Support Some of Our Troops, or Tell Congress to Repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
22 03 2009by Jackie Gardina (for The Mudflats)
(Jackie Gardina is an Associate Professor of Law at Vermont Law School and a Governing Board member of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network a not-for-profit agency that provides free legal services to members facing discharge or other adverse action because of their sexual orientation and which seeks to overturn Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. (sldn.org)
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Leonard Matlovich was a Vietnam War veteran and recipient of the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. Despite his excellent service record, Matlovich was discharged from the Air Force because he was gay. His tombstone reads,
“When I was in the military, they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one.”
Almost forty years after Matlovich’s discharge, the military continues to discharge lesbian, gay, and bi-sexual service members under the so-called “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” law at a rate of almost two a day. There are literally tens of thousands Americans who have been forced out of the military under this law. And it is estimated that 65,000 gay and lesbian Americans serve in fear and silence – unable to have their significant other attend their deployment ceremonies or meet them when they return, unable to identify their life partner on official paperwork to ensure they are contacted upon the their injury or death, unable to disclose anything – even when meeting with a chaplain or psychologist – that might reveal their sexual orientation. While they fight to protect our freedom, we deny them theirs.
You can find out more about the cost of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell HERE and you can watch the congressional hearings held on July 23, 2008 HERE. The opening statement of Sgt. Eric Alva, the first soldier to be wounded in Iraq, is especially moving as is the testimony of Capt. Joan Darrah who described how she was in the Pentagon on 9/11 when the plane hit and she realized her partner would never have been contacted had she been killed. If you enjoy the Daily Show with Jon Stewart then go HERE for a recap.
The political landscape has changed dramatically since President Clinton first tried to lift the ban against open service in 1992. A recent poll found that 79 percent of Americans are in favor of allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly. Polls also show that almost half of junior enlisted personnel support lifting the ban and that three quarters are “personally comfortable” with gays and lesbians. More than 100 retired generals and admirals signed a letter advocating for open service. Even Sam Nunn and General Powell, originally vocal opponents to open service, have suggested it may be appropriate to “take another look” at the law. At the 2008 Democratic National Convention, the Democratic Party included repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell in its platform for the first time. Unfortunately, the Republican Platform included the following language:
“To protect our servicemen and women and ensure that America’s Armed Forces remain the best in the world, we affirm the timelessness of those values, the benefits of traditional military culture, and the incompatibility of homosexuality with military service.”
Plus, 26 of our NATO allies allow lesbian and gay individuals to openly serve. As Representative Jim Moran pointed out HERE the United States is following the same approach as Iran, North Korea, and China in explicitly banning gays and lesbians from serving.
The true costs of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell are well understood. The law undermines both national security and conservative fiscal values. It has resulted in the discharge of over 12,500 service members, some in areas of critical need such as Arabic linguist and medical professionals, and cost the taxpayer nearly half a billion dollars. In recent years, the Pentagon has been forced to lowers its standards for entry – granting an increased number of criminal waivers. In fact, CBS News has learned that both the Army and Marine Corps did issue a number of “moral waivers” to enlistees with felony convictions for rape and sexual assault. In addition temporary immigrants are recruited to fulfill its force needs, providing those willing to enlist an accelerated path to citizenship. On March 2, Representative Ellen Tauscher introduced the Military Readiness Enhancement Act (H.R. 1283), a bill that repeals Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and replaces it with a nondiscrimination provision. The bill currently has 130 co-sponsor in the House. Senator Ted Kennedy plans to introduce a companion bill in the Senate by the end of March. You can view the text of the bill HERE.
But Congress needs to hear from us – especially members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees Please write your member of Congress and encourage him or her to co-sponsor the MREA. Just go HERE to get the text of a letter. Please be one of those who raise your voice.
[Alaskans will note that Senator Mark Begich is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and would love to hear your comments - AKM]
March 22nd, 2009 at 11:36 AM
I have never gotten over being angry at President Clinton for totally screwing up the whole “gays in the military” thing. And I’m fed up with self-righteous Asshats with fake Christian credentials deciding which patriotic Americans get to fight for our country. The whole don’t ask/don’t tell crapola is just that, a giant steaming pile of ignorance and sickening prejudice.
March 22nd, 2009 at 11:52 AM
‘Prejudice’ is right, sardine. Well said!
And I’m proud of Leonard Matlovich’s choice of epitath. Way to get ‘the last word’, Leo!
Great article, Jackie!
March 22nd, 2009 at 11:53 AM
emails have been sent with hard copies to follow. AK, thank you so much for this post along with the links to let voices be heard.
