DADT Disproportionately Affects Women

Earlier this week, the House and Senate committee voted to repeal the discriminatory tradition of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT). This archaic policy was instituted under President Clinton to prohibit the military from inquiring about a service member’s sexual orientation, however it also discharges anyone who is openly gay or lesbian. It's resulted in more than 13,000 discharges over the past 17 years.

It’s great news that we have finally started to take action on a law that President Obama says, “denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are.” But did you know that DADT disproportionately affects women?

Servicemembers United, the nation’s largest organization of gay and lesbian troops and veterans and their straight allies, released data that showed that while women only make up 14% of the military, they account for over 34% of discharges from DADT. They also showed similar disproportionate effects among non-white minorities.

While the Pentagon could not explain why women were disproportionately affected, I believe it has to do with power and control. Women in the military already face astounding rates of rape and sexual assault. They are also being targeted under DADT for refusing sexual advances from male soldiers. As Servicemembers United Executive Director J. Alexander Nicholson III says, “Often times women are accused of being lesbians if they do not succumb to the sexual advances or the romantic interests of others, and this sometimes leads to unfair targeting of women under 'don't ask, don't tell.'”

DADT has become as a tool for sexual harassment. It degrades women while insulting and debasing the gay, lesbian, and bisexual men and women who protect our country. Besides it being an issue of institutionalized discrimination against gay, lesbian, and bisexual people, it also becomes an issue of the power of white hetero-normativeness in the military.

Despite being passed in the house and the Senate Armed Services Committee, the bill still needs to be passed in the Senate next month. Some Senate Republicans have already threatened to filibuster if the Defense Authorization Bill comes to the Senate floor with DADT attached to it. A deal has also been reached to postpone the repeal from going into effect until December 1, 2010. So even if DADT does get repealed, it will have to wait until the end of the year for it to go in effect.

You can sign this petition that says that you stand in solidarity in repealing DADT!

picture courtesy of flickr.com/Enrico_Fuente

What if the Visitation Rights that were given to Same Sex couples were inclusive of those couples in which one partner is serving in the military?

This week President Obama signed a directive that would allow same sex partners hospital visitation rights if the one of them were to fall ill. Granting same sex couples the right to be beside their loved one as they pass (if the illness or injury is fatal) was a decision that came after hearing a story in which a woman was denied the right to hold her lover as her spouse died. Before the signed directive same sex partners would be denied visitation due to the fact that they were not considered family by blood or legally wed.

Of the 1,138 rights that are denied to same sex couples because same sex marriage is not legal in every state, hospital visitation was only one of them. Currently same sex marriage is legal in only 5 states as well as Washington D.C. Unfortunately under of the Defense of Marriage act (DOMA), same sex couples that legally wed in a state that allows same sex marriages will have an annulled marriage license once they return back to their state where same sex marriage licenses are not recognized. Obama has it in his agenda to repeal that as well as the controversial military ban on gays and lesbians serving openly known as Don’t ask Don’t tel (DADT)l.

I must say that although I am grateful to have this single right granted to me, I am disappointed with how he went about the issue. It should not take a story of sorrow to make one understand that love is not a bad thing even if it is between two people of the same sex. Love should not be taken away or toyed with it should not be a bargaining tool for votes. Instead of signing this directive that grants rights to only some of the LGBTQ community why don’t you do what is humane and repeal DADT and DOMA. Under DADT a civilian in a same sex relationship with a soldier cannot visit them openly if the soldier is wounded in battle therefore this directive does not extend rights to all LGBTQ couples. If he had repealed DOMA same sex couples could marry elsewhere in the U.S. and still have a legal marriage license upon return to their state. If DOMA was repealed, then the rights given to those married could be applicable to all same sex couples who are wed anywhere in the United States. If his adminstartion repealed both DADT and DOMA then the lesbian and gays serving our military could wed. Is this the next step? What he did was good for the community but I find that it was nothing great. It was fair and right but it was something that should have been done a long time ago.

P.S.- Celebrate National Day of Silence today!!

Photo compliment of See-ming Lee