Repeal DADT: Blog Post #1

In 1992, officer Allen Schindler was stomped to death by a shipmate for being openly gay in the military. This was later used as a means of justifying the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Law - with claims of protecting the well being of homosexuals. However, this blatantly homophobic law has been embraced by the military as a way of recruiting straight officers, who would have otherwise been deterred by the awkwardness of boarding with an openly gay man. Since the policy was put in place in 1993, over 12,500 troops have been discharged due to their sexual orientation. The Government Accountability Office reported that it has cost $95.4 million for recruiting and $95.1 million for training replacements for the 9,488 troops discharged from 1994 through 2003. This law has been used as a tool to reject the very people it was made to protect, and it is costing the government money to train the replacement troops that it could have otherwise used to bolster the military.

This issue has been widely debated, especially within the past few months, with John McCain being the leading advocate. When asked about the repeal on DADT, Senator McCain backs the current policy. "This successful policy has been in effect for over 15 years, and it is well understood and predominantly supported by our military at all levels," McCain said “At a time when our Armed Forces are fighting and sacrificing on the battlefield, now is not the time to abandon the policy."

This bill has unfortunately been made into another example of a left vs. right wing issue. When asked about the repeal of the bill, Senator Susan Collins was quoted saying “It’s the right thing to do. I think it’s only fair, but I cannot vote to proceed to this bill under a situation that’s going to shut down the debate and preclude Republican amendments. That too, is not fair.” This is what politics in the United States has come to entail – a type of science where politicians tread a thin line between what is right, and what will get them reelected.

Accused of being a political ploy with the November elections coming up, President Obama has made this his main priority. Obama claimed he delayed acting on the repeal because with two wars he did not want anything to distract him from his health care fight. Although there is no constitutional right to serve in the military, President Obama made it clear that DADT would not impose on our first amendment right. “We find unity in our incredible diversity, drawing on the promise enshrined in our Constitution: the notion that we are all created equal, that no matter who you are or what you look like, if you abide by the law you should be protected by it.”

There has been several attempts to change the bill, however the pending legislation has increased within the past couple of months. The Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2010 is a bill that seeks to establish a tradition of nondiscrimination regarding sexual orientation in the Armed Forces, by repealing the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. This bill would also authorize the reappointment of otherwise qualified individuals previously discharged on the basis of their sexual orientation

Although this bill was made with the intent of helping homosexuals, it has served as a of homophobic legislation, that has lead to the dismissal to thousands of qualified soldiers. My partner and I are lobbying for the repeal of DADT because not only is it not fair, but it will make our military stronger, and allow us to allocate funds elsewhere to help bolster the military. Our goal is to bring more publicity to this already heated debate in hopes of more people acknowledging the need to repeal this widely contested bill. There is plenty of already pending legislation that we hope to bring recognition too.