymous) says…
homosexuals can't serve....
Even men since homosexual is about both genders? Lesbian is a woman, gay is generally considered male.
This is about a woman who was discharged due to police getting bent out of shape because she won't/couldn't/t come home upon LE's demand. LE claimed they saw the marriage license on the kitchen table while looking into the window then reported it to her command. Don't you think it's LE's job to have contacted her base prior to the demand for her to return to the residence? Apparently the military did not even need to be involved at all?
I could have been much more agreeable with Clinton's DADT policy since it opened the door for the political struggle for lesbians and gays in the military. However when Clinton signed DOMA he went to he!! in a hand basket on the homosexual rights issue. Personally, I believe Clinton handled it as if it was his own little sexual secret of don't ask don't tell based on his own hidden sexual actions. It didn't work for him and it will not work for homosexuals nor those who abuse their authority to abuse lesbians and gays.