March 22nd, 2009 at 11:55 AM
Yeah, because allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military is SO MUCH more disaterous to morale than allowing convicted rapists to is… Ticks me off to no end…
March 22nd, 2009 at 12:11 PM
Thanks so much for posting this. Checking the links, I see that one of my senators is on the Armed Services Committee — and am about to write to ask him to sponsor the MREA. Hopefully this time good sense will prevail.
March 22nd, 2009 at 12:15 PM
I don’t understand this….why can’t gay people serve in the military? What are the military afraid of?
March 22nd, 2009 at 12:16 PM
Okay, sent some emails.
March 22nd, 2009 at 12:17 PM
Here’s a link to see who the co-sponsors of the bill are, currently at 149:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR01246:@@@P
I’m going to email my reps and thank them for supporting the bill! All of ‘em from CT are on board. Yeah!
March 22nd, 2009 at 12:28 PM
Gryphen did a post on this subject today too…a little humour!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMLV3jPQW44&feature=player_embedded
March 22nd, 2009 at 12:30 PM
Alaskans, Senator Begich sent an email asking to be contacted instead from his website:
http://begich.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm
I sent emails – and just wanted to say that I thought Daniel Choi of the group “Knights Out” on the Rachel Maddow show (the full interview on Friday) was very articulate, passionate and interesting! He is sure to suffer backlash, but his words reached so many people – he took a calculated risk which I respect him tremendously for taking.
March 22nd, 2009 at 12:38 PM
@ Sabrina
Good for CT representatives! There was no surprise on my part to know that AK’s Representative Young (Yon Dung) is NOT on that list. Not only is he a conservative ass, he’s laying awfully low these days, such as the “No Comment” statement regarding Palin’s dog and pony press conference for the stimulus funds. I think he’s hoping the feds just “forget about him” for awhile so he can pay more lawyers and get in some more shredding.
March 22nd, 2009 at 12:45 PM
Great article I have always wondered about the don’t ask don’t tell deal and lifting the ban on people convicted of crimes being taken into the service,I always thought the Marines were supposed to be the brighest and the best not any longer I guess.No wonder so many countries want us out because of what some of our enlisted men do or have done and it is not the gay establishment that is responsible
March 22nd, 2009 at 12:46 PM
Actually, I spoke too soon. 4 out of 5 CT reps are co-sponsors, including my rep, Joe Courtney. The lone person out being Jim Hines of the 4th district.
The 4th district includes Darien where Mr. Denny’s meet-ups is from.
March 22nd, 2009 at 12:57 PM
As a child of Air Force vets,both parents of the Korean war, this is a policy that needs to be changed.
They always let us know, as kids, that they served alongside of many with this “conflict” and had no issues.
However serving with someone who has assault issues of ANY type make me wonder where the heads of the officials are.
We need good people in our military and your sexual orientation is NOT a measure of your integrity or talent.
Letters to my Congressman and the committee members will be forth coming.
March 22nd, 2009 at 1:14 PM
You can be stupid, ignorant, lame, prejudiced, prone to following without thinking, and many more dubious qualities that make really poor soldiers, but heaven forbid you be gay.
March 22nd, 2009 at 1:22 PM
It’s crazy isn’t it? I have a very good friend who just returned from a year in Iraq, on the ground. She was unable to let on about who she lived and was married to, at home. Worse, her girlfriend in the states “left” her while she was on duty as an MP there, and she couldn’t talk to anyone about it. I was lucky enough to be able to talk with her in Instant Messenger online…. CT to Iraq… the wonders of modern technology.
She’s been in the National Guard for 17 years and she’s petrified they will find out and discharge her. 3 years to retirement. It’s ridiculous.
I’ve also known gay people of opposite sexes that married while in the service just to make sure there was never any question.
It’s a travesty. I am certain that my nephew, who serves in the Air Force, currently on his 5th tour of duty in that sandpit, wouldn’t care who’s life he was saving on the ground even if they were queer. Of course, it helps that his favorite Auntie is “one of them”.
March 22nd, 2009 at 1:40 PM
CO Senator Mark Udall is on the Armed Services Committee, so I just emailed him, and will send a hard copy via snail mail. I may even copy it to Senator McCain; let’s see if I get a response. Although he may reply about the financial costs incurred by the current policy-
March 22nd, 2009 at 1:51 PM
I strongly recommend the book: “Living in Sin,” by Bishop John Spong. He is able to use science and scripture to defend homosexuality. He discusses many topics in the book. I passed it on to a 25 year old girl living with her boyfriend, who was being harassed by her very religious mother for sinning. After reading the book it helped her a lot (her mom’s forced guilt trips). Bishop Spong is a pretty intelligent man who has done his research. It’s a good one for those who may be “undecided” about a decision on this bill, because they don’t have gay friends or relatives, and hung up on religious beliefs they were taught.
http://www.stjoan.com/er7/spong/spong.htm
Here is a website to get to know Bishop Spong.
