What is the big controversy about "Don't ask, Don't tell policy?"?

Answer 1

Um.....the Clinton's forced that on the military as their first agenda item when they came to Washington. It's been working, so I don't know what the problem is. Unless of course they want their special rights for Gays as Hillary feels a closeness to them. What they don't realize is that the don't ask don't tell protects them, so don't push it.

For those that wonder about why this is a big deal. Gay men have a higher chance for aids. If a gay man is bleeding on the battle field do you think his fellow soldier will sop up his blood or will he let him wait for the medics?

Answer 2

Just to clarify some things to all the Non Military commenting here.
"Don't ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue" is a policy on how the LAW will be enforced.
This was a compromise of the Clinton administration, that thought they could change the Constitution to allow gays to openly serve in the military.
It is still a crime under the UCMJ, which is part of the US Constitution, to be gay in the military. Article 125.
Until Congress and the People of the US decide to rewrite the UCMJ, it will remain so.
As to discrimination, the military is allowed to discriminate against certain categories of people.
Handicapped are not allowed to serve. People with certain diseases are not allowed. To short, to tall, to fat, etc. Not everyone is able to serve or even capable.
There is plenty of room for debate. I'm only stating facts. There are gays in the military and always have been.
As long as they observe policy, follow orders, and do their duty just like everyone else. They should be left to serve, just like everyone else.
The military is the last bastion of being Non PC, as it should be. It is not a place for social engineering or special classes.

Answer 3

I think its a disgrace and an issue where the US military is seriously deficient. I find it enormously hypocritical of the American government to call America a free and fair state when they allow policies such as these to continue. Gay people should be treated as equals and given the options to serve openly as homosexuals as either men or women. As a member of the UK reserve forces, where this is the current policy, I can confidently state that there are NO problems regarding gay people in any service. To be honest, I doubt gay people would want to make their sexuality known if they were serving in the infantry or any other combat arm, but they might, and they have a right to do so. Ultimately, I suspect that physically not that much would change, but nevertheless the US military should revise its policy.
I am a straight male.

Incidentally, the only reason i can think of that 'gay-beatings' take place in the US (alledged by some people on this forum), is religion. Religion is not a big issue in the UK. Being in a position to comment, i can state that I have never even heard of such an incident within UK forces.
If the rule protects those who are gay? whats the harm in allowing them to make the decision on whether they announce their orientation themselves? No-one is saying that changing the rules will force gay people to 'shout it out' or 'rub it in peoples faces'. If they did do the latter there is little doubt they would be put in their place anyway.

With regards to people in civillian life not understanding the military, on many issues I would agree, on this I do not. Theres no room for manoeuver on this issue.

Answer 4

BTW-Nature Lover - The fastest growing population acquiring HIV is hetero females.
Gays aren't the only ones to get HIV (newsflash)
ANSWER:
Basically, the US government has a policy that states that a homosexual can serve in the military BUT only if they don't tell anyone that they are gay. They are asked to hide it.
How fair is that? Not at all.
How would a married person feel being asked to "hide their family" or not be able to take them to a work function?
or appear in public with them? Or admit that they love them?
The policy is so bassackwards! During The Clinton administration, it was an attempt to allow gays in the military but only under the "Dont ask Dont Tell".
It is discrimination and I thought that we didn't allow that in this country. I am confused about the policy and it angers me.
I am not in the military and I am a straight woman

Answer 5

Back when I was going into the military, I was asked by my recruiter as part of his standard battery of questions whether or not I was homosexual and whether or not I have had sexual relations with men.

With the new Clinton-era policy, those types of questions were taken out. It was a compromise between Clinton and the Joint Chiefs on how to allow gays to serve...just not openly.

The Army (and I'm sure the ohter services are the same) use the "SAMS" test for determining whether or not to separate a gay Soldier...

S = Statement (you say you're gay)
A = Act (you are caught in a homosexual act as either an active or passive participant)
M = Marriage (you attempt to enter into a gay marriage or civil union)

Any of these things can get you booted out of the military. You can get caught with a HUGE gay porn collection in your wall locker, but as long as you don't actually say you are gay while being questioned, you cannot be kicked out of the military. You can hang out at the gay bars all night, every night, and dance with every leather-wearing daddy in the place, but as long as you don't kiss him, you're good to go.

So, essentially, the military wants you to live your life in a similar fashion to a Catholic priest. You have to abstain from sex. You can lust, but you can't partake.

To me, I think it's a crock. When I was on active, I served with at least 2-3 men who were either gay or I highly suspected were...It wasn't a big deal...they were not attracted to me, and if they were, I am fairly certain they would get the hint that I wasn't interested and move on. I'm comfortable enough with my own self that a simple "No thank you" would suffice, and if it for some reason didn't, I would report it just like any other form of sexual harrassment.

Answer 6

It's very different for a gay person. Example: 4 guys go into the nearest town for a weekend leave. 1 of them is gay, & hasn't told the others. How does he handle the situation when someone suggests they pick up some girls and get a motel room? I know life isn't only about sex, but young military types, most young guys for that matter, have to keep up their"I want to be accepted by my peers attitude." How many headaches can a guy have. The problem is not his being "gay" , the problem is the rampant homophobia , in the military, which is encouraged by the military. They will deny it , but how many "Drill Sgts" love to put down new recruits by calling them "*******" . Believe me, they are not refering to bundle of sticks. It all boils down to one basic root cause,RELIGION or the mispractice of it to be more exact.

