It was interesting watching the Senate hearings on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Military Policy. A policy that forces lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) military personnel into silence. Even though the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Secretary of Defense indicated that it is time to repeal the discriminatory practice in the military; several senators continue to push homophobic rhetoric. Mullen even acknowledged serving alongside LGB military and indicated it is the right thing to do.
When Senators state that they oppose the repeal of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy because LGB soldiers would damage the morale and integrity of the military, we must ask on what basis they have reached that conclusion. What studies support that assertion. Just because it is said does not mean it is true. We just need to go back a few decades and similar language was used about the integration of Blacks and women in the military. What has time taught us about our assumptions and prejudice? Isn’t it amazing that Blacks and Women are in key leadership roles in the military? It is about giving everyone a fair opportunity for leadership without blatant discrimination.
I am glad that President Obama has ordered the repeal of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy. It is the socially just and responsible decision that we must take. A true leader makes the right decision even if it is unpopular. For too long, this country treated the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community as second class citizens. There are many LGBT folks in the military. In some ways, I wish all LGBT military would stand up, walk out, and then we will truly see the impact and the contributions that LGBT folks make every day.
Look around you. While you may not know it — there are LGBT folks in every aspect of your lives. You work with, party with, go to church with, attend school with — and the list goes on. Our society is much more than just heterosexuals. We must broaden our understanding and perspectives of life that is inclusive of all sexual orientations and expand our experiences with people who are different than us.
Rendering LGB military to silence in the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy is not the answer to valuing diversity. The military (like all institutions) needs the LGBT community (like all communities) to be engaged in a safe and healthy work environment. Having to worry about being expelled from the military because someone found out about your sexual orientation is a hostile working environment.
The irony of this debate, as one senator articulated well, is that the year-long study to repeal the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy has one major glitch. How can soldiers who are LGBT talk about their experience if they are under the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy. The forced silence is now about to bite the military in its butt because the group most needed in this study will fear sharing their experiences because of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy. This can potentially skew the research since individuals responding to the study may not be directly impacted by the regulations.
Social Justice Consultants, LLC applauds the effort to repeal this discriminatory act. It is the right decision.
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