Richard Ammon, GlobalGayz.com
US Secretary of Defense Gates said yesterday one possible modification to "Don't Ask Don't Tell" might be to consider the circumstances under which a service member is 'outed' in determining whether or not he or she must leave the military.
Gates offered as an example, "When we're given information from someone with vengeance in mind or blackmail, somebody who has been jilted. If somebody is outed by a third party, does that force us to take action?" he said. "That's the kind of thing we're looking at - seeing if there's a more humane way to apply the law until it gets changed."
For chrissake when will we grow up!? Parsing a blatantly vicious and discriminatory policy does nothing to change it. You can't partially suture up a gaping wound that bleeding. Highly skilled service people are being ripped from their careers this minute and they deserve better than a bigoted prejudicial reason for their discharge.
Dan Choi, a native of California and an Army Lieutenant (photo right), was dismissed from his commission last week. This is a immoral crime and an offense to all manner of integrity. It makes a mockery of our posturing about democratic rule of law and freedom and liberty.
What do Israel, Denmark, Holland, France, UK and other EU countries, who let gays serve in the military, know that we don't? Probably the simple truth that it doesn't matter. Sexual orientation is not an issue in the armed services of any country. Competence and loyalty matter most.
Unbelievable for modern progressive times, the top brass and congress absurdly let freakish religious homophobia influence military decision making. What next--chariots of fire instead of humvees?!
There are rare intelligent exceptions, however, as one fortunate "outed" gay soldier wrote, "They could have kicked me out when someone told. But my commanders weighed loss to the service against the benefit of me staying. They gave me a chance and I gave them everything I had. I served with pride not prejudice."
This fine testimony gives the hypocritical lie to the DADT policy: thousands of LGB (T?) people are serving (secretly) in the armed forces at this very moment--from high ranking Navy Admirals to new Air Force recruits. Is unit cohesion disturbed? Is 'homosexual recruiting' going on? Are the showers a risky place? Is there sneaky activity in the bunks at night? Are gay personnel flirting with battalion leaders?
How ridiculous even to ask. What sensible volunteer military person is going to risk their career and reputation on inappropriate behavior--gay or straight. The hysterical knee-jerk homophobic thought that went into making the DADT policy, based on ignorant stereotypical thinking, is far removed from reality. Gay men and women officers have as much integrity and self-respect and self-discipline as any straight officer to conduct their professional and personal lives in a proper manner. Gay and lesbian recruits are no different: they are in the service to serve not to cruise.
And I must add, from my personal experience across several decades of observing humanity, that, far from the typical straight presumption that we gay men are out to seduce every child, boy and man--I find that 98% of other males on this planet are decidedly NOT appealing to my eye and do not merit a second look. It's no different in military life. Do straight congressmen find every woman attractive? Again, it's ridiculous to ask. So wake up to the truth about gays and reflect it in military policy.
Call President Obama and Secretary Gates and let them know how you feel on the issue. The time for positive change is NOW.
Pentagon Communications Office: 703-428-0711
White House Comment Line: 202-456-1111
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