Answer 7

there is no controversy to don't ask don't tell policy. All don't ask don't tell did was remove a question from the enlistment questionnaire that may have prevented you from joining the armed forces, or getting a security clearance. It removed a potential item from being used to declare a false statement on the enlistment document so as to permit a fraudulent enlistment charge to be applied to people who were gay in the military.

In reply to the issue involving gays in the military: its not if the person is gay is at all. its the act of sexual congress attributed to gays that at issue.

Its a sexual act called sodomy. the UCMJ defines the act of sodomy as

"It is unnatural carnal copulation for a person to take into that person’s mouth or anus the sexual organ of another person or of an animal; or to place that person’s sexual organ in the mouth or anus of another person or of an animal; or to have carnal copulation in any opening of the body, except the sexual parts, with another person; or to have carnal copulation with an animal."

It is not gender specific. Therefore this definition can be used for females as well as males. its the act that's illegal: a heterosexual man that places his Johnson in the wrong place, with a female partner, is as guilty of the charge of sodomy under the UCMJ as a homosexual man places his Johnson in the wrong place with a male partner.

Answer 8

Civilians have an issue with understanding this policy, because civilians have issues understanding ANY military policy, particularly if it doesn't outright seem like it's politically correct. Problem is, civilians have no business telling the military how to do its job--there are enough cooks stirring that pot as it is. The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy is a cover-all policy meant to protect gays and non-gays alike. That might not make much sense, but perhaps this will explain it: First of all, no one NEEDS to know if you're gay. It's not relevant information that everyone somehow NEEDS to know. It's a distraction, and someone who decides that everyone else MUST know they're gay is someone who wants to stand out and receive special attention for it. That's exactly the opposite of what you want in the military--you don't want to stand out, because that singles you out as being different, and that's a distraction. People can be as different and as individual as they want on their own time; but when you're in uniform, you have a job to do and frankly no one has the time or the energy to put up with people's individual personal issues, gay or not. Also, remember that not everyone necessarily LIKES gays; many people are hostile towards them, and until that changes, you're better off keeping that to yourself. If you're in a firefight you need to be able to implicitly trust the person next to you with your life; someone who has selfishly decided to announce their sexual preferences provide just one more distraction to a situation where distractions can literally kill you. Gays who serve are protected by this policy, since by preventing people in the unit from openly knowing your sexual orientation--which they don't need to know anyway--you prevent yourself from attracting unwanted attention; non-gays are protected by not being distracted by wondering whether the person standing next to them in formation was "eyeing" them in the shower.

Civilians will probably never understand anything the military does and never will, unless they themselves have devoted a few years of their lives to serving the country... frankly, there are far more important things to worry about in life. The main thing is, gays are not barred from serving; they're just asked to keep something to themselves that they don't need to be rubbing into everyone else's faces in the first place.

For the record, I've served with people whom I've known were gay, even if I didn't know until afterwards. They're a vital part of the greater team, and they're needed.

Answer 9

I have not figured that out. I think a person's sexual orientation is private anyway. I am hetero but feel no need to announce this to the world, so do not know why gay people would need or want to either. It has nothing to do with anything at all that is anyone else's business, so it shouldn't be an issue.

Answer 10

THE MILITARY HAS ITS RULES THAT MAKE NO SENSE IN A CIVILIAN WORLD BUT WHEN YOU ARE IN THE MILITARY THEY SEEM TO MAKE SENSE. ITS WEIRD. MANY RULES ARE CONTRADICTING AND SUCH BECAUSE THEY TRY TO BE WITH THE TIMES BUT THEY REALLY AREN'T.
EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN'T COME OUT AND SAY YOU ARE GAY, MANY STILL GET PUNISHED FOR IT. THEY MAY NOT GET PUNISHED IN A WAY THAT TAKES RANK OR KICKED OUT, BUT FROM OTHER SOLDIERS.
I KNOW OF CASES WHERE MEN ESPECIALLY GOT BEAT UP FOR BEING GAY, IT WASN'T REPORTED BUT IT HAPPENS.
MANY MEN ARE QUITE HOMOPHOBIC OR YOU HAVE THOSE IN THE CLOSET ONES, THAT HAVE A WIFE AND KIDS BUT HAVING SEX WITH A MAN ONCE IN AWHILE DOESN'T MEAN THEY ARE GAY. MANY OF THE CONTROVERSY I FIND COMES FROM THE SOLDIERS ITSELF. THEY ARE AFRAID TO BE IN CLOSE QUARTERS WITH A GAY MAN FEARING SOMETHING NEGATIVE WILL HAPPEN. BUT I FOUND THAT MANY GAYS ARE NOT REALLY OPEN ABOUT IT AND DON'T WANT THE MEN THEY ARE AROUND. SO TILL THOSE ENLISTED CAN GET OVER WHO IS IN SOMEONE ELSE'S BED AND JUST DO THEIR JOB, IT WILL MAKE THINGS SO MUCH MORE EASIER FOR EVERYONE ENLISTED.