Enforced by the Clinton Administration from 1993 to 2011, the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” (DADT) law barred thousands of military members from expressing their sexual identity if they identified with any sexual orientation other than ‘straight’. It forced thousands of military members “under a cloud of anxiety and isolation,” essentially weakening military unit cohesion because of individual secrecy. “As a matter of national security, civil service, and fiscal responsibility,’ the repeal of the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy was essential for positive efficacy of the military. With organization, quantitative and anecdotal studies in favor of the repeal, and being in the midst of war, the Obama administration was able to gather enough credibility
…show more content…
As stated, however, if military members had sufficient evidence to be suspicious of another individual, they could initiate investigation. To prevent this from happening, the military added psychiatric screening to its induction process that disqualified homosexual candidates. Additionally, if military men had bodies that military nurses deemed feminine, they could no longer serve. The fact that homosexuality was a sign of psychopathology prevented an estimated 41,000 potential Americans from joining their armed forced, caused an estimated 65,000 military members to hide their identity (from 2009) , and caused the discharge of more than 14,500 service personnel discharged. Although the DADT continued discriminatory practices against homosexual members of the military, it did lift an official ban from WW2 that completely excluded gays from the military; some argued that the DADT justly allowed gays in the military through ‘closeted …show more content…
During President Obama’s first term, the military had already discharged about 800 “mission-critical troops and 60 gay Arab linguists even though they were a rare commodity to the American military. The necessity to boost waning national service and patriotism was at higher stakes due to the final stretch of the Iraq war. Soldiers were leaving the military and many queer candidates hesitated to enlist. Having so much focus on the DADT and homosexuality in the military diffused the purpose of the military’s actual mission during which was to defend the American people from foreign affairs, not gays. It also weighed a heavy amount on the financial end, costing over $555 million over the years, which the military could have used to recruit patriotic men and woman instead. To American citizens, a repeal for the DADT would demonstrate that America is fulfilling its promise of being the ‘home of the free’—a place where all citizens have equality. This concept would boost nationalism through unification and acceptance of all people, especially since by 2010, more than 70 percent of people felt comfortable with publicly open gays in the
As stated, however, if military members had sufficient evidence to be suspicious of another individual, they could initiate investigation. To prevent this from happening, the military added psychiatric screening to its induction process that disqualified homosexual candidates. Additionally, if military men had bodies that military nurses deemed feminine, they could no longer serve. The fact that homosexuality was a sign of psychopathology prevented an estimated 41,000 potential Americans from joining their armed forced, caused an estimated 65,000 military members to hide their identity (from 2009) , and caused the discharge of more than 14,500 service personnel discharged. Although the DADT continued discriminatory practices against homosexual members of the military, it did lift an official ban from WW2 that completely excluded gays from the military; some argued that the DADT justly allowed gays in the military through ‘closeted …show more content…
During President Obama’s first term, the military had already discharged about 800 “mission-critical troops and 60 gay Arab linguists even though they were a rare commodity to the American military. The necessity to boost waning national service and patriotism was at higher stakes due to the final stretch of the Iraq war. Soldiers were leaving the military and many queer candidates hesitated to enlist. Having so much focus on the DADT and homosexuality in the military diffused the purpose of the military’s actual mission during which was to defend the American people from foreign affairs, not gays. It also weighed a heavy amount on the financial end, costing over $555 million over the years, which the military could have used to recruit patriotic men and woman instead. To American citizens, a repeal for the DADT would demonstrate that America is fulfilling its promise of being the ‘home of the free’—a place where all citizens have equality. This concept would boost nationalism through unification and acceptance of all people, especially since by 2010, more than 70 percent of people felt comfortable with publicly open gays in the