posted by Sam Richards
Watch this video and read the text. And while you’re doing so, think about two things:
1. For those of you who think you “know” when someone is LGBT…would you ever think that Darren Manzella is gay?
2. A recent report from military officials investigating whether having LGBT soldiers on a unit “weakens morale” decidedly determined that it does not and that the DADT policy should be abandoned.
If I had ever seen Dan Manzella on the street around campus or around my hometown, I would have never thought of him as being gay. He seems to be well-built (most likely due to the military) and dresses nicely, so I would have probably assumed he was in a fraternity if he was around campus or just likes to look nice at home. He looks very similar to male friends I do have, and as far as I know, they are not gay. I guess that idea shows just how much people take for granted that if people do not act flamboyant and dress in bright colors and designer labels, or speak with a girly voice and address themselves as “miss”, then they are not gay. We almost create a stereotype for people who are not gay as much as we create a stereotype for people who are gay. I have never thought of myself as being good at determining if a person was gay or not by just seeing them as they pass me by on the streets. Some of my friends will ask me if I think someone is gay, and then even tell me that they are usually right about who is homosexual, just by looking at appearances. I think it is weird that they admit that they are good at determining who is and who is not gay. How do they decide that? Do they track these people down? Also, why does it matter? These men and women are doing nothing towards us, therefore why is it even an issue? Even so, I highly doubt that any one of them would have said that Dan was gay. It is not fair that Dan be discharged from the military for homosexuality, especially since he was upfront about it and they said “there was no evidence”, and deployed him to Iraq again. Was the only reason they could not look past his homosexuality because he announced it through an interview on national television? The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy is something that should be abandoned, as long as it does not affect the soldiers. I understand that this was a policy set in place so that anyone who wanted to join the military was allowed. However, I believe that at this point in time, our society has become more accepting since 1993 of the different types of people that would apply, such as homosexuals. While the policy is annoying because people cannot be open about whom they truly are, I still think that there are some people w ho will discriminate against them. It is horrible, but it happens. I feel that as long as the army takes the necessary steps to make sure that the soldiers are still all treated equally, that then the policy should be abandoned.
The don’t ask don’t tell policy in the military is very discriminatory. That’s straightforward, that’s obvious, I mean it is what it is. However there is a positive light to this whole situation, from my perspective of course, I see it as, who really wants to go to war anyways? And if you do, you just want to serve a year or two. You don’t want to have to continue to put your life at halt, to be called into a war. But if you’re gay and you enlist yourself into the army you end up spending however much time you want to stay in the war, until you say or become openly gay, and then you’re discharged with full benefits. I mean that’s a plus, an upside. If need be I’d sign up for the war to get all the benefits then say I was gay. But I know that sounds wrong, so I’m going to get down to what really matters, what really matters is that everybody should have a fair chance at life and the opportunity life gives you. You should have the right whether you’re gay, straight, purple, or green to serve your country, to live and die for it, to protect your people. Your sexual orientation should not matter when it comes to fighting for what you think it right. When in times of war, and you know self protection, as a community, as a family, as Americans we need to come together to protect what we believe in and the preservation of those beliefs. It isn’t right that you can’t be openly who you are, when heterosexuals can be openly heterosexual. That’s unfair, and this whole thing about gays bringing down the morality of the squad is quite stupid. You all know that everyday death is upon you, so within your squad you become deeply connected, like brothers or sisters, whatever sex you desire or whatever race you desire, separates itself from the situation, because you can die any minute. It puts pressure on you to realize that you are a human being and this is your life. All the stuff that usually matter, don’t matter in these moments that these young men and women have. So I believe that the research is right, and I believe that the policies should be changed, and I figure that it will in days soon to come. A fighter will be a fighter, they will be able to take orders, they will be able to kill, and they will be able to save, no matter what their sexual preference is. I believe as many of my fellow peers within my generation, that it is coming to a time where we need to accept and realize that we are all humans on this earth trying to live and experience. And we don’t need hatred based on ignorance to rule our perceptions. We need to live and let live, and love and let love.
I am not entirely sure what this clip is trying to portray for this blog post. To me it says that the government has an issue with sexual orientation in the military, but even with evidence against the solider they can still serve a full term. Many people have fear of the unknown and what they do not understand. Went looking at the government they seem to be behind when it comes to what is socially accepted. So can we really blame the government for fearing something they do not fully understand? Just look at the data that we see of socially acceptance and how it has drastically changed within the last thirty years. To me the “don’t ask, don’t tell” concept is the way that the government has chosen to fix the problems that it currently has with its system. LGBT rights and issues have become such an important topic when it comes to politics anymore. For the military to change an ordinance would me that they would have to admit they were wrong on an issue from the beginning. Even though the data recorded proves there is no link between sexual orientation and morale if the government admits openly they are wrong on this LGBT issue they will start to face the fact that many laws will need to be changed. And since the military is the heart of the government, for an issue to change there would create a land slide effect through most major government groups.