March 22nd, 2009 at 1:56 PM
re: Polly’s link
Wow. What an incredibly brave and human human.
March 22nd, 2009 at 2:07 PM
Hi Ripley… I like the way you said, “human human.” It’s great to have brave souls (like Spong) in this world who are helping the world be a better place.
March 22nd, 2009 at 2:48 PM
Support all troops.
Support all people and sustainable communities. (TAKE THE MONEY)
Support all critters–wolves included.
March 22nd, 2009 at 2:53 PM
So outrageous to me…who care??? I am going to forward this to my church group, interweave and to my friend (lesbian by the way as if anyone should care) who was raped while in the military and continues to this day have major problems.
I cried reading that tombstone…how cruel of a world do we live in?
March 22nd, 2009 at 2:54 PM
OT, sorry – but I didn’t want to forget, from the last post:
Tell Sarah to PUCK OFF!
That made me snort!
March 22nd, 2009 at 2:57 PM
Sabrina (12:17:31) :
The lone person out being Jim Hines of the 4th district.
The 4th district includes Darien where Mr. Denny’s meet-ups is from.
———————————————————–
Fairfield County sure is a happening place right now. PalinPACs, Republicans marching in the streets and listening to folk singers, and Connecticut Working Families and ACORN organizing activists outraged by the federal bailout to AIG for a bus tour of AIG executive homes ….. and the newspapers are naming and shaming them.
(as Walt Monegan would say) Stay safe, Angels.
March 22nd, 2009 at 3:01 PM
Basically, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is an apt name for the vetting of the twit Gov!
March 22nd, 2009 at 3:24 PM
Martha: Or “Don’t ask, TIME will tell!”
March 22nd, 2009 at 3:25 PM
Martha Unalaska Yard Sign (15:01:15) :
Basically, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is an apt name for the vetting of the twit Gov!
That made ME snort…………man. Thank God I was not drinking my coffee!
March 22nd, 2009 at 3:37 PM
It’s about time gays and lesbians were allowed to serve openly in the military. In World War II, black soldiers had to serve in segregated units for fear that integrating them would cause problems. Guess what? they were integrated, and no one thinks twice about it now. The same thing will happen with gays and lesbians. A few idiots WILL have problems with them, or a few gay/lesbian soldiers will act in such a way as to cause problems, but those are INDIVIDUALS and should be dealt with as individuals. An entire group of people should not be discriminated against because of the ignorance of a few.
March 22nd, 2009 at 3:37 PM
Glad I made someone snort like I did w/ PUCK OFF!
New thread – guess who is whining some more?
March 22nd, 2009 at 3:39 PM
@ CorningNY
“An entire group of people should not be discriminated against because of the ignorance of a few.”
Righto! Otherwise, there wouldn’t be any men left in the military, either thanks to the ones who rape women.
March 22nd, 2009 at 3:47 PM
I saw this on Rachel. Also the other nite she had a serviceman on who came out on her show. The segment got caught short because because of a technical difficulty , but she is going to have him back this week.
http://hottopics.gay.com/2009/03/nathaniel-frank-on-rachel-maddow-3309.html
March 22nd, 2009 at 4:28 PM
Please indulge me here for this long post fellow mudpuppies, but I have a personal story I would like to share about the joy that can be brought to a single individual when minds remain open and we all work to insure that all men and women are treated equally and without bias towards the color of their skin, their sexual orientation or anything else.
I am an elderly care manager and one of my former clients was predeceased by his male ‘roommate’ of 48 years. My beloved client NEVER admitted that he was gay to anyone, ever, even to me, and I was his closest confidant in his waning years. He and his soul mate met in the mid-fifties in Greenwich Village and even there it was taboo. This cultured, accomplished, witty and well-loved man who taught at NYU was a victim of a random gay-bashing on the sidewalk outside of his apartment and left for dead in the mid-seventies. It left him with life-long emotional and psychological scars and degenerative damage to his spine and nervous system. Although, when he recovered from his injuries, despite all odds, he continued on in his successful life. Besides being a prof, he also published three books, had a management consulting business and a private practice as a psychologist (in the Chrysler building no less!). All the while hiding what was then, a dirty little secret
And yet, years later, let’s flash forward to The Wedding and a happy ending! One of my client’s home-health aids was a youngish black man who was gay, we’ll call him Melvin. His partner, we’ll call him George, was a white older man who was previously married and the grandfather of 12. These two guys met in a park while walking their dogs and they had been living together for 24 years. The minute Civil Unions were acknowledged in CT, my client begged Melvin to be joined in a Civil Union with George to protect their rights–since my client experienced this issue first hand when his partner, in 2001, in CT, suffered a hematoma and he wasn’t permitted to see him in ICU.
