Homosexuals in the Military
Prejudice and ignorance are two of the most prominent ills of our society today. The way gay soldiers are treated today is no exception. Many have been forced to resign due to their sexual orientation, which has little or nothing to do with their ability as soldiers. Most members of our armed forces have no experience in relating to gay people, resulting in a fear that has caused pain to many people, both homosexual and heterosexual. In 2010, Obama put this country into place when he signed the, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010”. Even though this was signed, it is still a very heated debate within the government and this society. People should not have to worry about being gay when they sign up to protect their country. They also should not be judged on the basis of their sexuality.
When Obama signed the, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010”, it got rid of the original “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Act” that was signed by President Clinton in 1993. The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Act”, was not working out as planned. Instead of helping the gay community, it made things a lot worse. In an article written by Lincoln Caplan, he states, “Investigators routinely ask soldiers to name other marines rumored to be gay and threaten them if they don't confess to homosexual acts.” (Caplan n. pag). Sgt. Robert S. Nadel, a marine in the military, was once court-martialled for allegedly doing homosexual acts. For Nadel and many other soldiers like him, the real policy was more like ``Pursue, Ask and Force to Tell.” (Caplan n. pag). The repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Act” has really helped allow homosexuals to be openly gay without any consequences.
What didn’t really go together was the fact that even though their country was discriminating them, homosexuals still wanted to help protect it. “In many ways it's mind-boggling that gay men and women chose to serve a nation that refused to acknowledge them. These servicemen and women...