A Loss for Identity, a Loss for America

Two weeks ago, the US Senate failed to pass a defense bill that would repeal the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" (DADT) policy on homosexuals in the military.  This policy, which allows gays to serve as long as their sexual orientation is not revealed, has led to the discharge of over 14,000 soldiers since its creation in 1993, including those with crucial skills in Arabic, medicine, and counterterrorism.  It discriminates against people for who they are, for something they have no control over.  It forces gay soldiers to hide their true identity, to live in paranoia for fear of being found out.  And, according to a recent federal court ruling, it is unconstitutional.

As Americans, we must push to end this discriminatory law; as young Americans, we must lead the charge.  Why?  I'll start with a story:

Jonathan Hopkins was a captain in the Army, graduated 4th in his West Point Class, and served three times in Iraq and Afghanistan.  He was discharged in April for homosexuality.  He writes in a New York Times blog of the debilitating paranoia and depression gay soldiers live with when anyone can report them as gay and inhibit their ability to serve their country.  DADT robs gay soldiers of the right to their own identity, forcing them to lie to protect a secret they cannot control.  When a soldier cannot be who he or she is, then how can he or she fulfill the duty of soldiers to be completely honesty with their fellow troops?  This "mandatory ignorance," as Hopkins calls it, works contrary to psychological well-being and success of soldiers, the values of the military, and, indeed, to the American values we hold most dear.

As I mentioned in my previous post, pop star Lady Gaga gave an impassioned speech in Maine on September 20th urging Maine's moderate Republican senators to repeal DADT.  “I’m here because ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ is wrong. It’s unjust and fundamentally it’s against all that we stand for as Americans," she said.  She decried Republican Senators for using homophobia to justify discrimination and the military for rewarding homophobia and inhibiting openness.  She stands as a reminder of the responsibility young, open-minded Americans have to support equality and justice in our nation, an echo of the '60s students who fought for African Americans' rights and an end to the Vietnam War.

The fact that 44 senators can and have forced over 65,000 of our troops to continue hiding their true identity from the comrades with whom they live and die is an unacceptable crime against our American value system.  But the battle is not lost.  Federal courts around the country have declared the law unconstitutional and demanded its immediate end.  We have a president willing to cease its enforcement, if only Congress had the egalitarianism to repeal it.  And this is not only a liberal movement.  As a "Young, Hip, and Conservative" blogger notes, while DADT was a step in the right direction in 1993, it does not reflect the more tolerant military and society of 2010.  With 79 percent of 18-29 year olds, the age of most soldiers, supporting an end to DADT, and 70% of all Americans, the time is now to repeal.

America has always moved towards equality, with the young often leading the way.  DADT is detrimental to identity, cohesiveness, our constitution, and our nation.  Discrimination must end; equality must prevail!

And, as Lady Gaga said, "If you don't like it, go home."