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Sexuality discrimination in the military
Homosexuality and the military
The importance of army values
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Ethics is the standard that are set by a person or organizations based from their beliefs, the values they hold, moral rules they have that helps them make the right or wrong decision, how to act when confronted with a moral dilemma. Setting an ethical standard and a set of rules is critical to having healthy employees, customers, and ultimately a healthy organization. Throughout the years, I have seen the nation’s values, and beliefs change. When I first joined the military, it was not ok to be a gay or lesbian Soldier. Then the military’s culture was challenged, and the rules changed to “don’t ask, don’t tell,” which means, I will not ask you, and you will not tell me, or if you do, we will have to take action. Which meant a military …show more content…
Some believed the lift of “don’t ask don’t tell,” would cause a disruption throughout the military. In my experience, the well-being of our Soldiers is healthier. During promotion ceremony’s and retirements, where spouses are recognized for their support, I have seen officers in their ceremony say that they can finally share this experience with his or her spouse. Having had my wife at my last promotion ceremony, I could not imagine not being able to share that event with her, knowing the many sacrifices we went through. For Soldier who are not gay or lesbian, the reactions have been nonexistent in my organization. You would not have known that we had a change in regulations. The military has ingrained a set of standard by setting the seven Army values, Equal Opportunity programs, and Army regulations that govern how we act during ethical dilemmas. These programs and beliefs are especially important because each Soldier comes from a different background and environment, and cannot afford to have disruptions in workplace that can put our Soldiers in the way of harm. In order to maintain a healthy environment we need to keep defining and promoting an ethical
The United States Army, in its current state, is a profession of arms. In order to be considered a profession, the organization must have an ethical code rooted in values, strong trust with its clients, and be comprised of experts within the trade. These experts are constantly developing the trade for the present and the future and hold the same shared view of their trade culture. The Army currently has an ethical code embodied in the Army Values, which provides guidance to the individual and the organization. These values are universal across the Army, regardless of an individual’s personal background or religious morals.
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
Homosexuality in the military had been frowned upon back dating since the late 1770’s. Due to fear of reprimand, men and women were able to join the military but did not discuss their sexuality. It was believed that homosexuality was criminalized in U. S. military law. Prior to World War II, there was no written policy barring homosexuals from serving, although sodomy was considered a crime by military law ever since Revolutionary War times (Powers, 2012).
After the eighteen long years of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which limits gays from being open about their sexuality in the military services, was finally brought to its end. President Barack Obama signed the reverse of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy on December 22, 2010. It was also stated that “The services will no longer separate service members under DADT (U.S. Department of Defense). Nevertheless, homosexuals should have the opportunity to serve in the military because the job had nothing to do with anyone’s sexual orientation.
As generations proceeded, institutions such as the American Psychiatric Society began to classify homosexuality as a disease, which was later retracted in the 1970’s and was no longer considered a mental disorder. At this time many homosexuals decided to start “coming out”, a process in which people talk freely about their sexual orientation to family and friends. Then in the1980’s new adversary for the gay community became the forefront of debates worldwide. The AIDS crisis, which seemed to be only contracted in the gay male population, paved the way for brutalizing words such as “queer” that was used to describe all sexual minorities. In the 1990’s where the gay rights movement saw more victories with the United States military instituting the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy.” This policy gave homosexuals the right to serve within the military. Then in the year 2000, Vermont became the first state to allow same sex civil unions (Pitas).
Imagine being in the heat of war, a place where trust is needed most. Imagine, however, that in the heat of war you cannot trust your fellow soldier because of personal tensions within the unit. It was this problem that the policy known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was designed to avoid, the tension caused between soldiers when homosexuals are serving openly. Without this policy, homosexuals serving openly could create tension that interferes with the military’s effectiveness. While it may not be obvious at first, the policy of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” actually supports the both values of the military and the rights of homosexuals. As a result, “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” is needed to protect homosexual service members and is crucial in securing military effectiveness.
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.
