Homosexual Soldiers Essay

For years women have been trying to gain gender equality throughout the working world, along with in the military. Since the beginning of a uniformed military, women could not serve in military occupational specialty (MOS) positions that put them in direct combat roles. Although many women have contributed in significant ways, they have not been authorized to serve in MOS such as infantry, artillery, or armor. As the war on terrorism has developed since 9/11, women have slowly worked their way farther into the military and its many roles. This resulted in women being placed into direct combat roles. Though women have been allowed into many different roles, there is still one battle that they have yet to win and this time the majority is not backing them. Women are trying to gain access to United States Special Operations units in every branch of the military and the majority of these operators are not happy about it. While some people believe women deserve equality and the chance to do what men can do in the military, that is why women should not be

The issue of gays in the military has been controversial in the United States for many decades. Over these decades there have been many different proposals as to what approach to take in order to handle the situation of homosexuals in the military. However, in 1992 when Bill Clinton was running for President of the United States, he made a promise to lift the ban on homosexuals in the military if he was elected (Washington Post). Bill Clinton followed through with his promise, and in December 1993 he instituted “a defense directive that military applicants should not to be asked about their sexual orientation” (Washington Post). This is now known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was the result

This condemnation eventually led to the introduction of the separation of homosexuals from military service as seen with the neutral blue discharges which were often given to homosexual servicemen starting in 1916 . This neutral discharge was then labeled “general” and “undesirable”, resulting in a less honorable discharge. Discharges concerning men who were found to be guilty in engaging in homosexual acts were severely different than those who were neutrally discharged. If this were the case then you were then dishonorably discharged (“Don't Ask, Don't Tell” - Wikipedia). The current policy of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Harass, Don't Pursue1, derived from the original 1993 Department of Defense Directive 1332.14 coined Don't Ask, Don't Tell, ensures that any American citizen can participate in the Armed Forces. This policy is a step-up from the usual immediate discharge, however, this is only if the service member does not identify

Transgendered persons can potentially lose their position in the military. Although other political leaders disagree with president’s trumps proposal. I disagree with the proposed actions that transgenders should be banned from the military, based on material and nonmaterial components. The terms Heterosexism, cultural relativism, feminist and standpoint theory will be used to support my decision.

Now the military tradition and culture has to adapt to the presence of women and gays. Now masculinity and femininity are both represented in the military. Now the military culture has to inclusive vs. exclusive and it has to be tolerant of a variety of soldiers like never before. Military tradition can no longer cling to the rigid male combat masculine-warrior persona.

The second point of how life would change is in the barracks. If you knew that someone in your barracks or platoon was gay or lesbian would you want them there? Would you just not worry about them or would you go to a higher ranked person and asked if the gay or lesbian be removed? Personally if I knew that a gay or lesbian person bunked next to me or above me I would have a problem with it. There’s a difference between someone that acts homosexual and a person that acts straight around straight people but act gay around gays. People that are gay and engage in homosexual activities should be discharged and not allowed to serve in the

Lately, there has been an outbreak of people of the LGBT community coming out in the military. Historically the United States has had a policy of discharging gays in the military. There has been an act called the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”, it is basically saying that as long as somebody does not ask about your gender preferences, you do not have to tell. Even though the ban has been lifted, many militaries still say they cannot accept anyone from the LGBT inside. They do not care about how well you can perform or your strengths and that mindset is going to come back and hit them in the long run. Militaries that are judging these kids are taking them away from somewhere they feel safe and a place where they can finally belong. Members of the LGBT community find refuge in the military. It was one of the only places where they can prove their worth, where people aren’t focusing on their sexuality. They shouldn’t be judged based on their sexual preferences. Instead, they should be judged on their personality, performance, and their ability to get the job done precisely and correctly.

Another problem with the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy is that, if discovered, homosexuals will be discharged from the military. The discharge of a homosexual from the military, based on his personal life, is a violation of equal rights. Every human is different, but none should be judged separately based upon who they are. “We find unity in our incredible diversity, drawing on the promise enshrined in our Constitution: the notion that we are all created equal, that no matter who you are or what you look like, if you abide by the law you should be protected by it; that if you adhere to our common values you should be treated no different than anyone else” (Obama 1). This statement shows that the nation does know about equal rights and is pushing for equal rights; therefore, “don’t ask, don’t tell” needs to be repealed for the integrity of our nation.

