Don?t Ask Don?t Tell Continues Under Obama – amFIX - CNN.com Blogs

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Continues Under Obama

President Obama pledged during his presidential campaign to end the military’s ban on gays serving openly, otherwise known as Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. The president has been in office for over a hundred days and the armed forces continue to fire gays and lesbians who violate the military’s policy on serving openly as a homosexual.

Lt. Dan Choi of the New York National Guard is an Iraq War veteran and a West Point graduate. He also happens to speak fluent Arabic. Choi received a letter of discharge from the Army for “homosexual conduct.” His firing comes after he came out in March along with 37 other West Point graduates in a group called Knights Out.


Lt. Choi joined Carol Costello on CNN’s “American Morning” Friday. He acknowledges he made the choice to publicly admit his sexuality.
“I publicly admitted who I was. I refused to lie and to hide my identity. And because of that, they said, it doesn’t matter that you graduated from West Point. It doesn’t matter that you’re fluent in Arabic. It doesn’t matter that you went to Iraq and that you want to deploy again. Pack your stuff and go home. You’re fired.”

The Department of the Army’s discharge letter to Choi states, “This is to inform you that sufficient basis exists to initiate action for withdrawal of Federal Recognition in the Army National Guard for moral or professional dereliction… You admitted publicly that you are a homosexual which constitutes homosexual conduct… Your actions negatively affected the good order and discipline of the New York Army National Guard.”

Choi says the letter was a “big slap in the face.”

“I raised my right hand and said I want to serve. My commander in chief is going to send 21,000 troops overseas. I want to be one of those… Basically, by me saying I am gay, they’re saying that that ruined the good order and discipline of the entire New York Army National Guard, which is very ridiculous. From what I’ve seen, my unit has been very professional. I’m very proud of my unit. They respect all soldiers for what they can do as members of their team.”

The White House has not yet commented on Choi’s case, but their website’s statement on the policy currently reads: “He [President Obama] supports repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell in a sensible way that strengthens our armed forces and our national security.”

This is a change from what the website previously stated in April, which was ”President Obama agrees with former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili and other military experts that we need to repeal the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. The key test for military service should be patriotism, a sense of duty, and a willingness to serve. Discrimination should be prohibited. The U.S. government has spent millions of dollars replacing troops kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation. Additionally, more than 300 language experts have been fired under this policy, including more than 50 who are fluent in Arabic. The President will work with military leaders to repeal the current policy and ensure it helps accomplish our national defense goals.”

Since the passage of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell in 1993, more than 12,500 men and women have been discharged from the military under the law.






Well put, Lt. Choi.

This crap kills me. Does who you are doing have anything to do with your job? No unless you are a porn star. Sexuality has nothing to do with competence people.

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May the wind take your troubles away. -Son Volt

Here's what gets me:

Quote:

Since the passage of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell in 1993, more than 12,500 men and women have been discharged from the military under the law.

And, yet, we're scrambling to find more bodies to send to the Middle East and flipping people back and forth through two or three or four tours each.

OMG...seriously, who the hell cares if they are gay or not? If they want to go and serve our country, let them friggin serve. They are braver than I.

The say stand up and fight for the freedom of your country,fight to end terroism,but if you gay . sit down.Bullshit anyone should have the right to serve out country regardless of sexuality , race or gender..They turn these people away and yet soldiers who think they are coming home after a year or two, only to be told no not hyet were not done with you yet..

This has always been a tough one for me to chime in on, because I have no military experience. I can't speak with any knowledge on day to day life in those types of circumstances.

What I do know is, each and every person serving in our military SHOULD be well aware that they are serving with fellow soldiers who are gay. Whether they know who they are or not. There are gays in the military. That's a fact. Even if current policy didn't allow it, there would STILL be gays in the military.

I, personally, don't know what would be so different if I knew that a particular soldier was gay in my unit. But I don't definitely know.

I was in the military. I served with gays. I knew who some of them were and did not know others. It did not change the way they did their job or the way I did mine.

I don't believe it is my right to know who your sexual partner is any more than I believe it is your right to know mine.

Speaking as a Former Soldier

I would proudly serve with anyone no matter what , you could tell me or not it does not matter.

The only thing that mattered (and still does) if the ish hits the fan that you are going to stand with us to defend what ever the POTUS has said we must.

If when the ish hits the fan you are going to fall to the ground like a blabbering fool I have no use for you I dont care if you are Red White Blue Black Purple gay straight Jewish Muslim or Christian

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Countdown until Obama leaves office



The Next POTUS

I couldn't agree with you more. I don't walk around saying "Hi, I'm Tracy and I'm straight"....why should they have to tell everyone that they are gay. It's just one part of their life. It should have nothing to do with their profession.

