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  Last week's cover of the Marine Times It’s been a long time in the making but my own very non-military-concerned and currently very work heavy life has made me lackadaisical toward tomorrow’s repeal (finally) of the infamous Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. Luckily, the Portland Mercury is all over the best places in to celebrate tomorrow’s lifting of the ban on gays in the military. I don’t have time to reinvent the wheel with my usual witticisms and bad puns so I will simply copy the information, as well as let you know that Mayor Sam Adams tweeted that he wants you to celebrate with him at city hall.
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  "It Gets Better" project founder Dan Savage (R) with husband Terry A roller coaster of emotions swept gay America this year. Here’s a snapshot.
5 – University of Michigan’s Student Body President Stalked and Harassed by State’s Assistant Attorney General
When MI Attorney General Andrew Shirvell began harassing UMich Student Body President Christ Armstrong people started to notice, mostly prominently among them CNN’s Anderson Cooper, who interviewed Shirvell on air.
4 – Constance McMillan is barred from her prom and embraced by the rest of the world
When Constance McMillan planned to take her girlfriend to prom, organizing parents canceled the event and held a gay-free dance elsewhere. But instead of cowering McMilan powered along with an ACLU lawsuit and won the support of celebrities, public figures and the world-at-large. Her Facebook fan page has over 400,00 members and she has a scholarship care of Ellen Degeneres.
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  Congressman Barney Frank may look like a muppet but he's tough as nails and funny as anything Jim Henson ever dreamed up Sorry for the hiatus folks, you have evil domain empire GoDaddy to thank for that. This was originally supposed to be a Christmas Eve news roundup but here we are at Boxing Day, the day to return all the horrendous sweaters we got yesterday. So if you’re still trying to avoid the long arms pf the family here’s a little roundup of good news you have have missed over the last few days of Christmas cheer. (And stay tuned for a New Year’s roundup!)
Obama signs the reapeal of DADT with video below. “That’s done!”
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  Senator Leiberman (L) and Senator Collins Joseph Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut, and Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine introduce a bill to end the ban on gays in the military. From the Advocate:
Two prominent senators introduced a bipartisan bill Friday to end the ban on gay and lesbian troops serving openly in the military.
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  I am extremely disappointed that yet another filibuster has prevented the Senate from moving forward with the National Defense Authorization Act. Despite having the bipartisan support of a clear majority of Senators, a minority of Senators are standing in the way of the funding upon which our troops, veterans and military families depend. This annual bill has been enacted each of the past 48 years, and our armed forces deserve nothing less this year.
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  Spotlighting John McCain‘s flip floppy nature of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (as if that’s his only contradictory issue) Jon Stewart gives an update on DADT with his segment “Gaypocalypse Now” which I’ve embedded below. This comes directly after the release of an extensive Pentagon survey that found repealing the policy would have little to no negative effect on our armed forces. There is no “queer and present danger” to speak of but I like that bit of humor.
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  Cindy McCain poses for NoH8 This Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell two-step is starting to really get on my nerves.
Only one high ranking military officer seems opposed to the repeal, Marine Corps Gen. James Amos. Even Republican Arizona Senator John McCain formerly stated that he would leave the decision to top military officials. However, as more and more officers came out in support of the repeal he has asserted his own opinion that we needed to wait for the findings of a study currently in progress. Now, as the study draws to a close, showing that most service members are indifferent, he moves even further from the side of rationality by telling reporters that it “isn’t the right study.”
Perhaps less politically important but even more frustrating, is his wife’s betrayal. And I mean to her own beliefs, not to her husband.
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 Law Professor John Culhane Professor of Law, Widener University 365gay.com contributor John Culhane updates us on where, exactly, things stand in the DADT mess. It is, of course, subject to change at any moment…
How long must I continue writing about “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”?
Don’t ask.
It’s hard to see this drama ending any time soon, and much of what one can write about it, from the legal perspective, is speculative and ever-changing. But this isn’t a subject I can ignore for this week’s column – there have been too many important policy and legal developments.
So let’s try to walk through what’s going on, and what might be expected. Much of what follows is necessarily speculative.
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 No one was sure if the Obama-led government would appeal Tuesday’s ruling by California Judge Virginia Phillips to halt enforcement of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” especially since the prez and his supporters are on the record as opposing the policy. Turns out, they’re not letting it slide. Today the The Department of Justice requested a stay on the ruling and the government filed an appeal in federal court.
From The Advocate:
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 This political cartoon has been circulating Facebook and so many have commented on its power I thought I should post it here.
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