On National Coming Out Day this past Monday, more than 80 students signed their names to a list that appeared on the back page of the Emerald. The list declared the students, along with professors, co-workers, alumni and friends, among the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer members of our community. It was an act of courage, even in the mostly welcoming city of Eugene, considering signing one’s name under the LGBTQ section of the list is enough to be disqualified from serving in the nation’s military.
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the 1993 compromise policy that stopped military officers from asking recruits about their sexual orientation but discharges service members “who engage in homosexual conduct,” has resulted in approximately 13,000 discharges since it was enacted. Addressing the nation’s largest gay rights group last weekend, President Barack Obama said, “We should not be punishing patriotic Americans who have stepped forward to serve this country.”
Well, then stop.
President Bill Clinton promised in his 1992 campaign to allow gays to serve openly in the military. But Congress and many military leaders pushed back, saying openly gay men and lesbians would negatively impact “unit cohesion” and the military’s ability to recruit and retain troops.
Today it is obvious those assertions are false. As far back as 2000, a research brief from the Rand Corporation concluded that “it is not necessary to like someone to work with him or her, so long as members share a commitment to the group’s objectives.” Unit cohesion has never been an issue in Britain, Australia, Canada, Israel or any other country where LGBTQ persons serve openly.
Meanwhile, too often ignored in this debate are the hardships faced by gay and lesbian service members who successfully hide their orientation and are not discharged. How many LGBTQ troops have failed to re-enlist because their partners cannot see them off or welcome them home, write them openly affectionate letters and would not be notified if they died in battle?
Those who are discharged, often because they are outed by others, are providing essential services to our national defense. Arabic-speaking linguist Lt. Dan Choi was fired in the spring after coming out on television. More than 265 service members have been discharged since Obama’s inauguration, according to the Center for American Progress.
Obama knows this policy is wrong. He promised to end it as far back as 2007. Last weekend he again said all the right things, without providing a timeline for ending the policy or calling on Congress to act.
The president’s defenders say he has a lot on his plate, which is undoubtedly true. Some have said other items on his agenda, such as health care reform, will benefit the LGBTQ community just as much. Most same-sex couples cannot share health benefits, the logic goes, and providing more affordable health insurance to everybody will help those who may be more likely to be without insurance.
This explanation is insufficient. Those who are not affected by injustice will always believe it is an inconvenient time to fight for civil rights. The time to act is now.
Obama needs to make clear Congress needs to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. He needed the LGBTQ community to get elected; he will need them to be re-elected. It’s time for everyone who cares about civil rights to push the president to act on his promises.
[email protected]