Simmer CE Week #2: “‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ hurts military”
Did you know that your safety and security depend on gay men and lesbians?
An estimated 65,000 gay men and lesbians serve in the U.S. armed forces, though by law they cannot be open about their sexuality. As we fight two wars, our military is stretched thin. Those gay and lesbian soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and members of the Coast Guard are essential.
Without them, we would stretch to a dangerous point the length of time troops must spend in Iraq and Afghanistan. Without them, we would lose crucial military leadership, expertise and skills. Without them, we would have a hard time meeting our military commitments worldwide.
These patriotic gay and lesbian warriors want to serve. Yes, some “out” themselves to leave the service, usually because they have been made to feel unwelcome, unappreciated or even unsafe in their units. An estimated 3,000 gay service members depart each year rather than continue to serve under a policy that forces them to deceive their fellow warriors and to contradict the honor and integrity that are core values in our services. Those members who stay make an incredibly difficult personal sacrifice.
“Don’t ask, don’t tell” also damages our nation’s ability to recruit the best and the brightest. Competing with industry is hard enough already. The military estimates that only three in 10 high school graduates are qualified to serve; the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy further reduces the pool of eligible recruits. And would you want to serve when you have to hide an essential part of yourself or would be unable to tell the chain of command about discrimination or harassment without risking your career?
Some fear a backlash from heterosexual service members, but I don’t. I grew up in Mississippi and attended segregated schools until I was a sophomore in high school. Integration was tumultuous, but it led to respect, understanding and, ultimately, a greater opportunity for blacks and whites alike to succeed. I believe integration of lesbians and gay men in the military will be easier: It has already taken place. Sadly, we just don’t recognize the gay service members among us for who they are.
It is up to Congress and the president to craft policy on gay men and lesbians serving in the military, but it is the responsibility of senior military commanders to advise our nation’s leaders on how law and policy affect military readiness. I raised this issue in 2003 when a task force I served on worked on the Navy’s diversity strategy. Senior leaders must state plainly how “don’t ask, don’t tell” affects recruiting, retention and our ability to develop essential military skills. They should speak up about how it affects military honor and integrity. It is our duty, something military leaders understand well, to speak openly of how “don’t ask, don’t tell” injures our military and weakens our preparedness.
“Did you know that your safety and security depend on gay men and lesbians?” I would definitely have to disagree with the fact that my personal safety depends on gay men and women serving in the military.
It is interesting how a soldier’s sexuality becomes that large of a national issue. From what I understand, an intelligent homosexual would only join the military, just like any other person, in order to protect our homeland from foreign attacks. Military does spend $363 million on the gay without any expertise, however military would also spend no less on educating and training an average soldier.
” ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ damages our nation’s ability to recruit the best and the brightest.” I think that statement is somewhat overly judgmental. One with a different sexuality could not possibly be less motivated or less skilled than an average person.
Statistically 3,000 gay service members depart each year for discrimination and harassment. I am sure that discrimination and harassment is pressed upon women and African Americans, who perhaps do quit annually in large numbers. The public does not seem to be notified about this isssue, or is it one?
As far as military goes, I think that most commanders would care less about their soldier’s sexuality. As long as the recruits do what they joined the army to do, serve and protect our nation, this issue should be left alone.
Oh my goodness… how can we honestly call ourselves the “United” States if sexuality has become an issue in our military services? This is slightly ridiculous and (vaguely) a little pathetic. I also feel that my security does not solely depend on the gay men and lesbians serving. Above all, they are simply soldiers through and through. Highly-trained commanders will emphasize the importance of integration when it comes to heterosexuals mixing with homosexuals. Consider how far our defense systems have come already: men and women are working side-by-side to provide maximum protection for our nation, and blacks and whites have obviously learned to put aside their differences to work towards the common goal. Why should gays/lesbians be denied the same privileges? It’s a pity that nearly 3,000 gay servicemen and women find themselves leaving the services each year for personal reasons (Barnett). To me, a soldier is a soldier, as long as he/she is willing to serve admirably and purposely for our country. Race, gender, sexuality, and background differences should have no rightful place in our recruiting services. Otherwise, the United States might as well be viewed as the divided nation, prone to internal weakness and open to sudden attack.
