LGBT military service equality was only equal as of three years ago. Members were at risk of discharge if one was to marry one of the same sex and no benefits were obtained. Homosexuals and bisexuals in the American armed forces were not able to receive same-sex benefits due to the, "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy. The secret had to be kept due to the risk of being discharged. In 2010, Congress repealed the, "Don't Ask Don't Tell". This allows LGBT to serve openly. The Department of Defense recognizes same-sex marriages and allows federal benefits. The Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act. This caused over a thousand legally same-sex married couples to be denied benefits. Same-sex marriages were still available as it stands now,
In the essay “Why gays shouldn’t serve” by David Horowitz he states that “Don’t ask, Don’t Tell policy is a way of containing the destructive force of sex on a combat capability called Unit Cohesion. (354)” This controversial topic has surfaced more and more recently because Barack Obama wanted to let all people serve in the military, regardless of their sexual orientation. “More than 1,000 retired flag and general officers have joined us in signing an open letter to President Obama and Congress, repeal of this law would prompt many dedicated people to leave the military (James J. Lindsay).” There are multiple points you could focus on when trying to explain your point on why gays or lesbians should not serve in the military. The first point we will be focusing on is: how would military life change if straight men or women knew that there were gays or lesbians sleeping next to them? The second point is: would straight men and women communicate with the gays or lesbians the same way as they would toward other straight men or women? The third and final point is: how would other countries view our military if they knew we had gays or lesbians in the military?
In 1950, President Harry S. Truman implemented discharge policies for homosexual service members in the Uniform Code of Military Justice. This would allow military leaders to discharge any service member who was thought to be homosexual. In 1992, during President Bill Clinton’s campaign, he promises to lift that ban. Not being able to do just that, President Clinton issued a directive referred to as ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’. This stated that no service member should be asked about their sexual orientation. Mackubin Thomas Owens wrote the article “Gay Men and Women in the Military Disrupt Unit Cohesion” in 2009 right after President Clinton was again calling for the end of forcing homosexuals to live in secret. In his article he states that homosexuals living openly in the military will take away from military effectiveness and put the other service member’s lives in danger. Throughout most of the article he uses other resources, polls and opinions on the matter verses clearly stating his own. Most of the resources he uses are military connected or
After this took effect, homosexuals were kicked out of service if found to be gay or lesbian. According to a 1992 report by the Government Accounting Office, nearly 17,000 men and women had been discharged under this new directive during the 1980s ( ). As time passed for soldiers their sexual orientation were secret but around 1992 Bill Clinton stated that he wanted to end the ban on homosexuals in the military. In his rally for president, Bill Clinton felt that there should not be sexual discrimination in the militar...
The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy means that service men and women are not questioned about their sexual orientation, and they are not to talk about their sexual orientation. In 1993 U. S. Congress passed a federal law forbidding the military service of openly gay men and women serving in the military. Even though Congrees created the law, it was up to the military leadership to carry it out. Opposing viewpoints states:
Since even before the United States has been classified as a nation, African Americans have served in armed forces. From a little village militias to the army or sailors, African Americans have stepped up to help defend and eventually earn their own freedom. The battle for unification and for recognition of black soldiers has been a slow undertaking. It wasn't until after World War II that the U.S. armed forces became fully and lawfully unified, under a 1948 executive order by President Harry S. Truman. They were “unified”; meaning that the African American troops could be in the same regiments and squads as the white men. Previously they underwent completely separate training and were assorted to their own regiments. Throughout time many groups of enlisted black men have made up the hammer which broke down the racial barriers which were all too common up until about 45 years ago. All of this had to start somewhere, which leads me to the Revolutionary War.
Should women serve in combat positions? The Combat Exclusion Law has dealt with this question since the 1940’s. As time continues, the question remains. The military has increased the percentage of females allowed to be enlisted and commissioned in the services as well as increasing the positions allotted to them (Matthews, Ender, Laurence, & Rohall, 2009). Keenan posits “women have served with distinction in … the Revolutionary War…as volunteer nurses and were only occasionally in the direct line of fire…four nurses evacuating 42 patients while the Germans bombed their field hospital…” (the DoD Combat Exclusion Policy) pg. 21.
This article explains the concerns which people in homosexual relationships have over the change in laws which would make them equal to heterosexual couples. The main concern is that they may be publicly outed as being part of a homosexual couple when they want to keep it secret, otherwise they wouldn't be able to receive the benefits.
In September 2011, the United States lifted the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy (DADT), which restricted gay, lesbian, and bisexuals from openly serving in the military. This was the first time in American history in which people of every sexual orientation could serve openly (“11 Facts About,” n.d.). This was a momentous occasion for some and not so much for others. For those military members that had served in secret and those members that were firmly against gays and lesbians, this repeal had different meaning. Both groups contained members that have served in the military for years and were products of the Former President Bill Clinton’s 1993 “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. For many soldiers of this era, communication issues arose due to a pre-existing mentality, learned rules and regulations in services reinforced for two decades and the general cultural within combat related fields.
