WHEN COL. Loren Loomis' house burned down, he lost more than his furniture and living space: He lost his job and his plans for retirement. Amid the wreckage, a firefighter found a videotape that revealed Loomis to be gay. The Army's response was harsh but predictable: It discharged him under "other than honorable" conditions. Had he served for another week, Loomis would have reached his 20-year career mark and received full retirement benefits. The dishonorable discharge left him with none.
Unfortunately, Loomis is not alone. Hundreds of American soldiers suffer a similar fate each year. In 2005, 726 service members lost their jobs as a result of the military's blatantly discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. To defend these dismissals, military and government leaders claim that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly would damage troop morale and effectiveness. They stress their support for "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" only reflects the importance of unit cohesion in the military and the demographics of soldiers -- not any personal prejudices against gays and lesbians. In acknowledging homophobia among troops, however, these leaders choose to permit discrimination rather than combat it.
In addition to directly discriminating against gays and lesbians, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" legitimizes and intensifies homophobia in all parts of society. The military can dramatically influence the sentiments of the general public. Its policies can break down barriers to civil liberties or erect them. In the case of African-Americans, the military acted as a pioneer for civil rights by desegregating before much of America. For gays and lesbians, it does the opposite.
During World War II, the Tuskegee Airmen, an all-black air unit, inspired blacks and compelled whites to question their racist presumptions. In 2003, Major Margaret Witt received the Air Medal and the Air Force Commendation Medal from President Bush. In the same year, after an investigation revealed her sexual orientation, she lost her job. Before dismissing her, the Air Force used Major Witt as a poster woman in its recruiting program --? she could have also been a poster woman for all American lesbians. Instead, as soon as the Air Force discovered her sexual preference, it dismissed her. With "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in place, the gay and lesbian communities will never have their own Tuskegee Airmen.
In an age when American businesses or colleges would never publicly exclude gays and lesbians, the military does just that. As American soldiers fight tyranny abroad, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" defends prejudice at home. If a policy banned openly Jewish or Muslim Americans from joining the military, a public outcry would surely ensue. But as long as only the LGBT community suffers, the vast majority of Americans remain silent.
Here at the University, we cannot remain silent. We must recognize the clear prejudice of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."Obviously, as students, we cannot enact new laws or directly change military policy. However, we can start to make a difference by increasing awareness on grounds. "All students, especially students in ROTC, should educate themselves about the policy and contact their representatives," said Wyatt Fore, former president of Queer and Allied Activism. "Many students do not know that over 10,000 soldiers have been kicked out since 1993. 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' tried to be a compromise, but it failed." As Fore says, even as students, we can help support a better military policy by promoting awareness of the impact "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" has on the lives of thousands of service members.
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" accepts the status quo of bigotry within the military - it responds to intolerance with more intolerance. To reduce prejudice, a new policy must force the military and its troops to eliminate homophobia in order to survive. As with the desegregation of blacks, the military must enact programs to teach appropriate attitudes and announce a zero-tolerance policy on anti-gay harassment. Under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," homophobic soldiers have no reason to change their attitudes, and the military has no reason to encourage tolerance. The military can reduce homophobia, and soldiers can learn to live and work with gays and lesbians. But a new policy must first force them to change.
?The United States military fights across the world in the name of liberty and justice, but it actively denies freedom within its own ranks. Americans have fought to liberate Koreans, Vietnamese, Bosnians and Iraqis. Now, we must wage war at home. Gay and lesbian soldiers -- like their heterosexual comrades -- are brave and loyal Americans. If they wish to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country, we should let them.
John Nelson is a Cavalier Daily viewpoint writer. He is a second-year student in the College of Arts & Sciences.
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