The “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy could be seen as an equalizer that would allow all servicemen to receive the same treatment. I do find it kind of strange that it is against the law for an individual to be open about their sexuality. I certainly didn’t see that one coming. I would have thought that the individual would have been the one to decide whether or not to share their sexuality with the armed forces and their comrades. I recognize that every individual has their own skills to offer, so if revealing one’s sexuality is grounds for removal, then I am very confused about the country that I am living in. I thought that this country valued the skills of the individual. I think that our differences when combined make us stronger. The article stated, “Senior leaders must state plainly how “don’t ask, don’t tell” affects recruiting, retention and our ability to develop essential military skills.” I would also like to know how one’s sexuality plays into their ability to serve. The article also stated that we don’t recognize these servicemen for who they are. That is a little discriminatory. We shouldn’t discriminate against those who are willing to risk their lives while millions aren’t.
It is sad how our country has become so prejudice against homosexuals. It is sad that still today we cannot look past our differences and see that we truly are all the same and are all humans. 3,000 homosexuals left the service because of them not feeling welcomed and feeling unsafe. This is a shame. For me, I don’t really care who is defending and protecting our country, just as long as someone is. It takes a lot of time, commitment, and it takes an emotional strength to be in the armed forces. And like the article said, only 3 out of 10 high school graduates are qualified. To me, that doesn’t seem like very many and to have to take some out of that three just because of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy seems to be a shame. These people probably have more courage and pride for their nation than those of us who don’t even attempt to join the forces. And yet, our government is telling them that they can’t join just because they are homosexuals. Why is our government spending 363 million dollars on trying to get these people out of the army? They are just as skilled and motivated as anybody else. They should be spending that money elsewhere, somewhere where it can actually benefit our country.
I agree with the author, despite the slightly exagerrated claims. Many gay and lesbian citizens want to serve in the armed forces. However, despite being qualified they are banned only because of they are open about their sexuality. While the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy does enable them to enlist, it forces them, as the author puts it, “to deceive their fellow warriors and to contradict the honor and integrity that are core values in our services”. And while some may argue that discretion is the better part of valor, the ability to be open and honest with your comrades in arms is better still. Policies such as the “don’t ask, don’t tell” only hinder progress instead of allow it.
“The military has spent more than $363 million since 1994 to throw out gay men and lesbians whose expertise we desperately need, including expensively trained and hard-to-recruit linguists, jet pilots, cyber-warriors, doctors and combat-tested master sergeants.” While a little exaggerated by the author, I’m quite sure that this is one of the bigger wastes of money the military has made. That money could have better spent on much more important things, like provided better armor for our soldiers. What difference does being gay or lesbian make in a person’s ability to communicate, fly a plane, heal a person, or wage war? This is quite similar and just as outrageous as the military barring African-Americans from fighting in World War I and keeping most African-American soldiers away from the front and the fighting in World War II. It is just like the United States to proclaim to be the land of the free, yet restrict its minorities. Not being able to embrace a person’s differences is, as shown by the military, costly. Hopefully, this too shall pass.
Personally, this disgusts me. People who are willing to put their lives on the line for their country are being rejected because of a choice that they make? I am not gay, but I am a vegetarian, can I kicked out of the service for that? Also, they kick out the gay men and lesbians in a time of need for soldiers. So what do they do? “…the military, in order to meet its manpower quotas, feels compelled to increase the number of waivers it grants to people who have had problems with the law…” They hire people who break the law. I am sickened by this.
Why would you toss out perfectly good, law-abiding soldiers for people who should be ineligible? I guess it is because they feel uncomfortable around gays and lesbians. But as long as they are not making advancements onto their fellow soldiers, I do not believe that there should be a problem.
And then the quote, “Did you know that your safety and security depend on gay men and lesbians?” Well, personally I do not care, people are risking themselves for this country, an ultimate sacrifice. I am not for the war by any means, but I can still respect someone with such a passion for their country they will put their lives on the line to protect it.
And as far as the don’t ask don’t tell policy, I think that it is complete trash. If they are openly gay, so what? As I said before, I don’t think you should have a problem unless they make advances, but then again I have never been in a situation where I had to spend months and months in a gay person’s company.
To sum it all up, if we fight this war, and need the “man-power”, then we as a country should learn to get past the sexual preference on some individuals.
To quote Immortal Technique…again, “there’s no diversity because we’re burning in the melting pot”.
In response to Julia Tribbett.