I understand that there are investigations made into military personnel when they are supposed to be gay, but it seems to be an interesting result. As this solider said he was investigated, but the investigation came back as not being gay, even though he had public pictures of him and his boyfriend. I have notice this to be a trend with the government and the military. My cousin was in the Army for several years and I asked him the one time about issues with homosexuals being in the military. His response was something that I did not expect. He told me that he did not care if the guy next to him was gay, what he cared about is that the person could do their job. This made an impression on me. As I mention before the military has done their investigations because they are supposed to, but many times the result is no action being taken. I feel that this follows very closely with what my cousin said to me. If the person can do their job and not cause problems for their squad then there is not problem. I expect the military will change their policy one day, but it will probably not be until after homosexuals are allowed legal unions in all countries. Sexual orientation should have nothing to do with your job, just as race should be the same way. If you can perform your job then there is no issue, just like this clip proved by allowing Darren Manzella to go on a second tour of Iraq.
So basically we’re hearing the same thing we’ve been hearing for the past 10 years, Don’t ask don’t tell does not work. Surprise. It is really frustrating to continue to hear this over, and over, and over, but I guess since no one is going to change it, I’ll have to throw in my two cents. I remember my Dad first telling me about the Don’t ask Don’t tell policy when I was really little, I was far too young to really have any logical reason to approve or dissaprove, so I just agreed with my Dad that is was a dumb policy and went on with my life. As I get older, and look more critically at this policy (or law) I see that it is not only out right discrimination, it is a great way of taking valuable men and women out of our military. I have not yet looked at any of the studies regarding Don’t ask don’t tell, but for the sake of my argument right now, I’ll assume that the studies are valid. I just don’t follow the logic, it seems that recruiters are always after people to enlist in the military and serve our country, but when people are willing, they will not let them, or go as for as to kick them out! It just does not seem logical. Personally, I think that homosexuality is wrong. Now, I also know that it is not always someone’s choice to be gay or lesbian; however, that gives us no right to discriminate against them. It is a sin, although it appears to be different, or worse, it counts the same as any sin out there, so why should we push people out of the military because of it? The guy in the article served two tours in Iraq, was premoted how many times in his brief stint? He is a valuable soldier, his story is a testament to the fact that gays are not a detriment to our military. He did not appear to make his fellow soldiers uncomfortable, why should he be discriminated against, just because he is gay. I may not agree with what he does sexually, but I have absolutely no right to judge him based on that, further, I respect him simply because he served our country and I appreciate all the effort that he put in to protect our country. So back to the Don’t ask don’t tell law. The LGBT community should have the same right to join our military and defend our country. They are off the same value as the other members, and its simple discrimination to not let them join. I’ll have to check out the studies, but as of now, DADT is ignorant, and I hope that the military fixes it, or at least examines it.
In my opinion, I believe that sexuality has nothing to do with being capable of fighting in the war for our country. If you are qualified and go through the training, then you should be able to fight. I don’t see what makes gay people any less eligible. I do not agree with the statement that LGBT soldiers “weaken morale” of the unit. The only issue I see for those who are homophobes. These soldiers could feel uncomfortable being around gay people but that is really their problem. This could create a less unified community. These ignorant soldiers need to get used to it and accept people for who they are. People need to get over their fears and realize that gay people are just like everyone else. That is the only issue that could weaken the morale of the unit with gay people fighting in the war.
As for Darren Manzella, I would never ever be able to tell that he is gay. The stereotypes of homosexuals are usually more feminine. He is a strong, confident, well-qualified soldier. What makes a straight guy any more equipped for war? By booting him from fighting, the army is losing yet another great solider. I just don’t get why the army is doing this. We need all the soldiers we can get so why be so picky and cut people from fighting. In addition, Manzella was fighting for the United States of America. Is this country about freedom, expressing ones self and not being discriminatory? I can’t comprehend why the army would not let him fight. Was he not doing his job? Imagine if you put everything into fighting for your country. You worked extremely hard to get where you are today. You risked your life for America and then you are told you aren’t allowed being you are gay. I would be furious.
The ask don’t tell policy in the army is bullshit. People have to hide their sexuality to ensure that others are uncomfortable. Manzella stated that 65,000 soldiers in the war are gay. It is so unfair for all of these brave people to be forced to hide who they are. We should be thankful for everyone who steps up and fights for our country.
The military really should rethink this policy because it is unjust and also is hurting the military. I am sure some of the best soldiers in the army are gay and this policy is costing the army to lose their best fighters. It disgusts me that these soldiers have to hide their identities.
I give Darren Manzella a lot of credit for talking about his experience. Maybe the military will finally realize what a big mistake they made with this policy.
