WASHINGTON — The head of the leading organization for LGBT servicemembers and their families, following reports that former Sen. Chuck Hagel is expected to be nominated for Secretary of Defense, called it "incumbent" upon Hagel "to lay out demonstrable actions he will take to support" LGBT service members and their families.
Hagel has faced some criticism from LGBT organizations for comments he made in 1998 opposing Clinton nominee James Hormel as "aggressively gay," although he recently apologized for those comments. Former Rep. Barney Frank has said he opposes Hagel's nomination because of the comments and a track record of being "against fairness for LGBT people."
OutServe-SLDN executive director Allyson Robinson, in a statement provided to BuzzFeed Friday afternoon, said:
Senator Hagel clearly has the military credentials and experience to do the job of running our nation’s Defense Department — at OutServe-SLDN, we have no doubt about that — and we appreciate his apology for the anti-gay remarks he made in 1998 and the commitment he expressed to LGBT service members and their families. It will now be incumbent upon him during the nomination and confirmation process to lay out demonstrable actions he will take to support that commitment.this guy better not have been giving lip service this is too big to muff it up by posturing. this is just a hate, bigoted law that discriminates against a large part of American population, they have flexed their muscles and shown to be a formidable voting block, we don't need a progressive lying to people and not holding up the progressive banner of care for all.
if w don't then we are no better then those who oppose.
