"From now on,no gay or lesbian will be booted
out of the service without due process."
The next 30 years will bring enormous change in
the military. There is peace in the world. Military resources,
materiel, and personnel will assume a different configuration
in the next three decades. Every aspect of military thinking will
be changed. Nowhere will the change be clearer than in the policy
on homosexual service members. Thirty years ago homosexuals were
serving in the military, but their presence was not an issue debated
or acknowledged. There were sporadic, silent purges, witch-hunts,
gay baiting, interrogations, and intimidation. Superimposed upon
heterosexual misconduct issues was the debate in the early 1900s
on the service and treatment of gays. For the first time there
was the realization that gays had served in the military, were
not unfit, and did not impair morale.
In 1994, Bill Clinton, by executive order, implemented a policy of "don't ask, don't tell." Homosexuals can be in the military as long as they do not violate rules against homosexual acts and do not announce themselves as being gay. Members of the gay lobby were none the less upset that a full lifting of the ban was not implemented.
Excluding homosexuals from the military seems petty. Everyone should be allowed to defend their country. Moreover, the politicizing of such issues undermines the militarys faith in civilian leadership that guides it. The military is quickly loosing its prestige, its traditional values, and that is a good thing for most Americans. Reinstating the ban would be a gesture of utter and sheer disgust in our military. Having homosexuals in our military is a matter of military effectiveness, not of homosexuals ability to perform military duties, but of the morale of the military as a whole. If a policy in regards to the military does not improve its effectiveness, then it should not be implemented. When the implementation means giving a chance to few who would like to serve our great nation, than it should be considered legal. Homosexuals argue that what they do on their own time is their business.
The military is facing a readiness problem. Recruitment is becoming more and more difficult. The need for soldiers is at a high. Every year, thousands of qualified and trained service members are not allowed in the military because they are homosexual. This homophobia contributes to an enormous waste of our resources, men! Most of Americas major NATO allies now allow gays to serve openly in the military. These include France, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Israel. Britain was forced last fall by the European Court of Human Rights to end its military ban on gays. They have now embraced them and have even been inviting gay soldiers, who had been discharged, to apply for reinstatement.
In the most recent Gallup poll on the question, 41 percent of Americans say that gays should be allowed to serve openly. 38 percent believe the "don't ask, don't tell" policy is tolerant. Only 17 percent think gays should not be allowed to serve under any circumstances. Republican president candidate John McCain said there is no reason why a homosexual could not serve as president some day. "People make judgments based on a candidates qualifications. I don't think that would rule anybody out." He said there is no reason why a Jew or Muslim could not be president and the same applied to homosexuals.
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Hate crimes based on sexual orientation have been steadily on the rise. Hate crimes based on sexual orientation are at an all-time high. Interesting statistics and information about homosexuals in the military. One out of every two thousand people is either gay, lesbian, or bisexual. |
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GI RIGHTS: HOMOSEXUAL CONDUCT, DONT ASK, DONT TELL The following will help you get the discharge you seek protecting you from prosecution under military law: write a letter saying that you desire to engage yourself in homosexual acts, but do not acknowledge having engaged in homosexual acts. Do not give names and do not admit to a history of homosexual conduct. |
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THE INTERNATIONAL LESBIAN AND GAY ASSOCIATION "The Bahamas from time to time; to ensure that those rights are not infringed; and to guard against all forms of discrimination whether on the basis of race, religion, ethnic origin or sex." FIGHTING OPPRESSION THROUGH DIRECT ACTION AND EDUCATION A youthful network based anti-racist groups across the country dedicated to fighting all forms of racism and hate. They oppose and fight things like hate crimes against homosexuals. CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF SEXUAL MINORITIES IN THE MILITARY The Center promotes the interdisciplinary analysis of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and other sexual minorities in the armed forces by sponsoring conferences, fellowships, and research. |
