By Mike Glenn - The Washington Times - Friday, June 23, 2023
A trio of House lawmakers struck back at a senior Space Force official for criticizing states with “divisive” LGBTQ laws, saying the political remarks targeting GOP-run states threaten civil-military relations.
They want answers from Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall about the speech in which Lt. Gen. DeAnna Burt, deputy chief of space operations, decried what she said were more than 400 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced in state legislatures and warned those laws would hurt military readiness.
Specifically, the lawmakers want Mr. Kendall to confirm the policy of not politicking in uniform. They said Gen. Burt’s comments “seem to reflect a policy change.”
“If posting and promotion decisions for Patrick SFB and STARCOM are determined based on political considerations over state law, and the Space Force is posting less-qualified officers to Patrick SFB, that would be an egregious dereliction of the Defense Department’s primary responsibility to ensure the Armed Forces are ready to deter and if necessary, defeat our adversaries,” the lawmaker wrote.
At a Pentagon Pride event on June 7, Gen. Burt said anti-LGBTQ laws passed by state legislatures amount to a “threat to our readiness” and negatively affect military personnel. “The diverse and inclusive tapestry of the Department of Defense must continue to embrace the LGBTQ Plus community,” she said.
More:
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/jun/23/lawmakers-demand-answers-about-space-force-general/