Reading these articles and the different blogs is really getting me thinking about how I really feel. But what I have found out most is that I am really torn on major topics. I know I should feel one way but keep finding that I feel another. I also am realizing sometimes my thought contradict themselves. The blog, ”The Don’t Ask Don’t Tell…Please” has gotten me to really think about my opinions about homosexuality. I know that I fully support those who are LGBTA, and it really upsets me how they are treated in this country. With that said, I am not firm on my opinion about the don’t ask don’t tell possibly in the United States Army. I understand why they instituted this possibly, but it makes me sad that were still so behind that we even need this possibly in place. A person’s sexual orientation should not mean anything to anyone else, especially when it comes to employment. A person should be able to do or be whatever they want regardless of their sexual orientation. The army should be more accepting than they are now. If a person is willing to serve in the military, they should be honored and welcomed to do so- no questions asked. We are lucky that we have people in this country willing to risk their lives to save ours. If that person chooses to like people of the same sex, then what difference does that make?
On the other hand, I understand the policy. Because I think a person’s sexuality does not make a difference in their role in society, why can’t you just not discuss it? A straight person does not have to defend their “straightness”, so a gay person shouldn’t have to either. This policy helps protect the LGBTA community in the army and was instituted for the reason. It its nobodies business but your own what your sexual orientation is, so its best to just keep that information to yourself. If you choose to join the army and your part of the LGBTA community, you know what you are getting yourself into. You know that the army is predominantly men, and you also know what most of their feelings are about LGBTA’s….so why not just accept that your lucky to be in the army if it was you please, and keep your life separate . It is not fair that it has to be this way, but it is how it is. People have all kinds of dreams, and in order to accomplish those dreams we all make sacrifices somewhere along the way. So to serve the army, you have to make some sacrifices. Hopefully one day our country can change and the LGBTA community will be more accepted, but until then, we have to live our lives and keep doing what we can.
This is a very interesting article and video and I would have to agree with Sam and say that at first appearance this guy does not seem to be gay at all. I think it’s a shame that he got discharged from the military. Being in the ROTC here at Penn State and knowing that I will be serving active duty time in the military upon my graduation I feel like this is a subject a little closer to home for me. I’m sure as a future officer in the U.S. Navy that I will probably run into similar situations. We are taught to adapt and overcome any and every kind of situation you can imagine. I personally do not know how we could kick a person out of the military strictly because of their sexual orientation. If that person had done something that would make their sexual orientation a conflict then by all means do what is best for the unit. This guy didn’t seem to cause any problems nor have any enemies amongst his brothers in the U.S. Army. If he wasn’t causing problems or drawing attention negatively to his men then why should he not be allowed to fight? We have an American citizen who is willing to fight for our country and for the freedoms that we have created here but he cannot because he is gay. That doesn’t sound like freedom to me. Personally I respect the fact that he knew about the don’t ask don’t tell policy but he was still willing to go fight. I also agree with him when he says that one day the policy will be changed and that it will probably be changed fairly easy without much conflict. One of the biggest discussions in the Navy right now is whether we can place women on submarines. This is more than likely to happen within a few years so the way I see it is if we can trust men and women to behave and not cause problems in a 300 foot enclosed tube for 6 months at a time, why can’t a gay man or woman fight for their country on land? The number of LGBT people in the military is a mystery to me but I have no doubts that there are a lot of people living double lives so that they can do what they feel is right. They want to fight for our freedoms but in order to do so they must hide who they really are. That doesn’t seem right to me at all. If a person can accept discipline and follow orders what does it matter whether they like people of the same sex. As long as they can complete the mission at hand and do what has to be done in a strict but respectful manner it shouldn’t matter.
After watching this video, I can’t help but ask myself what century are we really in?? There is absolutely zero reason in my mind why anyone should not be allowed to serve their country. Black, white, blue, purple, gay, straight, bisexual… what does it matter? If heterosexuals are allowed to openly discuss their sexuality and discuss their husbands or wives or children at home, why should homosexuals not be allowed to do the same exact thing? Are we not living in a free country? Isn’t the 5th amendment there so that people’s voices can’t be hushed? The fact that Darren Manzella was actually discharged because of being open about his sexuality is so disturbing to me. The actually Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy is disturbing in itself. Why should someone have to hide who there are, just to serve their country? The only point that I can even see being made to keep the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy is that having openly homosexual people around would lower the morale. After the investigation that was done shows that it does not weaken the morale, what is the reason for having the policy? There is none.
For the question asking “for those of you know think you “know” when someone is LGBT… would you ever think that Darren Mazella is gay?” I would like to respond by saying, why does it matter? Although I see the point that yes, Darren does not look “gay” but what if he did? Does that mean that he should be under different scrutiny than a gay man who looks straight? I don’t think so at all. Your sexuality should have nothing to do with how you are treated, and neither should how much you project your sexuality. If Darren would have been speaking in a higher pitch, giggled a little more, said something “flamboyant” would this question be asked?
This story is heartbreaking and it is so confusing how it can actually happen. A man who risks everything for his country and this is how he is repaid? Does that not seem absolutely bizarre? I thought it was interesting when he talked about the military being one of the most diverse groups in the world. He says any group can adapt to change, so why cant the military? He is so right, there are all different types of people in the military who have the same common goal. Why does sexuality play a part in that what-so-ever? You are told what to do, you follow orders, and that is that. Issues like this make me want to shake the United States government and scream “WAKE UP!!!”