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Chlorine is my perfume. ~Author Unknown

When you make your preferences an issue...it becomes an issue..

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Rob Foraker in disguise...

You're right Billy.

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All right who hacked his account ?

This is the most coherent and intelligent post for him EVER

My posts question the intellegence of others...

They're only making it an issue as a reaction to military standards. I'm not saying that they should HAVE to tell everyone their sexual preference, but they should be able to freely discuss their home lives just like anyone else. It should be left up to that person what they feel comfortable disclosing.

I think you misunderstand The 'Don't ask don't tell policy'. If they tell everyone that they are gay, they are goners.

People, being what they are is confusing to some, I don't mean to imply homophpbia, because i don't believe in that, it's not a fear thing its just something that some don't understand. As frogman said when push comes to shove they will do their job just like anyone else, they will cover your ass and you theirs, no pun intended.

Just saw your other post I think you do get it.

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Zoë says, Enough is enough, Bring on the Spring!

I think you're right.....I don't understand. I think that if these men and women are going to a foreign country to fight for us that they should be able to have a picture of their significant other by their bed or in their pocket or whatever, be that person of the same or opposite sex. I also think that when people sit around and talk about the people back home that these people should be free to talk about their significant others just like heterosexual people do. Does that happen now? If not....than the current policy is wrong.

It goes so much deeper than that. Like BillW says, it's about not being able to wrap one's mind around the attraction. Many people fear what they don't understand when they are off by themselves. In combat, as Froggy suggests, there's no time to think about anything but not being killed and not having the people fighting beside you being killed. As Billy said, when there is no issue being made, everything else works in sync to preserve yourself and your fellow fighter in combat. Don't ask, don't tell started as a way to free people up to do their jobs. As society becomes more tolerant, and it appears that that won't happen anytime soon, we'll approach the "who cares" attitude and the DADT concept won't even enter into it.

Thank you for trying to clear this up for me, but there's just one point that I don't get. Even if one does not understand the attraction, why would that prevent everything you've discussed as far as fighting for your life and the life of your fellow soldiers. I hope that there are not people out there that are so obsessed with this issue that it would affect them from being able to do their job.

Obama to End Military's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy

Wednesday, January 14, 2009 | FoxNews.com

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WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama will allow gays to serve openly in the military by overturning the controversial "don't ask, don't tell" policy that marred President Clinton's first days in office, according to incoming White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.
The startling pronouncement, which could re-open a dormant battle in the culture wars and distract from other elements of Obama's agenda, came during a Gibbs exchange with members of the public who sent in questions that were answered on YouTube.
"Thadeus of Lansing, Mich., asks, 'Is the new administration going to get rid of the "don't ask, don't tell policy?'" said Gibbs, looking into the camera. "Thadeus, you don't hear a politician give a one-word answer much. But it's, 'Yes.'"
The Obama transition team declined to elaborate on that one-word answer when asked by FOX News on Wednesday about a timetable for repealing the policy, which was enacted by Clinton after a protracted public debate. Obama officials also would not explain which lawmakers or Pentagon officials would attempt to repeal "don't ask, don't tell."
Clinton, who initially sought to overturn the longstanding ban on gays in the military, ended up enacting the "don't ask, don't tell" policy as a compromise that made it illegal for commanders to ask about the sexual orientation of service members, who were also barred from announcing they were homosexual. If a service member's homosexuality becomes known anyway, he or she is expelled.
Clinton is widely viewed as having stumbled during his first days in office by getting caught up in the raging controversy, which detracted from the rest of his agenda. It is not yet clear whether Obama would face a similar debacle.
For years, Obama has said he generally opposes the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Last summer, he told a gay magazine he can "reasonably" see it being repealed. But that was a far cry from Gibbs' unequivocal promise that the policy will indeed be ended.
The gay community is eager for a quick repeal of "don't ask, don't tell," but fears it could be months before the new administration reaches a consensus with lawmakers and the military. Others think Obama could do it quickly, but is leery of the kind of fallout Bill Clinton faced when he tackled the divisive issue.

I am confussed, this was in January

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I'm no Clinton fan but I have to say that Clinton was trying to end orientation discrimination in the only way he thought would work. It didn't. For the life of me I fail to see what your orientation has to do with anything else you do. But that's how my family was so I learned tolerance from them and we are a military family. Obama's plate is FULL to overflowing and we're stuck on Maslow's lowest step... Discrimination is somewhat higher in the hiearchy. People are fixed on pure survival now. He has to address that first.

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