When Texas freezes over

Texas Governor Rick Perry is on an anti-gay roll. First he ceremoniously signs an anti-gay marriage amendment at a conservative evangelical church, to the delight of gathered fundamentalists. Next he tells gay veterans they aren't welcome in Texas.
It's one thing to say that gays aren't welcome in Texas. Though there enclaves of progressives there (yes, really), the over-arching attitude of the state is not exactly welcoming. Perry's signing of the anti-marriage bill, though a completely unnecessary PR stunt, was not surprising.
But when asked by a reporter what he would tell gay veterans returning from Iraq about the anti-gay amendment he supports, Perry said, "Texans have made a decision about marriage and if there is some other state that has a more lenient view than Texas then maybe that's a better place for them to live."
In other words, love it or shove it.
Support the troops, indeed.
It's not exactly a secret that veterans coming back from Iraq are having a hard time of it, gay or not. With their futures up in the air because of repeated deployments, in addition to the terrible injuries so many are sustaining, returning soldiers are having a hard time finding and keeping employment, not to mention keeping their families together. Gay veterans face all of this with the added stress of government-sanctioned discrimination against them. Because of "Don't Ask Don't Tell," gay soldiers risk being discharged simply for being gay, no matter how well they've served their country.
Repealing "Don't Ask Don't Tell" is long overdue. It was a poor compromise when President Clinton agreed to it in the 90s and it has spiraled into an expensive and senseless policy today.
According to the Service Members Legal Defense Network, gay discharges have declined by 47 percent since Sept. 11, 2001. However, the military is still discharging hundreds of gay personnel every year, including specialists in areas essential to the war on terror, like Arabic translators.
"The military continues to sacrifice national security and military readiness in favor of simple prejudice," said SLDN Executive Director C. Dixon Osburn. "Americans do not care if the helicopter pilot rescuing a wounded soldier or the medic treating that soldier is gay. Lesbian and gay service members have a valuable role to play on the home front and the front lines. Their continued discharge weakens our national defense."
Thankfully, folks in Washington are starting to take notice. The Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which would overturn DADT, has been introduced in the U.S. House and has both Democrats and Republicans as co-sponsors.
It is a shame that what has shed new light on the injustice of DADT is America's involvement in what has proven to be an unjust war entered into under false premises. With news from Iraq more dire by the day and no exit strategy in sight, the United States military is facing extensive troop shortages. Kicking folks out just because they happen to be gay is making less and less sense, even to people who don't like gays in the first place.
LGBT soldiers serve a country that on one hand believes they are inferior, and on the other hand is all too happy to turn a blind eye to their sexuality so they can put their lives on the lines so the majority of Americans don't have to.
With the number of deaths in Iraq steadily rising, it's true that soldiers – gay or straight – are lucky to come home at all. But Perry's comment implies that gay soldiers are lucky not only to come home, but that they're even allowed in Texas. What he should be saying to them is, "Thank you," and "I'm sorry" wouldn't hurt.