Throughout the years, homosexuals have been the targets of embarrassment, harassment, and criticism from society. The most dominant and publicized way this is shown is by the ban on gays and lesbians in the military. We are one of few countries that forbid homosexuals to serve in their country’s armed forces. Germany, Japan, France, Netherlands, Sweden, Canada, Norway, Denmark, Spain, and many other dominant countries in the world allow and encourage everyone in their culture to fight for their country. (Hogan and Hudson 185) We are actually hurting our country’s military by forcing possible volunteers to stay home and watch the news when they could be fighting for our country, just because of their sexuality. It is so ridiculous that letters are sent out to recruit U.S. men to fight in the army, but they wouldn’t accept you if you are not a...
"Discrimination in the Military." National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2014.
Ethics are basically the procedures of personal acts that are based on ideas or a person, about what is ethically good or bad and they are range of statistics that involves these statistics. So basically, ethics are rules a person sets for himself or herself about what is ethically right or wrong. They involve legal issues and if something is illegal, it does not always mean that it is unethical, consequently if something is ethical, it does not mean it is legal.
The Air Force is revamping its policy on Transgender airmen. This comes in the wake of a similar change made by the Army earlier this year, according to the article entitled “Air Force Loosens Its Policy Banning Transgender Troops”. This policy change does not lift the ban that the military has on transgender military personnel serving opening in the military. Due to this policy there are an approximate 15,500 transgender military personnel serving in secret. However, the policy change does “[raise] the level of authority necessary to discharge someone for being transgender” (Huffington Post, 2015). Although a total lift of the ban may be something for the military to look forward to. The more open-minded people become on these kinds of topics the more baby steps will be taken towards social equality for all. As previously stated this is a nationwide ongoing
In the 21st century, the United States Armed Forces has dealt with many issues. The most apparent topics in today’s media are; ethics, sexual assault, posttraumatic stress disorder, alcohol related incidents, participation of gay and lesbians serving in the U.S. military, and representation of the United States uniform 24 hours a day. Although mass media often helps to discredit the military, the United States Armed Forces responds in various ways to systematically improve their operations and training procedures.
...oldiers seek employment as police officers after their discharge. Due to this the military-police integration, it has the tolerance level toward gays and lesbians in law enforcement is similarly affected by how they are treated in the military. The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy is increasing in strength; homosexual police officers are starting to obtain more recognition. “An important achievement that New York’s GOAL tries to create is one of their most important objectives is to protect gay and lesbian officers from being mistreated in the workplace. “We can benefit from gay and lesbian police officers because they represent more than just a human rights effort, they also represent a range or roles and skills that can enhance the flexibility of police work without forgetting the real mission are to fight crime and protect the people. (Miller, Forest, Jurik) 2003.”
It was the disruptions of World War II that allowed isolated gay men and women to meet as soldiers, war workers,. It was Senator Joseph McCarthy's investigation of homosexuals holding government jobs during the early 1950s that led to the first American-based political demands for fair treatment in mental health, public policy and in 1950s and 1960s The Homosexual in America (Cory, 1951), asserting that gay men and lesbians were a legitimate minority group, and in 1953, In 973 that the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality as an "illness" classification in its diagnostic manuals. Through the 1980s, as the gay male community was decimated by the AIDS epidemic, demands for compassion and medical funding led to renewed coalitions between men and women as well as angry street theatre by groups like AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) and Queer Nation. Enormous marches on Washington drew as many as 1 million gay rights supporters in 1987 and again in 1993. A different wing of the political rights movement called for an end to military expulsion of gay and lesbian soldiers. The patriotism and service of gay men and lesbians in uniform eventually resulted in the uncomfortable compromise "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" as an alternative to decades of military witch hunts and dishonorable discharges. and equal rights. Because of
Ethics are moral principles or values that govern the conduct of an individual or a group.It is not a burden to bear, but a prudent and effective guide which furthers life and success. Ethics are important not only in business but in academics and society as well because it is an essential part of the foundation on which a civilized society is built.