The New York Times had a great main editorial the other day that went after both President Obama and the supporters of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Living in the Hampton Roads area where we literally have service members from every branch of the U.S. military - obviously, the largest numbers are in the Navy - I see first hand daily what this religious based discriminatory policy does to LGBT service members and their families. Many are forced to live clandestine private lives, living in constant fear that someone will "out" them. Moreover, despite the supposed "Don't Ask" part of the policy, it is common for homophobes in the military to actively search gay dating sites or watch crowds leaving gay clubs in the hope of finding a military member that they can out. It is an ongoing travesty in a nation that claims to have freedom of religion for all - even gays. Proponents of DADT ultimately want the ban continued for one reason, which has NOTHING to do with military readiness. The Christianists' fear is that if gays are allowed to openly serve in the armed forces, it will ultimately undercut their relentless campaign to depict gays as less than full citizens - indeed as less than fully human. Here are some editorial highlights: *
Toward the end of his State of the Union address Wednesday night, President Obama said something that untold numbers of Americans who suffer discrimination had wanted to hear for more than 16 years. He promised to work to repeal the law that bans gay members of the military from living their lives openly.
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The 1993 law was always pointless and cruel, but today, when numerous polls show that a solid majority of Americans oppose it, “don’t ask, don’t tell” feels ever more like the relic of a bygone era. There is evidence that the attitude of military officers is shifting. All that is lacking is political will. Congress and the military should work with Mr. Obama to repeal the law quickly.
*
Don’t ask, don’t tell” is not just a technicality on the books. It is actively being used to drive gay men and lesbians out of the military — more than 13,000 since the law was adopted, according to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. That includes people with vital skills, like Arabic translators. The legal defense network, which helps people facing charges under “don’t ask don’t tell,” estimates that 644 people have been discharged under the law since Mr. Obama took office.
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The policy of drumming gay men and lesbians out of the military is based on prejudice, not performance. Gay people serve openly and effectively in the armies of Britain, Israel, Australia and Canada.
*
The winner of last year’s secretary of defense essay contest was a piece by an Air Force colonel, published in Joint Force Quarterly, a military journal, that called “don’t ask, don’t tell” a “costly failure” and debunked the canard that unit cohesion would be harmed if gay service members were allowed to be open about their sexuality.
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The law singles out a group of Americans for second-class treatment, forcing them to hide who they are and to live in fear of being found out and discharged. The policy hurts the military by depriving it of the service of a large number of loyal and talented Americans.
*
This is a winnable battle, but it will take committed leadership, starting with Mr. Obama, who until Wednesday was not vocal enough on the subject as president. He should prod the Pentagon to speak out, but the military officers will need strong support in Congress, particularly from the many Republican lawmakers who voice their commitment to a strong military. The evidence is clear that this law makes the military weaker.
*
Much more needs to be done, including recognizing same-sex marriage at the national level and passing a federal law protecting gay people from discrimination on the job. Repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell” would be an important step forward.
Toward the end of his State of the Union address Wednesday night, President Obama said something that untold numbers of Americans who suffer discrimination had wanted to hear for more than 16 years. He promised to work to repeal the law that bans gay members of the military from living their lives openly.
*
The 1993 law was always pointless and cruel, but today, when numerous polls show that a solid majority of Americans oppose it, “don’t ask, don’t tell” feels ever more like the relic of a bygone era. There is evidence that the attitude of military officers is shifting. All that is lacking is political will. Congress and the military should work with Mr. Obama to repeal the law quickly.
*
Don’t ask, don’t tell” is not just a technicality on the books. It is actively being used to drive gay men and lesbians out of the military — more than 13,000 since the law was adopted, according to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. That includes people with vital skills, like Arabic translators. The legal defense network, which helps people facing charges under “don’t ask don’t tell,” estimates that 644 people have been discharged under the law since Mr. Obama took office.
*
The policy of drumming gay men and lesbians out of the military is based on prejudice, not performance. Gay people serve openly and effectively in the armies of Britain, Israel, Australia and Canada.
*
The winner of last year’s secretary of defense essay contest was a piece by an Air Force colonel, published in Joint Force Quarterly, a military journal, that called “don’t ask, don’t tell” a “costly failure” and debunked the canard that unit cohesion would be harmed if gay service members were allowed to be open about their sexuality.
*
The law singles out a group of Americans for second-class treatment, forcing them to hide who they are and to live in fear of being found out and discharged. The policy hurts the military by depriving it of the service of a large number of loyal and talented Americans.
*
This is a winnable battle, but it will take committed leadership, starting with Mr. Obama, who until Wednesday was not vocal enough on the subject as president. He should prod the Pentagon to speak out, but the military officers will need strong support in Congress, particularly from the many Republican lawmakers who voice their commitment to a strong military. The evidence is clear that this law makes the military weaker.
*
Much more needs to be done, including recognizing same-sex marriage at the national level and passing a federal law protecting gay people from discrimination on the job. Repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell” would be an important step forward.
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