Melvin and George concurred and the planning began. My client’s health was fading and we were in the tail end of winter and normally he would have been in a great funk, but this buoyed him back to life. We spent one month planning the reception down to the tiniest of details and when the day came, it was better than we could have ever imagined!
Melvin and George found a JP, Dr. Dick Judd (real name) and the ceremony he performed was wonderful. It was all about love and respect and it was beautiful. The guys said their vows and as the cake was being cut George’s daughter (whom was also married and went the ‘other way’ to another woman in the same boat)
sang:
The groom cuts the cake
The groom cuts the cake
Hi-ho the faerie-os
The grooms cut the cake.
Let me tell you mudpuppies that this man, who suffered so much for following his heart, was the proudest papa on this day! He sat in his chair, all dressed up in his favorite color, purple, and beamed and sobbed and drank Mimosas like no tomorrow. After all the guests left, he and I chatted long into the night. Words simply can’t express the thrill I got from being with him and feeling his joy.
My client broke his ankle one month later and due to complications of two surgeries he passed away in September of 2007. The wedding was his last great thing and I am proud to tell his story. His name was Arbie Myron Dale, Jr. and the world is a lesser place without him in
March 22nd, 2009 at 4:42 PM
Sabrina, thank you for sharing your story with us. Even if your friend never came out to you in words, she showed his commitment to his long-time partner and to his friends in later years. I’m so glad he was able to be there for the ceremony – it must have been bitter-sweet, but mostly sweet for him.
March 22nd, 2009 at 5:00 PM
…this made me cry…it’s ashame that today, there are LGTB military personnel who have to live in fear….fear of sharing the truth about their lives and in turn fear that someone would report them to the military, fear that a unit member, [someone - anyone] might cause you harn. As gay veteran, I will tell you that the military is a reflection of the larger society, there are those at all ranks who will actively work against you because of your color, your, gender and yes, your orientation…all because of their own FEARS.
DADT is a joke, but it ain’t funny
March 22nd, 2009 at 5:10 PM
Teal, thank you for your service. It must have been tough as a L, G, B or T. It’s probably tough enough as an “H”.
March 22nd, 2009 at 5:43 PM
…and today at the ADN site is a story that Mad Myrna’s drag show is getting all diluted by the straight folks, couples and military, in the audience. Funny how reality is always one step (miles) ahead of government.
March 22nd, 2009 at 5:47 PM
OK…problem child, whats “H?”
March 22nd, 2009 at 5:47 PM
human?
March 22nd, 2009 at 6:28 PM
Teal: H for heroic. Also, as you point out, human.
March 22nd, 2009 at 6:56 PM
Sabrina – Thank you for that story. What a courageous man, and yes the world is a lesser place without him but each time you share his story you brighten that corner of the world. Thank you!
To all vets and active duty military – Thank you for your service!
March 22nd, 2009 at 9:20 PM
Thank you, Prof. Gardina. Assume you were at SLDN’s annual dinner last weekend. Sorry we didn’t get to meet, but I hope you got one of the buttons I brought bearing Leonard’s quote. Thank you for discussing him here. I was so touched by the dinner’s keynoter, Rear Admiral Jamie Barnett [Ret.] telling Leonard’s story and saying he was one of those in a long line of heroes continuing the American Revolution such as Martin Luther King, Jr., and Rosa Parks. And Barry Winchell Courage Award winner Maj. Margaret Witt told me she was fighting her discharge to continue the fight he was the first to wage in 1975.
For those interested in more about Leonard, including video interviews with him and speeches by him, as well as other LGBT vets, please visit
http://www.leonardmatlovich.com.
Thanks again so much!
March 22nd, 2009 at 10:43 PM
An eruption of Mt. Redoubt began at approximately 22:38 AKDT, March 22, 2009 (0638 UTC). AVO is raising the aviation color code to Red and the alert level to Warning. Initial height of the eruption cloud is estimated at less than 20,000 ft above sea level at present.
March 22nd, 2009 at 10:55 PM
Link to the Alaska Volcano Observatory:
http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/Redoubt.php
Eruption cloud height now at 50,000 ft. Too bad it’s dark so the photographers are missing the show.
March 23rd, 2009 at 1:36 PM
I was talking to a wonderful friend of mine who is proudly serving his country in the Navy. He said that the military is giving wavers to criminals because they can’t recruit enough young people due to the war in Iraq.
He asked this fantastic rhetorical question, “Who would you rather work with, a gay person or a drug dealer? The way things are going right now, I don’t have a choice.”
March 24th, 2009 at 12:05 PM
I appreciate all your responses to the post and I hope that you will forward it to your friends and family members all over the country. Congress needs to hear from their constituents that it is time to ends this injustice. It is not only a civil rights issues, it also affects our national security.
Thanks Mudflatters!