Don't Ask, Don't Tell: Part 2

As far as discussing gays in the military, let me just say that the military wasn’t created to be a vehicle for political and social change. It has been said that homosexuals serving openly in the military will pose a threat to unit cohesion and discipline. That’s probably true. The very same thing was said about black men in the military nearly 60 years ago. 

Here's the reality: According to the Brookings Institute book, entitled “Blacks in the Military” authored in 1982, it was said that, “Most whites do not associate with blacks, and blacks, through no fault of their own, do not have the skills or education for many of the Army’s occupational specialties.” This opinion was given at the time black men were first starting to serve along side their white Army colleagues. 

So what happened when blacks began their military service? Their presence did disrupt the status quo, but the military got over it. The military adapted. The same thing can be said about gays in the military. 

Public acceptance of gays in the military grew from 51% in a 1977 Gallup Poll to 80% in 2003. Our own military ordered a study concerning gays serving openly. The study was conducted by the RAND corporation, a think tank created by our military, back in 1993. The study showed that sexual orientation is irrelevant to military performance. A March, 2000 study by the Naval Postgraduate School found that disapproval of gays in the Military dropped from 57.8% to 36.4%. Finally, the Center for Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military, revealed that since 1992, the number of U.S. Army men who “strongly oppose” gays serving in uniform dropped nearly half, from 67% to 37%. 

If the enlisted and officer men and women can accept homosexuals amongst their ranks, then why should their leaders have any objection? As long as they are doing their jobs, then why should anyone care? 

Roughly 1000 able bodied homosexual men and women are unceremoniously drummed out of the military, via the Pentagon, every year. This forced exodus costs tax payers nearly 27 million dollars annually. In an all volunteer military, why should certain individuals be forced out, based on nothing more than their sexual orientation? 

Homosexuality is not the end all and be all of evil incarnate on this planet. Ignorance and discrimination are.