In my opinion, the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy is one of the most inefficient, pointless, and discriminatory things the military could put in place. There is no reason why someone’s sexual orientation should have anything to do with the commitment and honor of a soldier serving in the army. A LBGT soldier is no less qualified by any means than any other straight soldier. Like the video said, the army is one of the most diverse groups and it should not be discriminating against anyone who is gay. That is just saying that the army is embarrassed to have these men or women serve, which is absolutely insane. If the straight soldiers in the army can talk about their love lives and significant others, then why can’t the gay or lesbian soldiers? They are people too, and they are supposed to be equal so what is the big deal then? These men go through all of the same training and deal with the same intensity, pressure, and workouts, so they should all be treated the same.
It is crazy that the military has this policy when these men and women are giving their lives to fight for this country. The people of the United States of America owe their lives to these soldiers who are fighting so we can live safe and happy lives, and we should be thanking them, not discharging them from the army because they have a different sexual preference. It is completely unfair that the military decides to discriminate against them when they are giving all they have for their country and fellow citizens.
It is also absurd to me how the army actually thought that having a gay or lesbian soldier in a unit would bring down the morale of that unit. If morale was low in a unit, there should be no reason why a soldier’s sexual orientation should be to blame. A straight soldier or gay soldier alike could bring the morale of the unit down, but it is an uneducated assumption that it would be a result of sexual preference.
I know if I was a soldier in the United States Army, and I knew I had a LBGT soldier in my unit I would never think less of them or think they were unequal to me in any way. I would actually think they were very brave and courageous for coming out, and I would probably respect them more for having that much courage. It is not right for the military to tell these soldiers that they are any different from the others. In the video when Darren Manzella was discharged, I think it was so demeaning that they put “homosexuality” on the papers. Other soldiers do not have the word straight on their papers so why would sexual orientation be needed on a LBGT soldier’s papers?
I am writing my journal entry this week on the blog posted concerning the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Before I read the blog I was only vaguely familiar with the policy, but did not really fully understand so I googled it to find out some more information. The first the to pop up was the Wikipedia definition where it stated, that it prohibited anyone who “demonstrate(s) a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts” from serving in the armed forces of the United States, because “it would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability.” After reading this much and when I started to fully understand the DADT policy I decided that it just seems like a stupid policy from the get go. The only thing I see of the policy is discrimination because they are not allowed to express their sexual orientation, nor does it seem like it would be welcomed. In the blog post it says that having LGBT soldiers would weaken morale, and I completely disagree, I personally it would make the unit stronger and more diverse. Not only that, but being gay, or bisexual, does not make you any less of a soldier. You are still out there fighting for the United States, why should anyone care what the soldiers sexual orientation is?
In regards to Darren Manzella’s situation, after watching the video, I would never in a million years think that he was gay at all. I think it just goes to show you that people can not say that they can always tell when people are gay, because not every gay man is flamboyant, or not ever lesbian is “butch”, as some people say. Granted, Darren may have been hiding some of his “gay” tendencies because he knew it would not be accepted, I still would never have guessed. I have heard so many people say that they have “gay-dar” (meaning that they think they can always spot when someone is gay), and i personally do not think that is possible. I can hardly ever tell when someone is gay.
I think it is sad that Darren Mazella was discharged because he was gay. It just does not seem right at all. I do not think that the military should have the right to conduct these types of investigations to see if a person is gay. They do not go out of their way to investigate if someone is straight, and when people are straight they are not discriminated against, or prohibited to talk about their wives or husbands. I do not see why people who are LGBT should be treated any different. If these people want to come out and fight for our country nothing should hold them back.
In response to the Sam’s blog entry entitled “Don’t ask don’t tell…please” I was outraged and the segregation the military has for members of the LGBT community. In the article Sam asked the question “Would you think Darren Manzella is gay?’’ My response to this question is no, but honestly it makes no difference to me whether and individual is homosexual, bisexual, queer etc. The fact of the matter is be base our views on people from their race, ethnic background and sexual preference more than we judge the actual character and morals of the person. The argument was made that homosexuals actually decrease the morale of the army unit, and once again this is completely judgmental not only on the homosexual individual, but it is also saying in a round about way that other members of the unit are so shallow minded that their visions are clouded by one being homosexual. This clearly wasn’t the case for some because it was said in the article that his co-workers were okay with the fact that he was gay. In fact one female who he worked with invited both Darren and his boyfriend to her wedding. After examining the blog entry, the CNN clip and story it is evident that Darren Manzella was deeply discriminated against by the United States Military and as a society we focus too much on sexual ethnicity and not on the actual person.
