Repealing ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’

On July 26, 1948, President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order No. 9981, which effectively desegregated the military. The order read, “There shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion or national origin.” On Oct. 12, 2010, Judge Virginia Phillips, a Federal district Judge for the Central District of California, ordered the military to stop enforcing its 17-year-old “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. The policy restricts the United States government from attempting to discover or reveal closeted gay, lesbian or bisexual service members and applicants, while prohibiting those who openly identify as LGBT from military service.

Last Thursday, the Justice Department acknowledged that they would ask Judge Phillips to stay her ruling blocking the ban on openly gay and lesbian individuals from serving, while they consider appealing the decision. As The New York Times revealed in their editorial opinion on Wednesday, “Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the policy should not be lifted abruptly because there are unresolved questions like whether straight and gay soldiers should share barracks and whether the military should pay benefits to partners of gay service members. He said he wanted to wait until a review of practices and policies was submitted on Dec. 1.” These “unresolved questions” are transparent, pathetic and irrelevant, not to mention insulting to the 14,000 men and women who have been discharged as victims of what, in recent years, has culminated into nothing more than a witch hunt.

Segregation is not the answer. President Truman recognized this in 1948, after thousands and thousands of black men and women had lost their lives serving their country with honor and bravery. How many gay men and women will have to die before the DoJ decides that they are worthy of full and equal protection under the law? Gates’ statement is nothing more than a cowardly attempt at appeasing those Republicans in the Senate who vehemently oppose the repeal of DADT. Their arguments are based on nothing more than ignorance and homophobia, and the continued attempt to create a secondary class out of the LGBT community.

In a leaked internal memo released Oct.13, Lieutenant General Richard C. Harding of the United States Air Force instructed all JAG officers to abide by the ruling until the DoJ decides whether or not they will pursue the matter.

From the memo: “The District Court further ‘orders defendants United States of America and the Secretary of Defense immediately to suspend and discontinue any investigation, or discharge, separation, or other proceeding, that may have been commenced under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Act or pursuant to 10 USC 654 or its implementing regulations, on or prior to the date of this Judgment.’ Further guidance on this and related issues will be provided as it is made available by DoD. Inform your commanders of this injunction and its terms.”

Although air force officials were unable to immediately confirm the contents of the memo, this would be the first time in decades that the military would not discriminate based on sexual orientation.

Fourteen thousand men and women. Those are men and women who have the critical skills and talent to excel in foreign languages, military medicine, counterterrorism and intelligence. According to The New York Times Editorial Board, “The judge found that the military has routinely delayed investigations and discharges until suspected homosexuals completed their deployments on combat missions. Their service was deemed vital in the war zones, not detrimental.” This along with the leaked memo suggest that the military is ready to move beyond DADT, and that their main concern is not how troops are acting in the showers but how they are contributing on the field.

The continued tactics to stall the repeal of DADT sends a very clear message to Americans and the international community: “They are not one of us.” It is these types of systematic, governmentally implemented policies that trickle down into the general consciousness of our youth and inadvertently promote violence against LGBT individuals. On the college campus, another adverse effect is to coerce gay and lesbian ROTC students to remain in the closet for fear of being ostracized or even losing their scholarships.