Another War Wound for LGBTQ Community in the Military

In an effort to fully accept openly-gay soldiers into the military, the Pentagon announced last week that it has sent (via email) a confidential survey to over 400,000 active and reserve troops regarding gays in the military.

President Obama, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Charman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen and the House have all supported the movement to end the ban against openly gay/lesbian soldiers in the military. Despite this support, the military kicked out over 400 soldiers last year in the midst of two debilitating wars.

The survey contains 100 questions such as: "If 'Don’t ask, don’t tell’ is repealed and you are working with a service member in your immediate unit who has said he or she is gay or lesbian, how, if at all, would it affect your immediate unit’s effectiveness at completing its mission?” The soldiers can respond by checking six different multiple choice answers ranging from “very positively” to “very negatively.”

Many gay rights organizations, such as The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, have denounced the survey of unnecessarily classifying “homosexuals” as secondary citizens. Director Aubrey Sarvis rightly points out: “Surveying the troops is unprecedented- it did not happen in 1948 when President Truman ended segregation and it did not happen in 1976 when the service academies opened to women.” So why now? What does this survey mean to the LGBTQ community serving in the military?

Check out the Time article, "A Brief History of Gays in the Military" for further context.

Check out past Choices Campus Blog to see how Don't Ask Don't Tell disproportionately affects women and what you can do about it.

AMA Opposes Don't Ask Don't Tell and Gay Marriage Bans

The Feminist News Wire reported yesterday that the AMA voted to oppose the military's Don't Ask Don't tell policy:

The American Medical Association (AMA) voted yesterday in favor of repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and proclaimed that existing bans on gay marriage negatively affect the health of the LGBTQ community.

According to the Huffington Post, the AMA based its assertion on evidence that married couples are more likely to have health insurance and that uninsured people are more likely to live sicker and die younger.

The AMA passed the resolution after learning that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" has interfered with doctor-patient relationships, according to the Seattle Post Intelligencer. Military doctors reportedly have revealed personal information about their patients, including sexual orientation, to military commanders.

As a result, Servicemembers United has observed that some lesbian and gay servicemembers have been compelled to avoid treatment or to keep important medical information from their doctors, potentially putting them at risk for life-threatening conditions.

Alexander Nicholson, founder and director of Servicemembers United, said in a press release, "Today, the American Medical Association took a principled stance against a law that clearly has a negative impact on military healthcare, military medical providers, and our troops...This is yet another nail in the coffin of the flawed and outdated "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law, and it should send a strong message to those who continue to blindly claim that this policy works."

Instituted by former President Bill Clinton in 1993, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" prohibits the military from inquiring about a service member's sexual orientation, but also calls for the discharge of anyone who acknowledges being lesbian or gay. Thus far, the policy has led to the expulsion of about 13,000 troops.

Photo Credit: quirkybird on flickr.com

National Equality March = Fantastic!

This Sunday, a few of us interns went to the National Equality March, decked out with signs, stickers, buttons, and of course tons of enthusiasm (which we supported with free coffee provided by the Human Rights Campaign.)

The main thing I can really say about the march is: WOW.
Marchers filled the streets all the way from the Capitol Building, around the White House, even all the way to the Human Rights Campaign building, essentially making the city stop to listen to our demands (though one bus tried to push its way through the crowd--we were highly amused).

While waving a rainbow-colored flag and taking pictures of the awesome signs and outfits, I wondered how many tens of thousands of people had come out to support the cause. According to Phil Siegel, a spokeperson for the march, more than 150,000 people showed up! (From the LA Times).

There were a lot of high-powered spokespeople: Judy Shepard, mother of Matthew Shepard and civil rights advocate; Cynthia Nixon, actress from Sex and the City; Lady Gaga, openly bisexual pop icon; and Dustin Lance Black, writer of the movie "Milk."

We cheered; we hoisted our signs up high; we shouted slogans like "Out of the closets, into the streets!" and "What do we want? Equal Rights! When do we want them? Now!" The mood was optmistic, but also impatient, as one sign said "Do we have equality yet? I'm tired from holding up these signs." Marchers nodded to each other with the recognition of similar goals: the end of DOMA, the elimination of Don't Ask Don't Tell, the introduction of hate crime legislation, and Federal laws allowing gay couples to marry.

I can't wait to go to my next march!

Photo Credit: Jason Pier on Flickr.com