Tracking the struggle for marriage equality over the past five years has made one thing crystal: the opponents of equality hate gay marriage, and will grasp at every last straw to prevent it. And when they’ve run out of hay, they’ll run over to their neighbor’s farm and steal a few bushels. For years, we heard that heterosexual marriage would be destroyed, kids would be sexually confused, and children of homosexual parents would grow up to be serial killers if gay and lesbian couples were allowed gift registries at Target. When gay marriage passed in several states and the North American continent failed to sink into the ocean, opponents abandoned these arguments and resorted to pure populist hatred and religious bigotry.

We’ve seen a similar tide-shift in the battle to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT), the obscene policy that discharges gays and lesbians from the military if they are open about their sexual identity. No one better symbolizes this slippery dishonesty than John McCain, who for years defended DADT on the grounds that America’s military commanders thought it was a smart idea. As everybody and their mother reported this afternoon, however, when Admiral Mike Mullen, head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (the Big Dog of the American military, people – the white Colin Powell!) told the Senate today that it was time to repeal the policy, John McCain acted like he’d never uttered the first damn word about it, declaring to NBC News, “At this moment of immense hardship for our armed services, we should not be seeking to overturn the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy.” McCain also spat this at Defense Secretary Robert Gates, having the temerity to lecture the very men whose opinion he said he’d respect.

Which …er…what the fuck?? At this moment of immense hardship for our armed services, we NEED the 12,5000 soldiers who’ve been dismissed under this policy. We need Former Lt. Dan Choi standing on that wall a hell of a lot more than we ever needed the likes of Col. Nathan R. Jessup. (Yes, I know it was a movie. Symbolism, people!)

This policy isn’t just cruel, it’s stupid. It’s so cruel and stupid that even McCain’s own wife and daughter don’t support it. Meghan McCain has gone so far as to argue – rightly – that evicting gay soldiers endangers the lives of those she loves:

Let me tell you a little something about what I know about Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: I have two brothers serving in the military and as far as I’m concerned, when an Arabic translator is kicked out of the military for being gay, it quite literally makes my brothers and our troops less safe. For me, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell isn’t just an equality issue. It is also a national-security issue.

On the one hand, I have to hand it to John McCain for taking a brave stand against John McCain. When John McCain speaks up on an issue, who’s willing to stand up and bark him down? JOHN FREAKING MCCAIN, that’s who!

On the other hand, screw “on the one hand.” It’s time for DADT to die. Or for John McCain to be retired by the voters of Arizona. Or, hey, both! But I’ll concentrate on the former – I doubt God loves me that much.

dadt, don't ask don't tell, gay, glbt, john mccain