A group of U.S. Military Academy graduates came out of the closet Monday in a bid to overturn the ban on gays in the military and help West Point create an environment of tolerance and acceptance as they educate future officers, reports the Military Times. The 38-member "Knights Out" contacted the military academy's administration seeking to provide an "open forum" for gay troops and Army leaders, the paper reports. The Pentagon's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy was instituted after President Bill Clinton tried to lift the ban on gay service members in 1993. It refers to the military practice of not asking recruits their sexual orientation. In turn, service members are banned from saying they are gay or bisexual, engaging in homosexual activity or trying to marry a member of the same sex. Since it was implemented, 12,500 soldiers have been discharged, according to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which has actively lobbied for the law's repeal, reports the paper. 1st Lt. Dan Choi, a National Guardsman and Knights Out member knows the group's public announcement may result in disciplinary action. “If that’s the repercussion, I’m ready to take it,” he told the paper. “I think it’s more important that I let everybody know that … it is a wrong policy.” The Army fired 11 soldiers in January for violating "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," according to Rep. Jim Moran. Moran, D-Va., said he has requested monthly updates from the Pentagon on the impact of the policy until it is repealed. In a statement released last week, Moran said the discharged soldiers included an intelligence collector, a military police officer, four infantry personnel, a health care specialist, a motor-transport operator and a water-treatment specialist. image source flickr
Very nice blog post. It is a shame that we still have to discuss this when our men and women put their lives on the line for our safety. They should be able to serve openly and proudly for all they do for us. I hope this is the beginning of a trend where they are able to serve as openly gay and that everyone can just accept it like adults.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Matt, very good blog post. While our men and women are out there fighting for us, why should they have to worry about anything else especially who they have chosen to become? Hopefully this is the end and a start to a new beginning! Our lives are on the line and they are concerned with if they are gay or not, not really what we should be worrying about right now.
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