David S. Meyer
I'm a professor of sociology and political science at the University of California, Irvine. I've been thinking, and writing about, protest politics for almost ever. This site offers comments on contemporary events, informed (I hope) by knowing something about history and about the academic study of social movements.
Tag Archives: don’t ask don’t tell
Rights and facts on the ground
The Supreme Court’s ruling to uphold the Affordable Care Act means that Governor Mitt Romney, by campaigning to repeal the Act, is promising to take health insurance away from 30 million people, none in Massachusetts. This is far tougher than … Continue reading
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Tagged don't ask don't tell, GLBT, Japanese internment, military, Mitt Romney, red scare, rights, Supreme Court, war
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Clustering Issues: Environmentalism and GLBT Politics
Politico’s Alex Guillen reported earlier this week that young environmentalists were consulting with gay and lesbian activists to figure out how to be more effective, especially in pushing President Obama. The GLBT movement has won–and is winning–several important victories, so … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged coalitions, don't ask don't tell, environmentalism, gay marriage, GLBT, policies
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GLBT Fundraising Falters: The Problem of Urgency, Exhibit A
It was a good year for the gay and lesbian movement. The last few years have included policy victories: the end of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell in the military, a few favorable court decisions, and the institution of same sex … Continue reading
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Tagged don't ask don't tell, fund raising, gay and lesbian movement
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Contested Conservatism
As the Republicans take control of the House of Representatives and try to flex new muscle in the Senate–and in politics more generally–the conflicts within modern conservatism will become more visible. The label “conservative” has always included contradictory positions, and … Continue reading
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Tagged conservative, don't ask don't tell, Dream act, Edmund Burke, Rush Limbaugh
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Defeats and Victories
Movements don’t disappear after a legislative verdict. Victories and defeats change calculations about what’s possible and how to go about getting it, but they virtually never–at least in the United States–provide a decisive resolution to the sorts of issues that … Continue reading
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Tagged countermovements, defeat, don't ask don't tell, Dream act, immigration, legislation, victory
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When Allies Disappoint
This lame duck session in Congress seems like the last best hope for advocates of the DREAM Act, as well as the best shot for the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell through Congress–and not the courts. Activists on both … Continue reading
Is the Tea Party Over? (part 2)
What was the Tea Party anyway? We remember the costumes, of course, and the upset victories in primary elections by some, uh, unusual candidates, but what was it about? Like all social movements in America, the Tea Party contains a … Continue reading
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Tagged don't ask don't tell, Dream act, health care, tea party
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How are GLBT activists getting along? Don’t Ask.
Federal Judge Virginia Phillips today issued an injunction banning the military’s enforcement of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell globally. The decision is all over the news, of course. Judge Phillips was responding to a suit filed by the Log Cabin Republicans … Continue reading
Protest after Defeat
The Senate’s failure to consider both the DREAM Act and the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, was a clear defeat for advocates of immigration reform and GLBT activists. Both sets of activists are, understandably, frustrated with the Senate, President … Continue reading
