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A Disgrace to our nation, 10 Years of Don't Ask, Don't Tell
2005-12-02 -
3:15 p.m.
voice their opinion. Yet first we must look at, What exactly is Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue, Don't Harass? Also the history behind the policy is the second thing we must talk
about; with that The Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy went into effect 10 years ago with the murder of an openly gay member of the navy. Lastly, in coaltion with Serivce Members Legal
Defense Network (SLDN) -- A non profit organization to aid in lifting the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Ban-- American Veterans For Equal Right (AVER), and Human Rights Campaign
(HRC); SLDN is "Documenting Courage", a place for Veterans of the Armed Forces to post their experiances while servering under the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. While the
Department of Defense has a standing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, they are hanging a "gays" not welcome sign on their front door.
The first thing we must look at is, What exactly is Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue, Don't Harass? SLDN has provied a great resource in defining the policy. For example,
in their Survial Guide, the words printed on the front are read as follow, "Say Nothing, Sign Nothing, Seek Legal Help" (Survial Guide, Cover Page). Inside the the surival guide, on
the first page, we find the words, "Everything You Need to Know about Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Persue, Don't Harass" (Survial Guide, Front Page). As we open the book we find
the defention of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Persue, Don't Harass (DADTDPDH). The acutal defention of Don't Ask is, "Commanders or appointed inquiry officials shall not ask, and members
shall not be required to reveal, their sexual orientation" (PG 1). This statement is pretty clear, the armed forces are not allowed to ask you your sexual orentation. Second, the defention of Don't Tell is, "basis
for discharge exists if . . . the member has said that he or she is a homosexual or bisexual, or made some other statement that indicates a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts . . . .� (PG 2). This
part of the policy clearly states that is the member openly admits to another service member that they are a homosexual or bisexual, it is legal grounds for discharge. Third, the defention for Don't Persue,
"More than a dozen specific investigative limits as laid out in DoD instructions and directives comprise �Don�t Pursue.� It is the most complicated and least understood component of the policy. These
investigative limits establish a minimum threshold to start an inquiry and restrict the scope of an inquiry even when one is properly initiated" (PG 3). This policy is the hardest to understand. The Department
of Defense has made it really difficult to launch an investigation when it comes to a service members sexual orientation. There is even an executive order out that prohibts the use of sexual orientation as the
grounds to deny a military clearance. Last but not least the defention of Don't Harass is, "The Armed Forces do not tolerate harassment or violence against any service member, for any reason.� There are
many regulations and laws that prohibit harassment and can be applied to anti-gay harassment cases. Harassment can take different forms, ranging from a hostile climate rife with anti-gay comments, to direct
verbal and physical abuse to death threats"(PG 3). This clause in the policy tells the story of how truly the DADTDHDP policy has fully come into effect.
The Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy went into effect 10 years ago with the murder of an openly gay member of the navy. DADTDPDH is the effort put foruth by President Clinton to end the
ban on gays in the military. Spurred in part by the brutal 1992 murder of Seaman Allen R. Shindler by his shipmates in Japan. Clinton's running campaign as a candidate for President promised to end the ban
on gays serving in the armed forces. Yet, was he before his time on ending the ban? When Clinton was elected as President of the United States, Congress quickly passed resoultions permaently banning gays
from the military. Clinton in turn issued the executive order of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Peruse. Hoping to protect gays in the military from the arm of the law. The Deparment of Defense then issued a
policy regarding investaging gays in the military. This resloution by the Department of Defense was then added under the policy name, "Don't Persue." Don't Persue outlines what it takes to administratively
discharge gays in the military. It also outlines what information an investigation can seek out, as outlined here in the policy, "The command may not attempt to gather additional information not relevant to the
specific act or allegation, and the command may not question anyone outside of those listed above without approval from the Secretary of that Service" (www.sldn.org). Later on during Clintion's Persidentcy,
in 1999, PFC Barry Winchell was murdered by fellow soldiers at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. President Cliniton immideately took steps to enhance sentancing under the Uniform Code of Military Justiace
(UCMJ). In the wake of this murder, the Department of Defense issued new guidance on prohibiting anti-gay harassment. In February 2000, Pentagon officials added �Don�t Harass� to the title of the policy.
The Pentagon then did a survey on anti-gay harassment, finding it was widespread. Thereafter the Pentagon formed a working group which issued a 13-point action plan to address anti-gay harassment which
the services were then directed to implement. Yet over the course of the life of the policy, SLDN has recorded many viaolations of the policy by the Armed Forces.
Lastly, in coaltion with Serivce Members Legal Defense Network (SLDN) -- A non profit organization to aid in lifting the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Ban-- American Veterans For
Equal Right (AVER), and Human Rights Campaign (HRC); SLDN is "Documenting Courage", a place for Veterans of the Armed Forces to post their experiances while servering
under the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. On the main website for SLDN we find "Documenting Courgae". SLDN documents violations of the policy reported to them by service members. SLDN's
website hosts a varied postings of members in the military and how they have won cases against the various serivces over the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. More than three dozen veterans have stories posted
online about their experiences while serving in the United States military. Stories include Sonya Contreras, a former Army recruiter who talks about the constant "asking" she faced; well known gay activist
Frank Kameny, a World War II veteran; and former Captain Rebecca Kanis, who details what it was like to be the target of an investigation while serving at West Point. According to the Urban Institute,
"More than 1 million lesbian and gay veterans currently live in the United States and another 65,000 lesbian and gay Americans are currently on duty in the armed forces" (www.sldn.org). While "Document
Courage", SLDN has been doing extenstive reserach on the military. SLDN has reported that "... since 1993, the United States armed forces have fired more than 10,000 service members under the �Don�t
Ask, Don�t Tell� ban. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently reported that nearly 800 of those discharged were trained in mission critical specialties, such as linguistics, health care and
combat engineering. The same GAO report estimated the cost of the gay ban to be in excess of $190 million" (www.sldn.org). This quote says it all, �As gay and lesbian veterans, we must speak out for
those who must continue to serve silently,�� said A.J. Rogue, president of American Veterans for Equal Rights, a national LGBT veterans group. �By sharing our stories, we can reveal the glaring injustices
of �Don�t Ask, Don�t Tell.' Not only has the military's ban cost American taxpayers millions of dollars, but it also forces the 65,000 gay and lesbian service members now on duty to serve silently or face
discharge. Those who sacrifice for our country deserve better" (www.sldn.org).
The DADTDPDH policy is a ill policy. As we take a look around the word we see America falling behind the times. The Eurpoaen Union, Brittain, The Common Wealth, Mexico, and Canada have
all lifted their Don't Ask, Don't Tell ban. Why is America still the only Democratic Nation in the world with a standing Don't Ask, Don't Tell ban? Yet we may be playing catch up here soon. With the
members of congress slowly backing out on the Don't Ask, Don't Tell, with a 100 hundred members of congress co-signing a bill to repeal the ban. Backed by SLDN lawyers and with rumors spreading
about the policy being repealed, veterans all over the United States are coming forward about their life under the policy. Even nationally recongized groups are passing resloutions to repeal the ban. It is
high time we put legal discriminiation in the past and gay, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender people all over the United States stand up to fight for their right to serve their country with honor. It is high
time that these hard working people who put their life on the line for us safely at home to stop hiding in the shadows of the country they serve so proudly. Last but not least, "Americans don't care if the
person who catches Osama Bin Laden is gay or straight, they just want him caught,� said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. �By telling the stories of their brave service, these men and
women breakdown the myth of non-existence. Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender men and women have and will always serve their country. It�s time that the country treated all service members
equally and allow them the dignity and respect and honesty they all deserve.�
