Our Year in Review – April ‘11-‘12
The loathsome “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” military policy was finally abolished in September, nine months after President Obama signed legislation that would allow openly gay personnel to serve in the armed forces. Some gay and lesbian service members couldn’t wait to say ‘sayonara’ to DADT’s draconian restrictions. In December, Fire Controlman 2nd Class Marissa Gaeta was the first to kiss her fiancée, Fire Controlman 3rd Class Citlalic Snell, in a U.S. Navy homecoming ceremony in Virginia Beach, VA. In Navy tradition, one sailor is chosen by raffle to be the first off the ship to kiss a loved one—and Gaeta’s and Snell’s was the first same-sex smooch in military history.
A kiss is still a kiss—but what a kiss it was! When a female naval officer smooched her fiancee during a military homecoming ritual, it indelibly marked the true and final end to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The victories of the past year seemed to come fast and furious: New York finally legalizing same-sex marriage along with Maryland and Washington State; Chaz Bono busting a move as Dancing with the Stars’ first transgender contestant; the snowballing Occupy Wall Street movement demanding justice for the hardworking 99 percent. Even great tragedy, and the still-raw memories of America’s worst terrorist attack, failed to slow the rekindling of our optimism. (And if you want more proof, see GO’s landmark Tenth Anniversary issue this September!)
GOP FOLLIES
The interminable schedule of televised debates starring a rogue’s gallery of Republican presidential contenders provided ample fodder for Stewart, Colbert et al. this year. With Rick Perry forgetting the third of three federal agencies he’d eliminate if he was elected; pizza mogul Herman Cain getting taken down by alleged affairs; Newt Gingrich revealing his stomach-churning open marriage; even whooping from the audience when Ron Paul was asked about letting an uninsured person die if he couldn’t pay for medical treatment—the callowness of the GOP field was painfully on display. And that was before Mitt Romney, Gingrich, and especially Rick Santorum tried to out-douche each other debating women’s right to birth control and perfectly legal medical care. We couldn’t make this stuff up.