There are claims that allowing gays and lesbians into the service openly about their sexual orientation is violation to all service members’ privacy. Officially, military commanders and investigators are required to respect service members’ privacy and are not allowed to investigate personnel for homosexuality. This action is described as a witch hunt. Witch hunts distract the service members from their work and the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” made this distraction easier. This causes interference with the ability for them to do their job performance effectively.

The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy was one of the most influential procedures enacted by the United States Military during the 1990’s, and it continued to shape the Military until its repeal almost two decades after its passing. While allowing homosexuals to serve in the military, DADT also prevented those gay soldiers from revealing their sexuality, and forbid members of Armed Forces from inquiring about the sexuality of other soldiers. It had a massive influence on service members; by 2008, DADT had caused the discharge of over 12,000 officers who did not hide their sexual preference (“Don’t Ask, Don’t…”). After the policy had been in place for almost twenty years, Congress proposed the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act in 2010. Despite

US Armed Forces is historically an organization lead by men, for men. It is comprised of about 14.5 % female and 85.5% male according to a 2011poll (CNN U.S, Jan 2014). In an organization with a rich history and legacy of obedience and restraint, it is hard to imagine the secret society of “The good ol boys”. It has been acceptable for men to “work hard, play hard”. We have all seen the movies where the men come back from overseas, invade the bars, have a good time, take a girl home, and it is acceptable behavior. What happens after they leave the bar? What happens when she says no? In November of 2013, there were 3,553 reported sexual assault cases (ABC News, 2013).

The military leadership believed gay and lesbian service members were not fit for military service, were a security risk, threatened cohesion in the unit, and they violated the privacy of members of their units who were not gay. This outlook has however been refuted by policy makers, who according to Huffman et al., (2012) argued that sexual orientation was not a sufficient ground to reduce the performance of an individual during combat. General Powell alluded to this when putting a case for the group to a senate committee. According to Huffman et al., (2012) the rationale banning gays from military service also went against the just war theory since according to General Colin Powell the gays and lesbians were proud, brave and loyal citizens who deserved a chance to serve the nation. The ban on the gays also went against constitution on freedom of discrimination of all American citizens through race, color or creed. During my time in the service, I only had to chapter one Soldier out of the service due to the DADT, we didn’t know he was gay, until one night of drinking in the barracks, he made a pass at another Soldier and that Soldier reported him to his chain of

This policy turned out to be a flop and wasn’t taken very seriously, as the higher ranked officers did not punish violators of the rule and some didn’t abide by it themselves. So later on, the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy was modified to the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Pursue” policy, to try and cut down on violators of this law. This has been working to a point, but needs to be changed to teach and inform all members of the army about gays and lesbians, and to also discipline quickly and severely the members of the military that would be considered harassment, including verbal abuse, sometimes known as gay bashing.

Gay people have not always been barred from military service, and in fact, have served in the nation's wars throughout its history. The military's official stance toward gays and lesbians has evolved over time, often in tandem with social change. In the 1920's and 1930's, homosexuality was treated as a criminal offense, punishable by imprisonment. That attitude began to change in the early 1940's,

Many individuals were highly gracious at this idea, no matter the negativity that surrounds this topic. When referencing to the article by the New York Times on Ashton Carter’s announcement, he states “Americans who want to serve and can meet our standards should be afforded the opportunity to compete to do so. After all, our all-volunteer force is built upon having the most qualified Americans” (Rosenberg, 2016). The article’s point of view perceives an appreciative tone towards the U.S. military members and how much they sacrifice. For their sacrifices, the government is willing to help formulate policies that can open doors to a new tolerance and acceptance towards sexual identity. Through my discovery of this change in policy, I realized how much this will help not only the individuals who are suffering from this condition but it will help the companionship of the military. I struggle with being completely open with my fellow service members because of the tension there was on the topic of sexual identity. After hearing the statements made by both the Secretary of Defense and the Defense Secretary, I felt like I am part of a whole different world now that there is an understanding of the struggles and tolls taken to maintain personal happiness in such a demanding career. Having higher authorities who are able to implement policies amongst the U.S. government who have vital points of views on this controversial