The repeal of the military’s ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy has become a political hot topic in recent months. In his first State of the Union address last January, President Barack Obama vowed to ‘work with Congress and the military to finally repeal the law that bars gay men and lesbians from revealing their sexual orientation and prevents the military from asking about it.’

Virginia Phillips, a judge in California ruled Tuesday that ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ was unconstitutional and instituted an immediate and permanent ban on the policy.

On Sept. 21, Congress was given the opportunity to vote on a defense bill that included the conditional repeal of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’ However, the bill failed to receive the 60 Senate votes required for its advancement. Such a defeat in Congress indicates that America still has a long way to go in the battle for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality in this country.

The bill did not receive a single vote from Republican senators, representing the all too familiar trend of partisan politics that has coincided with Obama’s presidency. Such an attitude has stagnated our government and limited the ability for social progress.

Carl Paladino, New York’s Republican gubernatorial candidate said last Sunday he doesn’t want children ‘to be brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid and successful option.’ Such ignorant and offensive remarks are some of the main reasons the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy has been stalled in the repeal process.

On Sept. 29, Rutgers University freshman Tyler Clementi jumped off the George Washington Bridge after being filmed having a sexual encounter with another male student. The story was both shocking and tragic.

Outspoken politicians, such as Paladino, do more than simply halt the repeal of social policies like ‘don’t ask, don’t’ tell;’ they breed an attitude of hatred. They ensure social progress will be delayed and people of the LGBT community will continue to struggle to live their lives free of judgment.

The controversy surrounding the repeal of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ is just another example of America’s inability to adopt liberal social policies protecting the LGBT community.

Even if politicians feel that progress is essential, the partisan attitude of our government all but ensures progress will not be made. Maine’s Republican Sen. Susan Collins voted last May to put the repeal of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ into the defense bill.

In a statement to the Senate floor, Collins said, ‘Society has changed so much since 1993, and we need to change this policy as well.’ Yet she inexplicably voted against the passing of the defense bill, consistent with the rest of the Republican Party.

Opponents of the repeal of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ say it will be a disruption to cohesion in the military. Forcing LGBT people who serve in the military to hide their sexual orientation seems like a far more significant barrier to achieving cohesiveness than the repeal of an outdated, repressive policy.

Judge Phillips’ ruling Tuesday is the most significant step toward eliminating ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ to date. The Justice Department has the opportunity to appeal the verdict, but at this time, it is unknown if it will. Obama will likely wait until after midterm elections before deciding if the Justice Department will in fact appeal the ruling. If the ruling is upheld, LGBT soldiers will finally be able to serve openly in the military, a huge step toward social progress.

American soldiers risk their lives every day to protect America and our way of life. As a society, would it be so hard to say, ‘Thank you. Live your life as you please, since you have enabled me to live my life as I please.’

Benjamin Klein is a junior political science and magazine journalism major. His column appears every Wednesday, and he can be reached at btklein@syr.edu.

 

Published on October 13, 2010 at 12:00 pm