Don't Ask, Don't Tell? Maybe Not!

In class yesterday, my professor spoke about how hard it is to be dishonorably discharged from the military, but he is wrong. He said that someone needs to be a drunk or experimenting with drugs, or even have an anger problem and be physically violent in order to be discharged dishonorably from the military. This is not the case. One way that a person could have been dishonorably discharged, before November 2010, was by being a homosexual. According to the article “Student Degree Program and Attitudes Toward Gays and Lesbians in the Military: Is There a Connection?” there were over 13,000 military personnel discharged under the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy since its implementation in 1993. Over 13,000 Americans who are putting their life at risk for their country to serve and protect are discharged solely based on their sexual orientation. What is wrong with having a homosexual protecting the United States? Does homosexuality have any affect on somebody's ability to hold a weapon, become a piloit, or provide security to a country?  I do not believe so. The military will accept heterosexuals who have dropped out of high school, but they wouldn't admit college educated homosexuals?  This is absolutely preposterous.

“Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” was a policy implemented by President Bill Clinton in 1993 as a compromise to the ban of homosexuals in the military (Washington Post). Previous to 1993 legislation, policy was that people would be asked if they were homosexuals when they applied to get into the military. If somebody answered yes, they were not allowed to serve in the military. In order for someone to serve in the military and be homosexual, they had to hide who they were. This is unfair to those who want to be themselves, and makes it impossible to be who they are because they constantly have to hide it. President Clinton, believing he was compromising, signed “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”. This new legislation would allow homosexuals to serve in the military, as long as they did not tell anyone they were homosexual. The military would not ask a person of their sexual orientation when applying to the military, but would discharge homosexuals if they flaunted their sexuality, were seen intimately with another of the same sex, or even spoke of being homosexual. President Clinton believed he was doing a favor to the LGTB community, but this policy was harmful. He made it possible for homosexuals to serve, but made them closeted about their lives and who they are. When the policy was repealled, the LGTB community felt a liberating sense of justice.

I wanted to look further into why people do not like homosexuals and how this could affect their position on homosexuals in the military. One of the biggest reasons preventing people from acceptting homosexuality is because of the attribution theory. According to the article “Sacred Rites and Civil Rights: Religion's Effect on Attitudes Toward Same-Sex Unions and the Perceived Cause of Homosexuality” attribution theory “… holds that individuals work to predict and control their environment by attributing others' behaviors as the result of internal or external factors. The idea that behavior can be viewed as either controllable or uncontrollable was added to attribution theory by Weiner.” It is easier for people to believe that homosexuality is a choice. If they believe that it is a choice they are able to hold homosexuals responsible for choosing to be gay. If it is not a choice to be homosexual, then they do not have any control and that scares those who are afraid of difference in our society. As I have stated in previous blogs, homosexuality is not a choice. This aspect of a person’s life is how they were born, and this can be proven by looking at the brains of homosexuals, which I have previously discussed. If being homosexual is not a choice, this makes attribution theory ineffective.

According to the article “Feedback”, the victory of the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” will be a victory for the Obama Administration. In December of 2011, “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” was repealed. This is a great victory for not just the Obama Administration, but for the LGTB community. This shows that equality for the LGTB community can be reached, and this is a small stepping stone towards that equality. It is important to look how this will affect those in the military. Will those who are opposed to homosexuals be forced to change their beliefs? No. The repeal of this hateful legislation is not meant to change anyone’s beliefs, only to allow those who want to serve and be open about who they are be able to do so. “We're not asking anybody to change their beliefs. We're not asking anybody to change their feelings” says Mr. Stanley in the article “Pentagon: 'Don't ask, don't tell' could be gone by September.” It is important to note that by allowing homosexuals in the military there are no rights being taken away from or limiting heterosexuals; fundamental rights being given to a class of people who have been discriminated against for decades. “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”, even though originally implemented as a way to compromise with the LGTB community, was a harmful policy that affected many people. The repeal of the policy in December of 2010 was one of the greatest victories in the LGTB community, and will hopefully mirror what is to come for equality of homosexuals.

References:
Feedback. (2011). Advocate, 12.
Frank: Gender equality in my lifetime. (2011). Contemporary Sexuality, 45(4), 8.
Mulrine, A. (2011). Pentagon: 'don't ask, don't tell' could be gone by September. Christian Science Monitor, N.PAG.
O’Keefe, Ed. (2010, December 19). 'Don't ask, don't tell' is repealed by Senate; bill awaits Obama's signing. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/18/AR2010121801729.html
Wallenberg, J. , Anspach, A. , & Leon, A. (2011). Student degree program and attitudes toward gays and lesbians in the military: Is there a connection?. Journal of Homosexuality, 58(4), 476-496.