When Rep. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin went with a congressional delegation to Europe, she brought along her spouse, as did other members of Congress. Or at least she wanted to. The Pentagon at first said her spouse, Lauren Azar, who had exchanged vows with Baldwin in 1998, could not take the flight. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi had to intervene before Azar was allowed on board.
Funny how discrimination looks different when it happens to someone one knows. Several Republicans even argued for Azar’s presence on the trip, according to sources who spoke with Politico. They said that Texas Rep. Joe Barton, the ranking Republican on the Energy and Commerce Committee, was also on the trip, and “very vocal in his support of Baldwin.”
The Pentagon says the issue is not a matter of DOD regulations, but rather of House rules, which permit spouses (and sometimes an adult child) to travel with members of Congress on military planes if there is room. They say they were only following House rules by banning Azar, who is not a legal spouse. Speaker Pelosi, on the other hand, is awaiting a follow-up letter from Gates with new criteria for congressional use of military airplanes, containing, we assume, provision for same-sex partners.
Maybe it’s just my partisanship, but I can’t help seeing the DOD, with its “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, as the ones at fault here. Maybe it’s just that they don’t want to see members of Congress getting perks that the military denies to its own servicemembers, like recognition of same-sex spouses. Let’s see what you think:
This story just kills me.
I’ve known Lauren Azar since before she and Congresswoman Baldwin even met — we were law school classmates. While I have no doubt at all that she was angry about the discrimination, I am sure she handled the situation with dignity, and with far more respect than she received.
This issue also highlights the discrimination faced by same-sex partners of Foreign Service officers and others working for our embassies abroad. It might before you even board the airplane, as it did in this case, or it might hit later.
The Army is now allowing married straight soldier to share living quarters in Iraq, while gay soldiers, if partnered or married, must deny their spouse’s existence.
http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2008/04/01/for_married_soldiers_some_bliss/
In regards to your multiple choice question – I’d pick “none of the above”. I wouldn’t want him near my kid nor my home (nor P-town in general, for that matter) so that rules out either house-cleaning or diaper-changin. Maybe he should walk…that would give him lots of time to think about the error of his ways.
I picked other. I liked the idea of traveling economy, but having had a “traveling job”, I think requiring him to fly through Tornado Alley on a Puddle Jumper as often as possible on trips is perfect. Of course, at the same time he can hand wash the re-usable nappies (diapers).
I’ve blog rolled you. If you like mine, feel free to do the same.