I agree that this should be a non-issue. If a solider is capable and is willing to be deployed to fight for their country, then I think that the nation as a whole needs to get past the fact if they are gay or not.
When you say, “Military does spend $363 million on the gay without any expertise, however military would also spend no less on educating and training an average soldier” do you know that they are spending the $363 million to throw the homosexuals out of the military rather than to train them?
And then when you say, “‘‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ damages our nation’s ability to recruit the best and the brightest.” I think that statement is somewhat overly judgmental. One with a different sexuality could not possibly be less motivated or less skilled than an average person”, I think you interpreted it as saying that the gays are less qualified. I think that the author was saying that the “best and the brightest” gays are rejecting coming to the military from the oppressive rules.
But I have to say, your main point is what I agree with, the rules set forth are ridiculous.
I don’t think it is right to not let gay men and lesbians go into the armed services just because they already “came out”. Just because they may have a different sexual preference than some people feel is right doesn’t make them lesser. They are still human beings, and therefore should still be treated equally. If they want to serve, why shouldn’t they be able to? I personally wouldn’t want to have to “hide an essential part of my life”, like it says in the article, to participate in something important to me. They want to serve for the same reasons that straight people do; protect their country, start an education, etc. I personally don’t see why it is such an issue. Do the people running the military think that the homosexuals are going to start hitting on the others in their troop or something? If they are so worried about that then having a woman in a troop with a whole bunch of men is basically the same as a gay guy. There could be so many other ways to let them serve, even if it comes down to putting them all together. I realize that that is segregation, but they face it more by not being able to serve at all.
So many people are focused on the big issues like the war in Iraq, illegal immigration, and the economy, that constantly circle the upcoming elections, but as a whole we tend to forget about other important issues like discrimination of gays and lesbians in the military forces.
The fact that 3,000 perfectly well-trained men and women depart from the army on account of discrimination and are forced to hide their true selves while serving. I agree with Cyle when he states that this is just rediculous for our country, who believes so much in personal rights, to deny a very skilled man or woman for the fact that they are gay or lesbian. Our country stands for more than that.
We were once a country that was divided by race, are we now a country that is divided by the simple fact of who you fall in love with or want to be with. I’m not saying that I agree tremendously with the idea of homosexuality, but I also do not have anything against it. Who am I to judge how someone else lives their life.
What does ‘who you want to be with; man or woman’ have anything to do with how skilled you are or how you could serve in the military forces? It doesn’t. Why would the government spend $363 million on throwing people out when the money could be used to get us out of that big debt we happen to be in.
The fact of the matter is, the author is right. “Integration was tumultuous, but it led to respect, understanding and, ultimately, a greater opportunity for blacks and whites alike to succeed. I believe integration of lesbians and gay men in the military will be easier”. Who are we to judge?
It’s hard for me to understand this article completely. I think that anyone who joins the military or goes to war is honorable. What I don’t get is why we are forced to recognize these differences in the first place. I am not trying to be rude or mean to people that are gay or lesbian, but I do not think that they deserve anything special. I think that the article contradicts itself in saying that they face discrimination and an “unwelcome, unappreciated or even unsafe” unit. At the same time the article disagrees with the “don’t ask don’t tell” idea? If the gay and lesbian servers don’t tell, they probably wouldn’t face these problems. I’m betting most gay or lesbian service members don’t attract this kind of attention. Not because they don’t want to face discrimination, but because they have a job to do. Like any proud service member they are completely focused and ready to accomplish it.
I hate how so much attention is drawn to matters that aren’t the real issue. Apparently “These patriotic gay and lesbian warriors want to serve” so why are 3,000 gay service members said to depart each year? How about everyone who is serving is taking a risk? There are men and women dying constantly. Do you think that when a bomb explodes in a gay person’s face that it hurts any more? Does the straight person cry any more or less when they hug their mom for the last time?
In response to Rachel Kerr:
Rachel I couldn’t have said it better myself, “This is slightly ridiculous and (vaguely) a little pathetic.” The military has actually spent $363 million dollars in just 14 years to throw out gay and lesbians. Talk about wasting money. I think the military could have found a better use for that money rather than using it to get rid of highly trained individuals that just happen to have a different sexuality. “A soldier is a soldier, as long as he/she is willing to serve admirably and purposely for our country.” (Rachel Kerr) These man and women are risking their lives to make our country safer and we are disrespecting them by questioning their personal life. Your sexuality does not and should not define you as a person and it certainly doesn’t say whether you are worthy or not of serving in the military. Seriously what is next, are they going to turn people away because their feet are too big?
