It’s Over.

I don’t want to spend too much time licking shots at the Obama White House’s approach to DADT’s repeal, which at times seemed half-assed and even now looks like kind of lucky.

In the end, President Obama’s strategy worked after all. But it worked not so much because it was a brilliant strategy but because he was lucky. He was lucky that Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) took DADT repeal seriously more than just about anyone else in the Senate, and that Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) saw an opportunity to stand on the right side of history slipping away. I know it galls a lot of people to say this, but we actually have the hard work and perseverance of Sens. Lieberman and Collins to thank for retrieving the legislation from the shredder when everyone else said it couldn’t be done.

But to use an old sports cliché, a win is a win. And this is a huge, historic win — one whose import can’t really be overstated and which will have far-reaching policy ramifications in the fight for equality.

Congratulations to all the people who can serve free and openly.

G.D.

G.D.

Gene "G.D." Demby is the founder and editor of PostBourgie. In his day job, he blogs and reports on race and ethnicity for NPR's Code Switch team.
G.D.
  • If it’s ‘lucky’ that a couple of senators did their damn job and repealed bad legislation, then I’ll take it.

    It’s sort of a sad state of affairs that we think it’s extraordinary – and lucky – that legislators take legislation seriously, advocate for it and move their fellow members to join them. Whaddya know. The legislative process in action.

    But you’re right. It’s still a check in the Win column for the Obama admin.