Silent Partners: The Other Victims of Don't Ask, Don't Tell
By MaxMarginal Monday Jul 06, 2009 6:15pmWe hear a lot about the reasons to get rid of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. The fact that having openly gay servicemembers in the armed forces will do absolutely nothing to undermine the effectiveness of the military, whereas discharging gay Arabic translators like Lt. Dan Choi does plenty. There's the exorbitant costs of replacing discharged servicemembers.
Here's something to add to that list: the near-inhuman treatment the partners of gay military members face.
Silent Partners, the new episode of Brave New Foundation's In Their Boots shows loved ones of our armed forces confined to a world far from the tearful reunions on military base tarmacs, let alone the spousal support networks, base access, family assistance centers, and other amenities available to members of "typical" military families.
Under DADT, Ben Cartwright, the longtime partner of a deployed servicemember, must strip the "I love you" from his phone conversations, censor his written correspondence, meet his partner at a gas station rather than on base, and "de-gay" their home when his partner is picked up by his military buddies.
From his new post at HuffPo:
While my partner serves our country during these wars, I receive no benefits (medical benefits, family separation allowance, etc); I cannot access the family and spousal resources on the military base out of which he serves, or take part in military family events. I have no access to "military spouse" support groups and networks. When my partner graduated from military training and when he left for Iraq I had to stand on the sidelines- to vanish, disappear from his life and pretend I did not know him. I was proud to see him off, but heartbroken that I could not give him a hug and what could have been a final kiss goodbye.
Michelle Obama, speaking to military families in March, said, "See, military families have done their duty, and we as a grateful nation must do ours. We must do everything in our power to honor them by supporting them; not just by word but by deed."
An executive order scrapping Don't Ask, Don't Tell sounds like just the deed.
Sign VoteVets.org's petition to overturn Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
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Why is this still an issue? Get with the program, US military!
Gay people are human beings. Let them live their lives openly and in peace.
Jeez!
Leviticus for decades, and the Christian right wanted to take rights away to satiate their fear/hate/religious beliefs. It would be ridiculous. It really is a cancer on society that other advanced western democracies have moved beyond, and its continuation only serves to show that government is in the business of prosletizing and acting as a partner to an organized religion, breaking the law.
you've never been in the military, have you?
each other, as that would undermine the moral uprightness associated with the business of killing.
I agree........but if some people in this country had their way, we would still be in the dark ages..........and some of them would love to see us in a public hanging........if we could just get rid of the religion.........then maybe things would change........but having been the recipient of some of the hate, I don't think it will ever change.......at least not in my lifetime.........what a waste of knowledge and talent!!!!
btw, a hearty good evening to you, ScottyBoy :)
are in Xe (formerly known as Blackwater, Inc.), Triple Canopy and all the other mercenary corporations who are now contracted with the federal government to provide "security" in Iraq, Afghanistan and God only knows where the "F" else??
Oh, gee. Guess we'll never know about those statistics...since they're all PRIVATE.
Good night....
And good luck.
The United States is many things. Unfortunately, being socially progressive simply is not one those things. There are some who still actually believe that people 'choose' to be gay and is a mental deficiency. Up until 2003, you could be arrested for publicly kissing someone of the same gender in some states. DADT is just one of many attempts by the true masters of this country to tell people how they really should and should not live.
you will immediately see the return of the Draft again.
With DADT, you cannot draft anyone. For some draft-dodger, all he would have to do is simply put on some lipstick, a pink tu-tu, and prance about the induction center's hallways. He'd be promptly escorted out and removed from any future draft.
Without DADT, there are no restrictions and the induction of young men, and women, will commence.
Are you prepared for more war?
n/t
I'm in the US military and I have to completely disagree with repealing the DADT policy. Am I a gay basher NO i'm not! I'm all for live and let live ,BUT that doesn't make me comfortable with having to shower in open bays with an openly homosexual male! Put yourself in that situation and lets see how many of you would be TOTALLY comfortable! I'm not the only one, MAJORITY of the military IS NOT homosexual, we're Heterosexual and out of those its safe to say majorty feel comfortable with the DADT policy as it stands. How would i know, its very easy JUST ASK 10-20 MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY HOW THEY HONESTLY FEEL about it! The bad thing about that is NO politician has the balls to ask the military population how WE feel about repealing DADT! How easy it is for people who don't serve in the military to jump on the bandwagon for repealing DADT when they're not the ones that will have to directly live with after effects.
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