For the most part, I agree with the author.
First of all, I think the whole concept of the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” rule is misleading. It seems as though the military just wants to ban homosexuals from serving, period. However, this would obviously break every rule in the book. So, they decided to create a loophole in the system by saying that gays and lesbians can serve in the military, just as long as they don’t admit to being gay or lesbian.
As stated in the article, “An estimated 3,000 gay service members depart each year rather than continue to serve under a policy that forces them to deceive their fellow warriors and to contradict the honor and integrity that are core values in our services.” This shows that the military’s creative loophole is doing exactly what they wanted it to do, without actually doing it. They are cleaning out the homosexual population within the armed forces, without actually banning gays and lesbians from the military.
So, to sum things up, I think it is wrong that these people are being forced to leave the military just because of sexual preference. It’s the same thing as requiring African-American soldiers to wear more clothing in order to hide their skin color… and that’s wrong.
The irony of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy is embarrassingly contradictory. The constitution of the United States of America is largely based upon two coexisting principles: freedom and equality. If freedom and equality are supposedly flagrant in the US, why is prejudice available in massive quantities? Why are core themes of American idealism constantly being neglected? Why is sexual orientation an issue? I cannot even wrap my mind around this issue due to its immense ridiculousness.
However, I doubt that our nation’s military depends on homosexuals, that claim is somewhat inflated. The fact of the matter is that the United States military depends on United States citizens, inevitably, a fraction of United States citizens are homosexual. If the United States military is constitutionally inept, which I assume they are, it should be wildly apparent as to why the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy is unpopular: the policy is debatably unconstitutional.
The fact of the matter lays in this simple fact: if the United States military is supposedly a representation of the American people not only at home and (especially) abroad, then it should follow that the military show an accurate display of the populace. Currently, the United States military does not meet this standard, which I find to be a terrible grievance. How can the United States, debatably the most powerful, progressive and influential nation on the planet we call earth, deny the presence of gays and other minorities within their ranks, which are a considerable portion of the American populace. Until the military abolishes the tenant of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”, it can not continue to represent the very ideals for which it stands.
I agree with the author somewhat. I mean I don’t think that gays or lesbians should have to keep their sexuality a secret. They shouldn’t be thrown out of the service just based on that personal decision. They should be able to be open about it. As long as they’re serving just like any other American soldier then I’m fine with them protecting their country. However, I definitely don’t think that they deserve any special treatment. They shouldn’t be exalted for their brave deeds any more than any other soldier. I don’t really know what the author wants, “sadly, we just don’t recognize the gay service members among us for who they are.” …. when recognizing an honorable soldier, they should mention whether the person prefers men or women? It really doesn’t have anything to do with serving in the military. I think the author is a little too focused on making sure that gays and lesbians are recognized for who they are. But doesn’t that take away from the point that we’re all people? I think most gays and lesbians want to be treated like anyone else. No discrimination, but also no special treatment or attention. I think that the policy should be changed but at the same time, I don’t really think it’s a big issue in comparison to other things. It shouldn’t matter, period. A soldier is a soldier, regardless of sexuality, race, gender or anything else. But if “these patriotic gay and lesbian warriors want to serve”, why did 3,000 of them leave the service? They should stick it out and not abandon their cause.
“Don’t ask, Don’t tell”? at least they could have thought up a cleverer name for a stupid policy. Like, let’s make the homosexuals fell like they have no orientation whatsoever. But then again, does military service have anything to do with sexual, racial or any other kind of orientation. This article is quite obviously one sided and I don’t claim to have all the facts. However, three hundred and sixty three million dollars spent on keeping homosexuals out of service. It makes you wonder what they spent it on? Anti gay and lesbian posters? Maybe secret military mobsters who pick on anybody who is at all different? I feel as if this article represents another investigative journalist who is trying to make a story.
On the other side of the issue, if this article really does hold some grain of truth it is a truly sad thing. Millions of dollars spent to keep gays and lesbians out of service when just a few years back the government wanted to reinstate the draft. It seems as if our country was to the point at which it was going to force men and women to join the armed forces they ought to take anyone they can get.