Darren explained that he didn’t know he was gay when he was younger because he didn’t know anyone else that was gay. He did the same things his brothers did when they were children and teenagers; the only difference between them is he liked men instead of girls. This is the case for all members of this community, they are just like all of us in terms of their day to day life, the only difference is in the bedroom and for most this is a private area anyway, we don’t need to pry into this subject with anyone. Darren explained that it was his supervisor who explained to him that he broke the “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” (DADT) policy. He was later honorably discharged with the reason being homosexuality. This to me is absolutely absurd in the sense that being gay is not a crime. He did nothing wrong under the law, so why is this happening to him? My opinion is DADT should be abandoned because it serves no real purpose. All the members of the military are selfless heroes and to the nation, their sexual preference means nothing. We should be promoting the idea that people should be comfortable and open with themselves and those around them, not forcing individuals to hide this. You would think Darren would be bitter toward the situation; however he is optimistic toward the situation claiming, “If any organization can rebound on a situation like this in the military.” Darren along with the other 65,000 LGBT members in the U.S military are inspirations to all of us.
√I strongly disagree with the “Don’t ask don’t tell” policy in the military. I don’t necessarily understand the reason for it but in some way I feel that the United States wants to cover up gay and lesbians because they’re afraid of what other countries may think and do not want the United States looking weak because there are gays and lesbians in the army. Even though I am a straight girl, I believe that it is an insult to gays and lesbians. I believe that there are many people who are terrified beyond belief at the thought of entering the army. Any person who is willing to risk their life for their own country is a hero in my book. I cannot say that I would fully and upfront say yes to entering into the army. I do not understand why it matters what the sexual orientation is if they are all supposed to be there for the same reason. I feel as though it is a big smack in the face to the gay and lesbian community as if the army is embarrassed to have them, which in reality makes the army the ones who are weak and embarrassing. I also believe that a homophobic group came up with the idea that they should not be talked about within the military. Would not having gays and lesbians in the army at all make a difference? And what difference would it make if people did talk about their sexual preference? Because I’m not buying that it would affect the war at all. I understand that there is some gay people who may make people feel uncomfortable and awkward being around them. I completely get that but I think that is wrong for it to be a stereotype in the army. Its unfair that the straight guys get to talk about girls all of the time and the ones who aren’t straight have to shit their mouths because its “an embarrassment” if they do. Any soldier is a valuable soldier. The man in the video did not seem to have affected any of the other soldiers in any way and I’m not sure anyone really understands why he is being penalized for it. When he says that if the policy is changed, I agree with that I don’t really think it would make that much of a difference at all to be honest. Being in the military of the United States of America is supposed to be a privilege and we as a country are supposed to be representing freedom. Something I’ve always learned while even a child is that America is all about freedom and being free to make your own decisions an choices and be who you want to be. Is that being reflected in this situation and being a gay person and having to keep their mouth shut about it? Not one bit.
I strongly disagree with the “Don’t ask don’t tell” policy in the military. I don’t necessarily understand the reason for it but in some way I feel that the United States wants to cover up gay and lesbians because they’re afraid of what other countries may think and do not want the United States looking weak because there are gays and lesbians in the army. Even though I am a straight girl, I believe that it is an insult to gays and lesbians. I believe that there are many people who are terrified beyond belief at the thought of entering the army. Any person who is willing to risk their life for their own country is a hero in my book. I cannot say that I would fully and upfront say yes to entering into the army. I do not understand why it matters what the sexual orientation is if they are all supposed to be there for the same reason. I feel as though it is a big smack in the face to the gay and lesbian community as if the army is embarrassed to have them, which in reality makes the army the ones who are weak and embarrassing. I also believe that a homophobic group came up with the idea that they should not be talked about within the military. Would not having gays and lesbians in the army at all make a difference? And what difference would it make if people did talk about their sexual preference? Because I’m not buying that it would affect the war at all. I understand that there is some gay people who may make people feel uncomfortable and awkward being around them. I completely get that but I think that is wrong for it to be a stereotype in the army. Its unfair that the straight guys get to talk about girls all of the time and the ones who aren’t straight have to shit their mouths because its “an embarrassment” if they do. Any soldier is a valuable soldier. The man in the video did not seem to have affected any of the other soldiers in any way and I’m not sure anyone really understands why he is being penalized for it. When he says that if the policy is changed, I agree with that I don’t really think it would make that much of a difference at all to be honest. Being in the military of the United States of America is supposed to be a privilege and we as a country are supposed to be representing freedom. Something I’ve always learned while even a child is that America is all about freedom and being free to make your own decisions an choices and be who you want to be. Is that being reflected in this situation and being a gay person and having to keep their mouth shut about it? Not one bit.
It appears that Darren Manzella’s story is perfect reasoning for why the current “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy regarding homosexuals in the military presents a entirely unfounded rationale in the belief that LGBT individuals would “create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability”. This quote is derived from the military mandate that prevents any member of the U.S. military from revealing his or her sexual orientation while serving in their respective branch of the armed forces. Additionally, the military is not allowed to initiate investigations regarding a person’s sexual orientation, but they are allowed to address suspicions of a person’s sexuality if any evidence arises. The term “suspicion” in this rule is most likely limitless in its bounds to probe evidence of homosexuality and probably led to Manzella’s discharge from the army. Darren Manzella did two tours of duty in Iraq without receiving any accusations of lowering the “high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion,” but was still booted from the military for being gay. What negative impact did he have in the military? It seems to me that he was a model soldier in active duty, but was removed for his personal preferences as a civilian.
