Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Last Friday while watching a clip of The Rachel Maddow Show, I heard the story of Lieutenant Dan Choi, who was discharged from the military because he announced on Maddow’s show that he was gay. I heard the story of how, after hearing Lt. Choi was gay, members of Choi’s unit approached him and told him that they didn’t care about his sexual orientation and that they still respected him. How can we, as a country founded based on the premised that all men are created equal, still discriminate against non-heterosexuals as our military and government do? How can the United States army and the Congress who passed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” institutions which are supposed to fight for our ideals of equality, still allow such a policy?

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is a policy which was implemented by the Clinton administration which states that non-heterosexuals can serve in the army provided that they do not reveal their sexual orientation. Something as simple as Lt. Choi’s revealing his sexual orientation qualifies as “homosexual conduct,” which leads to discharge from the army. This policy not only discriminates against the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) community, but it also encourages the silence that the LGBT community is hidden in and discourages the LGBT community from serving in the military.

We as a society have come so far in achieving equality, but we have a long way to go. Women and people of color have gained the rights that they desired for so long, yet the LGBT community is still looked down upon by many in the country. Most conservative Christians speak out against gay marriage, and some speak out against homosexuality in general. The Mormon Church spent $8 million for Proposition 8, which repealed the legalization of gay marriage, in California. Society is still afraid of homosexuality, as the country is about split in support and in negation of gay marriage, a split which demonstrates an overall fear of homosexuality. It is not right for the United States government to have a law such as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” which blatantly discriminates against the LGBT community. Being openly gay as Lt. Choi was does not constitute “homosexual conduct.” Lt. Choi did not bother anyone in his unit with his sexual orientation, and his conduct was no different than that of anyone else in the unit. He did not deserve to be discharged from the army. He was discharged because of his sexual orientation, and that goes against the founding principles of our nation.

Our Federal Government and our military, with the use of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, are encouraging members of the LGBT community to stay silent on their sexuality. Society is extremely cold and it already makes members of the LGBT community so uncomfortable that some of them don’t want to come out about their sexual orientation as it is. The United States government, of all institutions, should not be encouraging such silence among the LGBT community. By saying that those who serve in the military cannot come out about their sexual orientation, encourages members of the LGBT community to stay silent, and this is the last thing that the government should be doing. I am ashamed that my government has such a policy.

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is also impractical. The U.S. military has enough trouble recruiting; people are disheartened because of an unnecessary war, and there is no draft. The military should not discriminate against the LGBT community because it discourages service of both heterosexuals and members of the LGBT community. I will not serve in the armed forces until the policy is repealed, and many members of the LGBT don’t want to serve if they cannot be open about their sexuality. If the military wants optimal enrollment, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” should be repealed.

I do not support the endeavors of our military for numerous reasons, but above all I am ashamed of the U.S. government and military for passing and implementing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” a very discriminatory policy. It is disgraceful for a country which is based on the premise that all men are created equal to pass such a policy. President Obama has promised to repeal the policy, and he must fulfill his promise and take action. “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is a policy that goes against the core values of our nation.

-Martin Page