Okay, here’s the thing about this article. Almost everyone who has commented on this issue that thinks that by agreeing with this “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, you are automatically prejudiced against gays and lesbians. The purpose of military (like Caleb mentioned) is to protect and defend our country. This requires the exclusive and undivided attention of these troops. The generation who is currently enlisted in the armed forces is older, and not as comfortable with homosexuality. “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is supposed to keep sexuality out of the militants’ heads and focused at the task at hand. No soldier’s mind should be cluttered with matters of no relevancy.
Having said that, it is a shame to see that a certain extent of this policy has been misunderstood and we as a country have lost many troops due to this.
If I were in the military I would definitely feel uncomfortable rooming with a homosexual. And I’m sure a lot of other men would feel the same way. I am not however, against homosexuals in the military. But it could be a danger to our own troops if there was a dispute between straight men and gays. In Vietnam there was a similar situation between blacks and whites. They actually shot at each other just because of their racist beliefs, even though they were on the same side. I think that to avoid any distractions among gay and straight soldiers that the gay population should serve in their own battalions. This would allow them the deserved freedom to fight for their country while avoiding any disputes within our troops.
I don’t think that the policy should be used in cases where the soldier has already proven himself within his battalion as a worthy soldier. For it would be foolish to take somebody out just for a mistake that he has made in his life. No matter how stupid that mistake may be. I think the reason this policy was put into effect was not to discriminate, but to strengthen our military.
In response to James Nowak, the idea of separate platoons was also used to separate soldiers of color from their fellow soldiers. It did not work out all that well. Separate platoons are not the answer and neither is the “don’t ask, don’t tell policy.” The “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy would still leave the source of your discomfort in the same room as you. They could very well still shoot at each other even if they are in separate platoons although most attacks on homosexuals are much more physical. It is not possible to remove all distractions in the battlefield and disputes are a normal occurrence.
It is so hard to believe that such a blatant form of discrimination is not only present in America today but that it is actually being supported by our government, itself. If anyone today were to suggest barring a group of individuals from serving based on religion, race, or gender, they would either be greeted by outrage or simply laughed out of the senate. It is sad that America is still willing to accept, and even encourage, such discrimination based on sexual orientation. Not only does the policy present challenges for our armed forces and the gays and lesbians who choose to enroll, it almost seems to encourage homophobia and prejudice in every aspect of American culture. If our government is saying that gays and lesbians are not good enough to serve in our armed forces, how can Americans begin to accept homosexuals as teachers, doctors, or even neighbors? In addition, I do agree that homosexuals play a vital role in our armed forces. According to USA Today, almost 12,000 troops have been dismissed under the policy, not including those who left on their own accord. With enrollment rates so low and the need for troops so high, it makes absolutely no sense for those troops to have been discharged. Whether you choose to look at it from an ethical viewpoint and recognize the immorality of such discrimination or whether you take the logical approach, it seems clear that the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy presents a stumbling block for our nation.
If getting their fealings hurt makes them quit the military then what are they doing there in the first place? They simply aren’t tough enough. I’m sure just as many straight men quit for the same reason – and if hurt fealings is reason enough to quit then you are a wuss and don’t belong, no matter your sexual orientation.
This topic should not even be an issue “Don’t ask don’t tell” what the heck. No one asks if your straight because it doen’t matter just do your job. Being open sexuality could cause troubles just like bringing family problems in causes problems.
Don’t bring politics to the military, leave it to the civilians let the military do what it belives is best.
Wow! Find something else to worry about. If a person chooses to enter the military let them do so. It takes courage especially during a time of war like now to say I want to join the military and risk my life for my country. Issues such as sexuality should not play a factor in this issue. Denying people the right to serve their country just because they are not heterosexual seems wrong. Yeah it may make it a little bit tense on the battlefield and some people may feel uncomfortable at first but people can adjust. As more gays and lesbians become public more people are going to have to get used to being around them. It is just like integration of blacks some years back. Even though I was not alive during this time I have heard that people had some very harsh opinions about integration, but now it is not that big of a deal to have everything mixed. I think that if we look 50 years down the road it won’t be uncommon for us to treat gays and lesbians just like another person. It probably won’t matter to us and will be overlooked. Eventually the military is going to have to change their policy and that way people can be free to say what orientation they are and not have to lie and hide behind what they are.