Social causes such as Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and same-sex marriage laws contribute to homosexuals choosing to hide their real self. In the military, many homosexual soldiers are being punished for not liking the opposite sex. In Burks article, “Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Victimization in the Military” he describes the struggles service members face. Burk explains that if a homosexual does not hide his sexual orientation than he or she will be discharged from the military. Between 1980 and 2009 over 32,000 service members were discharged due to their sexual-orientation. Also, sexual assault and sexual harassment is very common among service members...
Studies have shown that more than 71 thousand military service members roughly 2.8 % identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. Prior to 2011 individuals who identified themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender were processed for administrative separation from military service no matter what their skill was. In addition, homosexual behaviors have been disallowed in the military as far back as 1942 because the behavior was considered morally reprehensible as well as a national security risk (Castro & Goldbach, 2016). In 1993, President Clinton attempted to end the military's ban on homosexuality by reaching a compromise, known as Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue ("DADT"), allowed lesbian, gay, and bisexual ("LGB") people to serve, as long as they did not engage in homosexual behavior (very broadly defined) or outwardly profess an LGB identity (Connell, 2015). Advocates for the repeal of the DADT policy were not satisfied so they pushed President Obama on a campaign promise to repeal the act, hence in 2011 the policy was repeal on the grounds, a hindrance to open service harms national security. On the other hand, the policy repeal of DADT did not address transgender service members, so they continued to serve in a shroud of secrecy (2015). Defense Secretary Ash
According to Dictionary, “Feminism [is]: the doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men.” Throughout history, women have fought the traditional viewpoints of the roles of women and have pushed past an abounding amount of boundaries. However, one blistering topic that is still being fought over today is, if women should be allowed in every aspect of the military. Since being allowed to join the military during World War 1, females have progressed through the ranks until being forced to stop when it comes to joining the elite groups of every branch. The controversial question that many military women face is, “If they wish to join these elite groups and meet the qualifications, why should we stop
In 1999, more than 1,000 men and women were discharged from military service due to their sexuality. That number has actually decreased compared to recent years. (Suro NP) Homosexuals were purged from federal employment in 1950, with Bill Clinton updating that policy in 1993 by adding the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Pursue” policy. (Deicher 176) This policy doesn’t work and needs to either be updated again or the ban against homosexuals lifted. Gays should be allowed to fight for the military for employment reasons, the right to fight for one’s country, and because they are no different from anyone else. The fact of the matter is that not even experts can argue in favor of keeping the ban on gays in the military. With such strong evidence, lifting the ban should be the first priority for the newly elected president of the year 2000.
In combat situations sometime, soldiers are placed in situations that they would have never imagined. That environment could cause a soldier to react in ways that are considered unethical. As a commander, you must ensure that the command climate of your organizations does not become unethical. First, the commander must not allow the combat environment to cloud his judgment. Therefore, if the leader’s judgment is obscure due to an intense combat environment, he may miscommunicate the wrong message the subordinate soldiers. Second, you must clearly understand the commander’s intent and plainly relay that intent to the soldiers. This is where many commanders get in trouble not fully understanding or assuming they know the commander’s intent. Finally, once an unethical act is committed the commander has to be proactive to handle the situation and communicate to subordinate units that unethical
As of 2015, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community continues to struggle for equal rights held by their straight counterparts. Socially, LGBT persons are subject to discrimination, hate crimes, and stigma, while legally, LGBT persons encounter obstacles that preclude them from basic rights afforded to every other subculture in America. One of the most divisive issues related to LGBT rights has been same-sex marriage, which has been creating conflict both politically and socially dating back to the 1970’s (Finnis, 1997). Those in favor of same-sex marriage argue that regardless of gender or sexual preference, marriage is a basic right that the government has no legitimate interest in blocking. Opponents argue that same-sex marriage is ethically and morally wrong, and they cite reasons spanning from religious beliefs to the creation of a slippery slope that would lead to the demise of the institution of marriage (Volokh, n.d.). Faced with the difficult task of balancing both sides of the equation, President Bill Clinton signed into law the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the policy that will be analyzed in this paper.
Hoose and Shelley used their influence in GLF to launch preparations and gather support for the Christopher Street West Parade. This first ever pride march took place on 28 June 1970, exactly one year after the Stonewall Uprising. At least 2,000 marchers began the event, but by the end estimates of participants range from 5-10,000. This event marked the beginnings of June as Gay Pride Month and encouraged similar events around the world. On the day of that march, Jerry Hoose proclaimed that “In one year we went from darkness to sunlight.” It was an enormous moment. Thousands of LGBTQ individuals proudly came out in what was to become an annual celebration and remembrance of that historic day in Greenwich Village.