I am hoping this blog post will bring discussion! *poised and ready*
So, I’m not in the military. Whether or not a soldier is gay or bi-sexual or even heterosexual does not directly affect me. But, I do have a pre-teen son (a heterosexual) who has expressed his desire to be in the military and fight for our country since he was about 6. With that said, I do take this Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) issue to heart.
My spin:
I don’t care about the sexuality of those fighting for our country. I do care about our armed forces upholding certain values (integrity, honesty, fidelity, honor, valor, strength, focus, willingness to be selfless when necessary, protective of other soldiers, amongst other things).
I don’t worry about the ability of a gay or bisexual soldier to do his or her job. I do worry about their change in the effectiveness and efficiency of them executing their tasks if paired with or working with a team of soldiers who are intolerant and are forced to abruptly accept the gay lifestyle of a fellow soldier.
I am not concerned with the person in the uniform. I am concerned with the pride they have in the uniform. I am concerned with the manner at which they wear the uniform.
My list could continue, but I hope you get the point. This issue, in my opinion, is not one of a moral and spiritual nature. This is a human rights issue. In that many are mistaken in identifying the direction from which this issue should be approached. Is one’s expression of their sexuality a basic human right? The debate should return to this center. Debra L. DeLAET describes the differences between “special rights” and human rights in her book, The Global Struggle for Human Rights: Universal Principles in World Politics. DeLAET explains there are some sexual rights which DO NOT fall in the bounds of accepted basic human rights. As a reminder (or introduction to some), globally agreed upon human rights include: right to food and water of adequate quality, right to shelter, right to life (not to be confused with the abortion issue), right to basic education, right to live in safety, right to reasonable access to health care. If a “right” is not a basic human right, one which is necessary for all human to sustain their life here on earth, then it is a “special right”. A special right is in most cases no less important or necessary than a basic human right. According to DeLART, special rights enable an individual to live in a manner which allows them the equal opportunity to exercise their basic human rights (DeLAET, 2006) .
In other words, without Women’s Rights (a special right), women would not be able to equally access job s, education, and other privileges necessary for them to live a quality of life containing food, shelter, safety, health care, and so on. Gay rights can also be seen as a similar “special right”. Again, I am purposely not approaching this issue from one of a moral or spiritual nature. This is not about whether homosexuality is “right” or “wrong”. We are all people first. The issue should be a human, a people issue first.
I am concerned about forcing acceptance of any group or any lifestyle on another group without proper preparation and foresight. I usually do not agree with the parallel between gay rights and the African-American struggle. However, I must point out one concern. When the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was enforced across the United States, there was a backlash of hatred, intolerance, and increase violence. If DADT is repealed, I wonder if similar backlash will take place within the ranks of the military! Without tolerance training, the amendment of fraternization rules to include same sex relationships, psychological support, and spiritual counseling (for some), there could be a serious division within our now strong military. Has the following been considered and how will it be handled: How will the military handle a man or woman that can now be openly gay saying he or she would be more comfortable in the uniform of the opposite sex? How will the military handle a man or woman stating he or she feels like they are trapped in the body of the opposite sex, so they want to be allowed to live as that opposite sex while in the military and during war? What about sexual reassignment surgery after enlistment? I am raising these questions to bring awareness to issues I have not, in my limited research, heard discussed at any real length.
The decision to repeal DADT should be done with less emotion and more common sense. If it must happen, then the leaders need to identify the safest manner. When a major issue such as same sex marriage or legalization of marijuana needs to be decided on within a state the residents of that state vote on the proposition. I wonder if the military can offer a similar voting system for the DADT issue. I wonder if there could be an anonymous official vote (machines and not paper ballets) where the actual soldiers can vote for repealing DADT or against. Let the soldiers themselves decide in the most discrete and protected manner.
The main concern is for the safety of the nation and those living therein. Leaders must either repeal or uphold DADT in a manner which will not cause dissention within the ranks and will not undermine the strength of the military of this great nation. It is my (and your) basic human right to live safely. That is my concern.
Reference
DeLAET, D. L. (2006). The Global Struggle for Human Rights: Universal Principles in World Politics. Belmont: Thompson - Wadsworth.
Post your comments or email tpinckney@revelatusconsulting.com
