Military discrimination ends

Opinion: December 29, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

By Kathi Wolfe

McClatchy-Tribune

As a lesbian, I am celebrating the end of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” The 17-year-old policy that prohibited gay men and lesbians to serve openly in the military was unjust. And the lifting of the policy, as President Barack Obama has said, marks a “historic step” toward equality for gays and lesbians.

Since its implementation in 1993, more than 13,500 gay men and lesbians in the military have been discharged, not because they were bad soldiers, but for being honest about their sexual orientation.

Just as integrating the armed forces in 1948 ended racial discrimination, striking down “don’t ask, don’t tell” will end discrimination against gay men and lesbians serving in the military today. “It is time to recognize that sacrifice, valor and integrity are no more defined by sexual orientation than they are by race or gender, religion or creed,” Obama said.

President Harry S. Truman integrated the armed forces at a time when there was little public support for racial equality. Seventeen years ago, only 44 percent of Americans supported gay men and lesbians serving openly in the armed forces. In a Washington Post-ABC poll conducted this year, 77 percent of Americans said they believed gay and lesbian service members shouldn’t have to be closeted about their sexuality.

Some people argue that ending “don’t ask, don’t tell” will cause too much disruption to our armed forces. But a report presented by the Pentagon earlier this month concluded that repealing the policy would cause only minimal disruption.

Cruel policy

Others say repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell,” is part of a “homosexual agenda” — that it gives gay men and women “special rights.” But ending this cruel policy won’t give gay and lesbian service members special rights. It will just give them the same rights that every other service member has: the right to love someone, and be open about it.

This is a great day for America. At last, gay men and lesbians willing to die for our freedom won’t have to lie about who they are.

Kathi Wolfe is a writer and poet living in Virginia. She wrote this for Progressive Media Project, a source of liberal commentary on domestic and international issues; it is affiliated with The Progressive magazine. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune.