Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

A. Read the excerpts below from the current “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. “Don´t ask,
don´t tell” is a U.S. law, now under review by the U.S. government. Some are arguing for
this law to be repealed, others believe it should stay on the books. After reading the text
of the law, do you believe that this law should be repealed? Why or why not? What issues
are at stake in this debate?
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The presence in the armed forces of persons who demonstrate a propensity or intent to engage
in homosexual acts would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good
order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability. […]
A member of the armed forces shall be separated from the armed forces under regulations
prescribed by the Secretary of Defense if one or more of the following findings is made and
approved in accordance with procedures set forth in such regulations:
(1) That the member has engaged in, attempted to engage in, or solicited another to engage in a
homosexual act or acts. […]
(2) That the member has stated that he or she is a homosexual or bisexual, or words to that
effect. […]
(3) That the member has married or attempted to marry a person known to be of the same
biological sex.

B. Now, read the opinion piece below and answer the following questions:

1) According to the author, why should D.A.D.T. be eliminated? What would be the benefits?
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2) What does the author think President Obama´s role should be in dealing with D.A.D.T.?
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3) According to the author, how has the Obama administration both helped and hindered
progress on certain social issues?
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EDITORIAL

Ending ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

Published: January 28, 2010

Toward the end of his State of the Union address Wednesday night, President Obama said
something that untold numbers of Americans who suffer discrimination had wanted to hear for
more than 16 years. He promised to work to repeal the law that bans gay members of the
military from living their lives openly.
The 1993 law was always pointless and cruel, but today, when numerous polls show that a
solid majority of Americans oppose it, “don’t ask, don’t tell” feels ever more like the relic of a
bygone era. There is evidence that the attitude of military officers is shifting. All that is lacking
is political will. Congress and the military should work with Mr. Obama to repeal the law
quickly.
“Don’t ask, don’t tell” is not just a technicality on the books. It is actively being used to drive
gay men and lesbians out of the military — more than 13,000 since the law was adopted,
according to the service members Legal Defense Network. That includes people with vital
skills, like Arabic translators. The legal defense network, which helps people facing charges
under “don’t ask don’t tell,” estimates that 644 people have been discharged under the law
since Mr. Obama took office.
The policy of drumming gay men and lesbians out of the military is based on prejudice, not
performance. Gay people serve openly and effectively in the armies of Britain, Israel, Australia
and Canada.
The winner of last year’s secretary of defense essay contest was a piece by an Air Force
colonel, that called “don’t ask, don’t tell” a “costly failure” and debunked the canard that unit
cohesion would be harmed if gay service members were allowed to be open about their
sexuality.
The law singles out a group of Americans for second-class treatment, forcing them to hide who
they are and to live in fear of being found out and discharged. The policy hurts the military by
depriving it of the service of a large number of loyal and talented Americans.
There is a bill in the House of Representatives, the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, that
would undo the 1993 law. Representative Patrick Murphy, an Iraq war veteran and Democrat
of Pennsylvania, is leading the effort to get it passed, and the bill has more than 180 co-
sponsors. The forthcoming vote on the Defense Department’s annual budget would also be a
good opportunity for repeal.
This is a winnable battle, but it will take committed leadership, starting with Mr. Obama, who
until Wednesday was not vocal enough on the subject as president. He should prod the
Pentagon to speak out, but the military officers will need strong support in Congress,
particularly from the many Republican lawmakers who voice their commitment to a strong
military. The evidence is clear that this law makes the military weaker.
Some supporters of gay rights have been disappointed by the Obama administration, let down,
for example, by its decision to file a brief last year in support of the Defense of Marriage Act,
the law protecting the power of states to not recognize same-sex marriages. But there also has
been important progress, notably the enactment of the Matthew Shepard Act, which makes hate
crimes against gay people federal crimes.
Much more needs to be done, including recognizing same-sex marriage at the national level
and passing a federal law protecting gay people from discrimination on the job. Repealing
“don’t ask, don’t tell” would be an important step forward.
C. Look at the following cartoons and analyze the authors` stances on D.A.D.T. How do
they get their point across?