The Military’s Closet:  The emotional damage of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

The tide seems to be finally turning in favor of reversing the pernicious policy known as “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” (DADT) . “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” is the military policy, in effect since 1993, whereby gays and lesbians in the military are “allowed” to stay in the military as long as their sexual preference is kept in the closet. Promulgated under the Clinton administration as an attempted compromise between those who felt that gays did not belong in the military and those who felt their exclusion was both ridiculous and discriminatory, DADT has, like so many aspects of social policy, had unintended negative consequences.

At the end of his State of the Union Address on Wednesday night, President Obama uttered these welcome words: “This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are. It’s the right thing to do.” The Military Readiness Enhancement Act, sponsored in Congress by Representative Patrick Murphy (D - PA), would eliminate the DADT policy.

Today, the lead editorial in the New York Times, “Ending ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’” praised Obama’s speech but seemed to indicate that pressure should be maintained to see that the administration follows through. The Times concluded that the military should work with Obama to repeal the law quickly, as it keeps people with vital skills from contributing to military success, and adds to the already difficult challenges faced by homosexual soldiers.  Read Article

By Prudence Gourguechon