Don't Ask, Don't Tell--Gone, Not a Day Too Soon

By Richard Ammon
GlobalGayz.com
September 20, 2011

Another pernicious piece of discrimination and bigotry has gone under the wheels of progress, and not a day too soon.

How legislators can twist themselves and our country into illogical contortions of ignorance that blatantly violate constitutional rights with such laws as DADT, is beyond me.

But not really given so many other shameful statutes such as the DOM act that is supposed to protect straight marriage. Protect from what? DODT protect troops from what? Is sexual orientation a form of disease?
(photo: Col. Grete Cammermeyer)

DODT was a piece of legislation but it was also symbolic of how socially diseased our conservative branch of culture is, how much our much balled Christian democracy can violate all spiritual decency and secular fairness.

I am repeatedly amazed at how much supposedly cognizant, rational, 21st century legislators can be so ignorant of their own irrational, undemocratic thinking that is based on primitive, revengeful, wrathful Biblical scripture which violates modern standards of respect.

DADT crushed constitutional guarantees of equality, heaped dishonor on honorable citizens, violated bonds of brotherhood in the military--all because of bizarre Biblical ancient phrases that have no relevance in modern society.

The repeal of DADT offers a glimmer of hope that secular, truly democratic, fully constitutional thinking can trump the homophobic distortions of right-wing primitive fundamentalist thinking.

Opposing DODT Repeal is a Moral Evil

By Richard Ammon
GlobalGayz.com

Don't ask don't tell has finally gone down, another act of stupidity repealed by Congress today. After 17 years of blatant prejudice and discrimination the motion to remove the military rule was approved by 65 senators with 31 opposing.

What's remarkable and unnerving is that 31 of the nation's elected leaders voted against the repeal, openly continuing to agree to egregious discrimination against homosexual military personnel in particular and LGBT people in general. Such a bigoted position is essentially an insupportable abhorrent position.

That any modern legislator could hold this unjust, unconstitutional, hateful and narrow-minded view of human nature is immoral and frightening. Yet there they are, in our capitol making speeches and decisions that effect America's social welfare (medical care, taxation, banking/finance, education, criminal justice…) while holding distinct prejudicial views that not all citizens are equal.

Given these crucial and essential matters that effect the daily lives of 350 million people, how is it right that a full third of the US Senate can hold office with such odious prejudices against any minority group of Americans?

It is now well beyond simple science that human sexual orientation is a deeply inherent trait that forms in the psyche virtually from birth and inevitably becomes manifest in the second decade of a person's life. In countless research studies homosexuality has been shown to have biological, genetic and social components that lift it far beyond simplistic religious, political or cultural opinions and personal points of view. Way beyond 'choice'.

But with a dismissive wave of a hand toward such studied research, a politician can ignore all these in-depth analyses and all the personal testimonies of LGBT people who felt they were gay at a very young age. Such a callous attitude is a moral evil, a violation of oath to defend the constitution, a spiritually violent act, a step into ignorance and blindness. Nothing less than a social evil.

This prejudice is commonly sourced in the religious background of each senator who claws his way into Congress. Manipulating money, people and media to get elected into a position of power, a successful member is revealed for what he is when it comes to voting on the core issue of human rights.

"Human rights are international norms that help to protect all people everywhere from severe political, legal, and social abuses." Are those 31 Senators listening to this? Obviously not, and they should be fired from their jobs.

Why this absurd brouhaha about gays in the military?

By Richard Ammon
GlobalGayz.com
May 29, 2010

Why this absurd brouhaha about gays in the military? We are already there and serving well. Who are these worried troops and brass who are blowing this issue way bigger than it is?
There are thousands of gays and lesbians already IN the service. When the ‘don’t tell’ ban is shut down, what do they expect us to do, have a gay Pride parade at West Point or down the streets of Kandahar. (photo right: openly gay UK soldier)

Be realistic. Just because the ban is lifted, homophobia will still be alive an well in America and in the military. Homophobia can get a gay person bashed or killed—with or without the ban. We are not stupid or eager for strangers to know about our private lives. We will not come flying out with rainbow colors to announce our person sexual preferences.

We will continue to conduct ourselves the same as we already do—discretely, privately but without the threat of being unfairly discharged. We will experience it as no more and no less than a RELIEF. That’s it. Unseen and silently, gays will serve wholly legally in all the armed services.

This overflow of opinionating and the swollen demand for investigations into the effect of lifting DADT verge on the absurd and lack a close intimate understanding of what it’s like to be gay and lesbian or bi or trans. We only want equality of rights and equality of being protected from the dangers of irrational military homophobia, not a parade.

The New York Times today said, "Under an amendment moving through Congress, once that report is finished, the White House and senior Pentagon leadership must certify that repealing the ban will not be disruptive to the military. Once that certification is made, final repeal will occur within 60 days. "

Disruptive? How much analysis and how much empirical evidence does it take to crack the dense homophobic mindset that gays in the military pose some kind of risk? It makes NO difference. The evidence is already in. Take a look: Israel, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, Holland, Denmark, Finland, Germany, France, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Argentina, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, England--even highly homophobic Russia, Estonia and Lithuania--all allow gays to serve without hiding. The actual evidence from all these countries is that gays in the military is a no-brainer issue.

Just because there is a difference in sexual orientation does not make people so different that they are somehow unqualified for worldly responsibilities or military service. We already raise families, perform surgery, deliver the mail, teach children in schools and universities, do research for NASA and are elected to public office and serve in the military. Do we have to re-invent the wheel to prove the point?

What’s the big deal if we are in uniform? We will continue to do it with all the respect and duty as we do now.

Stop the madness. Drop the ban. It makes no difference to the quality of our military might. (photo right, Israeli female soldiers--3 are lesbians?)

But it will make a difference for those who choose to stay stuck in 20th century homophobia that as irrational as the tooth fairy or Santa Claus—in the belief that something very unreal is very real. LGBT people are no different as human beings than anyone else. We can climb, shoot, run, follow orders and serve as top brass as well as anyone.

What will have to change, or be cured, is the mental disease of social homophobia that’s historically based on religious mythology and institutional distortions of portions of the Bible that were written by ancient men—humans as vain and ego-filled as we are today. Jesus said NOTHNG about sexuality. He did say to love one another as he loved us. That’s all. The rest is interpretation and mythology and church politics.

Once we expose this caustic mental disease of homophobia that kills thousands of people a year—from teens to elders—we will be a better society for it. Allowing ancient religious-based prejudice to govern modern-day conduct of military matters is like using medieval catapults to confront North Korea’s nuclear saber-rattling.

Social homophobia is a totally curable disease and the sooner the better. On this the military can lead the assault. JFDI.

Gays in the military: we are here and queer - get over it!

Westhampton, MA - July 12, 2009
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