The most appalling fact I heard in the article was the fact that stated 13,000 military personnel have been discharged because of their homosexuality since “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” was implemented. These were 13,000 healthy and capable American citizens that had the courage to volunteer for the military and were then removed for a reason that had nothing to do with their ability to serve. This is going completely against the American military’s slogan of an “army of one”. Lets try an “army of one…except gays, lesbians, and bisexuals”. Obviously, our military’s standards of solidarity and unity require certain amendments. Another issue I have with this policy is the excuse that it lowers the essence of military capability and unit cohesion. Imagine being gay in the military and being around individuals you may have to risk your life with, but not being allowed to discuss something as commonplace in conversation as your partner. Wouldn’t this inability to discuss personal matters with your friends and comrades work more against the essence of unit cohesion than acknowledging your homosexuality? The DADT policy simply isn’t a realistic plan to abide by. As Manzella concluded, the military is one of the most diverse organizations that exist in our country. I have a number of relatives that have been in the service and I would assure you that when they are discussing the heroics of their fellow soldiers the sexual preference of these individuals is the last element to be discussed with any great importance.
I found this article to be dis-heartening. I was not aware of this “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and find it to be wrong. This man served in the army for what I understand to be two terms and helped to protect the United States public. He was a brave and honorable man who was discharged for his sexuality. Why should he have to hide who he is just to keep his job, especially as important a job, as a military man? It most likely puts an extra toll on a person’s conscious and day-to-day living when they have to hide who they are, while at the same time trying to keep peace and be employed by the army. While I am not saying that men and women that are lesbian and gay should be outlandishly flamboyant in there mannerisms, they should have the opportunity to discuss their feelings and opinions; the same as anyone else in our country. The gay Veteran from the story was very similar to many men that I know. If he hadn’t told viewers that he was gay, I would never have known. He doesn’t seem to be a distraction to the Army in any way. I don’t understand how a man like him, could have a negative affect on the United States just because of his sexuality and personal life. How can this hidden policy be looked upon fondly, when many years ago, at the start of America, Blacks and other minorities were not allowed to fight for the United States army? Many people fought to end this injustice and now the same, or similar injustice is happening to a new minority. These kinds of actions are not making our country stronger, it is tearing us apart. Anyone who wants to fight and defend the country that they are living in and my family and myself are living in, is a hero in my mind. Why should they be discriminated against in such an ugly fashion? A recent study/report was done by military officials to find whether or not an LGBT soldier on a unit weakens the morale of the group. They found that it doesn’t and I agree with there suggestion that the don’t ask, don’t tell policy should be changed. I feel that while it should have some guidelines, so that other men in the group don’t feel uncomfortable and not join just for that specific reason. In my opinion the men and women who have been un-justly discharged because of this policy should be brought back and apologized to. In America today, this should not in the least sense be tolerated by any one, any race or any person of LGBT.
It’s been quite a while since I read an article in this class and was actually concerned about the effects it could have in society, but this one went way above the bar. Being racially denied access to something is one thing, but to be part of the army and have to leave because you openly expressed that you were gay is mind boggling. I have to wonder why a gay man is let go from the ranks of his comrades! Was it the lieutenants and kernels that had a problem with this choice the guy made or was it his fellow troops that openly expressed that they didn’t want a gay guy being part of the team to fight for the United States?
I would like to say that this article is a complete disgrace and it opened my eyes to the fact that gay soldiers are no less qualified to defend our county. If I ever met this man in person I would not only think he was straight, but probably be pretty intimidated by his size. Normally you don’t see gay guys joining the armed forces, and this guy looks like a testament to that statement. He looks like a normal soldier and knowing that he is gay would not make me feel any less about him. He clearly loves what he does and it is really sad to see that he got discharged for something as minor as being gay. For me I want to be an engineer and I were denied my degree from Penn State because of something as idiotic as this I would be deeply offended and upset. I would not be surprised if this guy was more of a soldier than most straight soldiers, because of the things he has to deal with on a daily basis. That is due to the fact that gay people just are treated the same as straight people because it isn’t normal. Also I do not understand how being gay can “weaken morale”. What about a gay guy would depress a team and not make them want to fight? They are part of the greatest army in the world so it makes it hard for me to believe that, of all things, a gay man would bring them down. Not the intense training, harsh conditions they fight in, or the fact that they could die at any point, but the fact that there is homosexual fighting alongside them. I know personally if I was in the army and my unit had a gay man or even a lesbian, I would put my total faith in them knowing that they were trained properly by the United States army. In fact, if I were the one in charge of discharging certain people, I definitely would never even consider letting someone go because of their sexuality or another issue such as race. Instead I would base my decisions off of how hard each individual was working at becoming better and stronger and choose then!