In response to Ryan’s comments, I do have to agree that this shouldn’t be a problem in the military and shouldn’t affect how well the soldiers fight. But I have to disagree that these people aren’t “tough enough”. It is very hard for gays and lesbians to be in the military, because many people aren’t comfortable having these people around them. And how can “just as many straight men quit for the same reason”? Straight men don’t have the same judgments against them, and they don’t know what homosexual soldiers have to face. And if they quit the military, it doesn’t mean they are a wuss and shouldn’t belong there. It means people need to be more accepting and make them feel like they are wanted there in the first place. Why should they have to hide their sexual orientation? This shouldn’t make people feel uneasy around them. They may like someone of the same sex, but it doesn’t mean they are weird or a freak. People need to be more accepting and have an open mind. We need to stop being bigots! What ever happened to “Judge not, lest ye be judged”?
The author relays an unfortunate truth. Anti-homosexual sentiment, just like racism and sexism at their points, are limiting our nation’s ability to forge a proper fighting force. Back before Executive order 9981 that de-segregated the military under President Truman, blacks and other non-whites had to fight in seperate, inferiorly supplied units by themselves. And yet despite this, they pressed on and claimed an impressive victory in showing they could function on equal and higher levels than their white counterparts. We only need to look as far as the flawless record of the Tuskegee Airmen, who never lost a single bomber under their protection, a record of 100% success. By limiting our military on arbitrary barriers, we only succeed in looking all the more silly as we desperately try to fill the gap with less and less competent replacements. Never mind the morality of barring someone from the service for so lacking a reason, from a logistics standpoint it makes zero sense to bar someone from serving their country because of which gender they’re attracted to, which has no bearing on their competence, and is several kinds of stupid. Religious morality shouldn’t be affecting our recruiting decisions, and it’s woefully shameful that we’re simply repeating the same mistakes of segregation, just with sexuality instead of skin color.
In response to Ryan Phillipy, those soldiers do not quit because they got their feelings hurt. As stated in the article, “ ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy bar[s] gay men and lesbians from serving openly.” So, they are not even quitting. They are thrown out which effectively stops them from doing their job. You are sure that many straight men quit because they got their feelings hurt or a “wuss?” Wow. Well, I am sure that that is not correct. I am also sure that politics cannot be removed from the military. You compared being open about one’s sexuality to bringing in family problems. I would like to know how soldiers could avoid bringing in family problems when they are fairly concerned with them.
In response to Ashley and Rabeccas response to me:
Gays or lesbians who join the military do so knowing full well what they are getting into and what is required of them. The military is not a place where anything of this sort needs to be brought into. Comfort is not a luxury of the military.
There are two reasons that men leave the military:
1. They found better oppertunities
2. They couldn’t stand the pressures (physical and/or mental)
the second is, in other words, “not tough enough” or “wuss.” Straight or not.
So yes quitting “some “out” themselves to leave the service, usually because they have been made to feel unwelcome, unappreciated or even unsafe in their units.”(article) Is being a wuss, and yes not just gays can feel “uncomfortable” while serving – they are just one group.
Military is not Kindergarden you don’t have to be nice. You get hurt you deal with it.
Now should they have to stay quiet about their orientation? I don’t see how your oreientation matters when you are fighting – perhaps the rule is to protect the gays themselves or to minimilaize seperation. Not everyone is going to accept gays, being openly homosexual will just widen the gaps.
Why would the government spend $363 million trying to gay and lesbians out of the military? The government is just wasting money! What difference does it make if they’re gay or not? Can’t they still fight for the sake of our country like anybody else? Being gay doesn’t affect how well you fight in combat so why does the government even care? I’m so confused about this issue. How does the government even know who’s gay if they’re not supposed to tell anyone their sexuality?
I don’t think there is a need to segregate homosexuals from heterosexuals in the army like we did blacks from whites. Haven’t we gotten over that by now? This whole issue is ridiculous. I believe that the government should let anybody join the army who wants to join it. The more men (or women) we have, the better. I disagree with this author only because they are making it seem like without gays the army wouldn’t be an army. I don’t think that “we would lose crucial military leadership, expertise and skills”, but I do think it’s unfair to not accept gays for who they are when they are no different than anybody else. “Don’t ask, don’t tell” won’t injure our military and weaken our preparedness either. All it does is bring up a pointless issue that can easily be solved if we all got along.
Responding to James, I can see where you are coming from, but I don’t know if I completely agree with it. I can sort of understand why you might feel uncomfortable rooming with a gay man, but why a homosexual in general? I’m pretty sure you probably wouldn’t have to worry about a lesbian. I might, you wouldn’t.
I really don’t think that the straight people and homosexuals would start shooting at each other, even if they were in the same battalion. People are way less racist now to homosexuals than whites were to blacks during Vietnam. I realize some people may not like them, but I’m pretty sure a lot less of the population is racist today than they were ten, twenty, thirty years ago, etc..
I don’t think the policy should be used at all, rather than just if they have already shown their worth. I believe that there are probably some straight people who probably do less than the homosexuals, who get kicked out just because they are homosexuals, and the straight guy gets to stay even though he is lazier.
I agree with this article and the fact that our government shouldn’t be so concerned with a person’s sexual preference. It is such a minor issue to spend so much money on. And in response to James who wouldn’t want to be roomed with a gay; you have bigger things to worry about. If the homosexual man next to you is the only thing keeping you from your coffin, you’ll forget about his sexuality in a heartbeat. And, just because he is homosexual does not mean he will be attracted to you. Plus, if he was, there are several ways to relocate with a different group of men in your platoon. Or, you could both be real men, and just work it out.
And in response to Ryan, I agree that if your feelings are hurt easily or if you don’t have a whole lot of tolerance for pain, then the armed forces are not for you-straight or gay. However, hurting someone’s “feelings” and discrimination are on a whole different playing field in terms of the severity in which someone’s feelings are “hurt”. I could tell you that you needed to leave the forces because of your religion or race, or I could physically hurt you with full out harassment. Sexual discrimination is no lighter than any other form of discrimination, and it shouldn’t be tolerated. (And also, nowhere in the article does it mention that gays would receive special treatments for coming out of the closet). The gays shouldn’t be excluded from an honorable service. Obviously, if they have already passed all of the training and tests and are already in the army, than they are clearly qualified; so if they are qualified and essential to our forces then why does our government spend so much time, money, and effort trying to kick them out? It’s a distraction in itself just to search them out and accuse them, where if people could just leave the gays alone then the armed forces may accomplish more with the time they would have spent on their little government-styled witch hunt.
In response to Ryan Phillipy:
I find your argument to be inappropriate and completely hypercritical. It is so judgmental to assume that the men and women who quit under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy are “wusses”. Maybe they decided that they wanted to stand up for their sexuality and fight for their right to be themselves. Maybe they were just tired of living a lie. Hiding your sexuality, an essential piece of your identity, is like admitting that you are ashamed of who you are. Imagine that the tables were turned, that heterosexuality were considered unacceptable. How would you feel if, on the day you were deported, you were not able to kiss your girlfriend or wife goodbye at the airport without taking the risk of being discharged for that act? To be honest I have just as much respect, if not more, for those gays and lesbians who leave the military, open and unashamed of who they are, as I do for those who stay and continue to submit to a policy of discrimination and bigotry.
When our government decided that church and state were to be separated it meant that no persons religion would have any affect on another. Whether it is right or wrong to be lesbian or gay is is a personal opinion mostly based on your religion. The only reason for opposition to being Gay or lesbian is because those against it blamed that it was against God. In The U.S. religion is not apart of anything to do with our military etc.. It is quite absurd to think that in this day an time we are asking people to pretend to be someone they are not because of the look of it. In my opinion we should have a military that represents us, the everyday American. Well the everyday American is not always heterosexual and will that will never be the case, so therefore I would like to see all of us represented. We make such a big deal about race. Sometimes too much, but that is another story. Now days the American is black, white, olive, freckled, etc. and we should have the same feelings about sexual preferences. The fact that you are attracted to men or women has nothing to do with your patriotism. By telling a lesbian that they can protect their country, but needs to pretend to be someone they are not, it is like saying…”well we don’t like your appearance, but since we need you then you can help, but don’t really tell anyone.” HOw would that make you feel ? And how does that make you feel that we have a government and leadership that would discriminate against its own people. I absolutely believe that “don’t ask, don’t tell” needs to be eliminated and our country, it’s leaders and even the public, need to accept the fact that we are supposed to be a democratic nation where we have the right to be who we want if it does not conflict with the rights of others, but really you can only be who we tell you to be when it comes to representing the country. That does not sound like a democracy it sounds awfully close to another type of government control in which we all fought to steer clear from.
in response to cyle
I am also sickened by the fact that they would rather hire people who break the law instead of gays. Is it really that large of an issue that we would rather have a heterosexual, dishonest felon be in charge of protecting us than an honest hard-working qualified gay or lesbian? You do not have to be homosexual to feel offended by that. It is as if we are ranking people and that is the very thing we fight to prevent.
