DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL

Don't Ask, Don't Tell

History of Homosexuals serving in the Armed Services

"Don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) was the official United States policy on gays serving in the military from December 21, 1993, to September 20, 2011. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while barring openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual persons from military service. The restrictions were mandated by United States federal law (Berube, 1990).

The policy prohibited people who "demonstrate a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts" from serving in the armed forces of the United States, because their presence "would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability". The act prohibited any homosexual or bisexual person from disclosing his or her sexual orientation or from speaking about any homosexual relationships, including marriages or other familial attributes, while serving in the United States armed forces. The act specified that service members who disclose that they are homosexual or engage in homosexual conduct should be separated (discharged) except when a service member's conduct was "for the purpose of avoiding or terminating military service" or when it "would not be in the best interest of the armed forces". Since DADT ended in 2011, open gays and lesbians have been able to serve (Belkin, et al. 2012).

The "don't ask" part of the DADT policy specified that superiors should not initiate investigation of a service member's orientation without witnessing disallowed behaviors, though credible evidence of homosexual behavior could be used to initiate an investigation. Unauthorized investigations and harassment of suspected servicemen and women led to an expansion of the policy to "don't ask, don't tell, don't pursue, don't harass".

Implementation of Don't Ask, Don't Tell

The enforcement of Don't Ask-Don't Tell deprives GLBT people of their fundamental right to embrace their sexual identity and renders them vulnerable to any form of homophobic aggression. So how can queer people protect themselves against harassment when threatened by dishonorable discharge at any moment?

Don't Ask-Don't Tell originated in 1993 when the Clinton Administration began making noises about lifting the ban on gays in the military through an Executive Order. The Congress reacted by enacting the legislation commonly known as Don't Ask-Don't Tell (DADT), prohibiting gays and lesbians in the military from openly discussing their sexuality and relationships (Belkin, 2011). The legislation prevents commanding officers from actively seeking knowledge about service-members' sexual identities and includes anti-harassment provisions based on sexuality, but the degree to which these clauses are enforced varies significantly. Both former service members interviewed here were forced to endure verbal harassment. They also stated that homophobic remarks and behavior were far more tolerated than racist conduct or jokes.

Repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell

The House just passed a stand-alone repeal of the 1993 "don't ask, don't tell" statute forcing gays and lesbians into silent military service this past week. The issue now heads to a final showdown ...