When I realized this blog was about the army, I immediately pictured the famous Uncle Sam poster from a long, long time ago that said, “I want YOU for the US Army.” Nowhere in that poster does it say, “Unless you are gay, lesbian, or bi-sexual.” It shocked me to learn how many people were discharged because of these allegations. Darren Manzella devoted his life to the U.S. Army only to eventually be discharged by them. It’s a shame to think that it took him that long to finally figure out who he was, a gay man who was also a strong soldier, only to have to make a choice basically. Was he more passionate about his sexually orientation, or about saving the country? Why would we ever have to pick between those two options? It is completely unfair to stop someone from helping his country because he has a significant other of the same sex.
I remember when we discussed this topic in class; Sam told us that most people, if not all people, in the Army do not even care whether or not their soldiers are gay and lesbian. Darren also said in the CNN interview that he thinks, and hopes, that things will change soon. I hope that he is correct and that it does change because I know our country is changing and more accepting and the military’s laws need to catch up to society.
In contrast to what I have just said about the societal view not caring, I remember that Darren had said he was receiving phone calls and e-mails about having a boyfriend and received many accusations about his relationship. If this policy truly is a Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy, should those people really have voiced their opinion? Are they not also in violation of the rule? It is a law that confuses me. Why is it in place if people are going to rat others out? It seems unfair to me.
I am also glad that Darren chose to do the CBS interview, even though it resulted in his discharge from the army. He stood up for what he knows is right and I think that is more important than following the rules. It is courageous and brave of them, and isn’t that what we think of when the word soldier or military come up. They are known for their courage and bravery. It is unfair to punish these people. They are performing selfless acts to serve our country but are, in turn, facing consequences and being discriminated due to their personal choices that do not affect others directly.
In conclusion, I hope that the Army and Military can realize that they need to focus on the equality on all those willing to serve our own country. Even though gay marriage is not legal everywhere yet, LGBT should at least be able to fight and protect their country.
The case of Darren Manzella being honorably discharged from the United States Army due to the fact that he is gay is not one that I am necessarily surprised about. I do not think that this is the morally right thing to do in this situation, but it is the way that things are done in the Army I suppose. Men in the Army are supposed to be masculine and tough, two characteristics that are not usually identified with gay men. I must say that after watching this video I could associate those two words with Darren. I thought that I could usually pick out gay men from straight men, but this video has shown me that I can be proven wrong sometimes as I would not have thought that he was gay.
Often times gay men can be flamboyant or speak in a way that will make them stick out like a sore thumb in a crowd of gay men. This was not the case with Sgt. Manzella. He did not sound gay at all during his interview with CNN. It makes me wonder if any of his fellow soldiers somehow discovered that he was gay. From what I understand, men in the Army over in the Middle East constantly masturbate to pornographic magazines which makes me curious as to how a gay man can get away from discussing things like this. He probably just had to act like a straight guy and not find it attractive when other soldiers were looking at the magazines.
There was a television miniseries on HBO that I watched called Generation Kill. This series was a true story about a platoon in Iraq that was fighting in the war on terror. A few of the actors in the series actually played themselves in the show, one of which is gay. The gay soldier in the platoon is named Rudy and, from what is shown on the show, he is very popular with the other soldiers. Rudy is openly gay while he is overseas fighting and it doesn’t seem like anyone else in the platoon seems to care; no one even really makes fun of him for being gay. I know that this is just a show but it is supposed to be a true story and Rudy actually plays himself so it should be extra accurate. My question is why Rudy could be openly gay in his unit and not get honorably discharged. This article makes me think that if anyone was gay in the army that they would get the boot, which doesn’t make sense to me because Rudy was fine. I hope that Darren is correct when he says how the Army will one day accept gays since he considers them to be very accepting.
LGBT issues really interest me especially after Sam has talked about them in class. After watching this video it has once again opened me up to thinking more and more about these issues. It sucks that this veteran was called out for being gay and that they felt it was necessary to put “homosexual” on his discharge papers. This should not matter one way or another.
Watching this video and seeing how this man acts and presents himself I would never think he was gay. Never once did he give the impression of being gay when in the military, hence not making any of the other men uncomfortable. This really should not be an issue and something needs to be done. I liked how this soldier said that the military was one of the most diverse places he has ever seen, but yet they have to write homosexual on his discharge papers.
At least its good to hear that the recent report from military officials investigated that LGBT soldiers did not weaken morale and that the “don’t ask don’t tell” policy should be abandoned.
The US military is a highly sought after group of people that are highly respected and diverse. By opening up this window for LGBT soldiers and bringing awareness to this issue I truly think we can grow more as a country.
LGBT issues have been a problem for a while and I think it’s about time to address them and accept it. We need to be more open about this issue so people learn more about it and understand that it’s just as normal and natural as being a heterosexual. The more open we are about this issue the more people will learn to accept it.
I am all for the abandonment of the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy. It is sad that so many people must suppress who they really are just because they wont let people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender in the military. I feel that a lot of discrimination in the world in general is based on our history. I feel that in order to fully achieve relations with both race and people who are LGBT is to allow change into our lives.