There are so many other uses for the $363 million spent on kicking gays and lesbians out that could be used within the military or even to help other countries, but to waste such a high amount on such a minuscule detail is ridiculous.
Think about it this way… a gay man could sue his boss for firing him because he told his co-workers that he was gay. This is because it is against the law. Yet we send a mixed message when we make it legal to discriminate inside the very enforcers of our laws. Simply hypocritical, and if it were in every day life, then those 3,000 men and women who felt so badly discriminated against, could actually get some sort of justice for what they have been through. But apparently this is the world we live in.
Jessica DeArth makes an excellent point in regards to this article. Our military should defiantly represent the ordinary everyday American. It would be nice to have the military equally represented by all types of people. However, the statement Jessica makes about “don’t ask don’t tell needs to be eliminated,” I don’t necessarily agree with. I believe this rule has been put into place just because fellow soldiers don’t need to really know what your sexual orientation is. Just like Cody Thompson said, “Don’t ask don’t tell is to keep sexuality out of the militant’s head.” But, I feel like people probably took this rule to a whole other level, discriminating against those who are homosexual.
In response to Megan Barns:
If it were unaccebtable to be heterosexual then there would be no more babies and humans would go exstinct unless they went back to the way they were buit to be.
I’d also move out of the country because that is perposterous.
You siad my argument was hipocritical but didn’t say how. Please do tell.
Once again: if homosexuals did not want to keep their sexual orientation secret then why did they join when they knew those were the rules.
In response to Nichole Thompson’s response to me:
Nowhere did the articel say that they were physically hurt it said “…they have been made to feel unwelcome, unappreciated or even unsafe in their units.” If they were beaten then obviously whoever hurt them should be punished.
Always having to keep my sexuality a secret from the ones I spend day in and day out with at a job or even in the military. Being subject to harassment and discrimination, never having the ability to tell the one in charge because it would end your career is beyond any other punishment. These men and woman are not only putting there lives on the line to protect what we Americans seem not to value anymore and take for granted, our freedoms. But are also making great personal sacrifices because they could be doing something that they love, they want to serve. “The military has spent more than $363 million since 1994 to throw out gay men and lesbians…” The Military is spending money on “weeding out the bad apples”, so to speck, instead of investing the money into new research that will help soldiers in the field and keep their lives safe and give them a high chance of returning home to their loved ones. The money should be spent on research not “weeding out bad apples.”
The Military is flawed on this issue. No matter how qualified these men and woman are for the jobs they hold in the military, the military can’t look past the fact they are gay man or a lesbian woman, they are different. To the Military they are labeled: Different. With the military hunting down and weeding out these people who are different, while not getting many recruits to fill that vacancy. The Military just needs to look past the differences of those who are different. The Military was able to look past the differences in color, why not the differences in sexual preference? The Military needs all the recruits it can get, fighting two wars has spread our forces thin so much so that if we did not have these brave men and woman of difference preferences who are willing and wanting to fight for their country.
Just because a person is gay that should not have an affect on their military service. People should not have to hide who they are in order to get respected. A person working for the military or navy or air force should have the same freedom of speech in service as they do out of service.
A persons sexuality has no affect on their ability to serve our country and should not be an issue for those gays and lesbians that do serve our country.
Whether some people believe it is “wrong” to be gay, it is a personal decision and only affects the person that makes that decision. A gay person should have no extra difficulties in service than a straight man or woman. Sexuality should not make a difference when it comes to the protectors of our country or a random person walking down the street.
If a person chooses to like someone of the same gender that is their decision and only affects them. Gays who serve our country should be able to feel open about their sexuality and not punished because they don’t agree with others. A person should be able to like who they like and not have to hide it because of a law or a fear that they wont be accepted into our society.