In my opinion, it’s only a matter of SHORT time before the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy is a ended. If it doesn’t happen in the next 5 years, I really don’t think that my generation will allow something that is clearly so discriminatory to continue to dictate our armed forces. Although Obama promised earlier this year to end the policy, the administration is moving at a very slow and cautious pace. Call me naive (being that there are laws in existence like the Defense of Marriage Act) but I don’t really understand how a public, governmental enterprise can be discriminatory on the basis of sexual orientation when there are such strict standards on laws/legislation/policies that discriminate on the basis of race. I suppose we are making progress though? After all, the civil rights movement was years before what most consider the movement for gay rights. The story of Darren brings forth the dilemma that we face, which seems to be that there is little to no evidence confirming that openly gay military members weaken the morale of the troops. I mean, why would this really make sense anyway? I’ve tried and tried to put myself in both positions and picture how an openly gay person would bring down my spirits if I were a lesbian, or the commander of a lesbian troop. The military is so diverse, people are in combat with people they normally might never know; different ages, races, ethnicities, social classes… how is sexual orientation different? Why must we exclude that when we are including almost every other aspect of diversity I wonder.
As for the public, I really find it shameful and frankly stupid that people feel as if they should have some say as to who defends them. Let’s decide WHO we want to risk dying for us? If we don’t like gays, let’s not let them defend us. Unless you’re willing to risk your own life, why would you deter someone who willingly wants to protect you and your family? Why in the world would you want to discharge them and lose their protection? And how can you bring down their honor like that? It doesn’t make sense to me. These people are soldiers; they are devoted to our country and our lives. Being gay will not affect anything, just as being a female or being Hispanic or black would not matter. We’re losing people with critical skills. Is that progress? I wish I knew if other countries who rivaled us in military force, have similar policies on homosexuals. Something tells me that no intelligent policy would advocate for the dismissal of thousands of their trained and skilled and sometimes irreplaceable soldiers who are willing to die to protect their country.
When people say they know when someone is LGBT that is a lie. While certain people may be flamboyant about it, this does not apply to all cases. There are many gay men for instance who are very masculine and show no signs of being gay. Darren Manzella is a perfect example of this. I do not believe that most people he knew whether in the military or family saw it coming. LGBT can also be hard to spot because many people of this minority choose to live in the closet for much of their lives because they are afraid of what society will think of them. There are others who may be gay, but be in denial and lead heterosexual lives. So it is not always easy to pick out a gay person in a crowd, and the population of LGBT is much higher than many heterosexuals think.
Reading the article on Darren Manzella infuriated me. I believe that gays should be allowed in the military. The military says that it “weakens morals” of the heterosexual soldiers, but Manzella said that everyone for the most part, was ok with it, and that he could talk openly about his boyfriend and show pictures to fellow soldiers. In my opinion, it is just flat out discrimination on the military’s behalf. A gay man can fulfill the tasks of a soldier just as well as any heterosexual man. He can be just as strong, fit, knowledgeable, and competent as the rest and therefore should be treated equal and be allowed to participate in the military.
Although many people were ok with Darren Manzella coming out, I was surprised to read about all the sleepless nights he had being harassed by numerous phone calls. It is depressing to see how cruel people in the world can be. I believe that it is petty and ignorant. I cannot imagine what it felt like for Manzella to have to deal with these calls while worrying about threats from the military to take his rank and his money away. Although agreeing to interview with the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network hindered Manzella’s military career, it helped members of the military who might also be gay and probably gave them a sense of hope and admiration. I hope that this issue will be worked out sometime in the near future. This is just another example to add to the list of what is keeping minorities down in this country. I think what Sam said in one of our classes really sums this all up. He talked about how people might as well just get on board and support the LGBT minority, because it is becoming more and more acceptable in this day and age, and it will only make the people against it look ignorant and behind with the times.
I do not think I will ever understand the Don’t Ask, Don’t tell policy that the army has. Why is it that just because someone has a different sexual orientation that they cannot do what they love and fight for their country? If I would happen to run into this man in the street, I would in no way ever think that he was gay. The thought would even cross my mind really. When meeting someone for the first time my mind does not directly go to wondering if they are gay, straight or bisexual. It is their own choice as to whether they would like to keep that information private or personal.
What I am wondering though is why the army turned him away? Obviously it is because he came out, but why? I thought I heard or read somewhere that the army was in need of people to enlist and join because the numbers have been decreasing over the past couple of years? This man obviously loves his country and is willing to put his life on the line to fight for everyone in America. And now the army is going to take that love away from him because he is gay? It does not seem right. Sure some people might feel weird around him but people need to wake up – it is the 21st century and people are going to love whoever they want to love; whether it is the same-sex, a different color, different religion, different nationality. The army has taken away this man’s freedom to choice his own occupancy because of his sexual orientation.
What is very interesting as well is the amount of time that had past from the point where he came out to his supervisor, being in Iraq and his unit knowing he was gay, to the time when he was actually officially discharged. It had been over 2 years. And the amount of money and the number of people that they have discharged based on the sexual orientation is astounding. They are willing to let that many people go just because they are gay? Then spend millions of millions of dollars to replace them. It is a waste of time and money. They had 13,000 people that were willing to basically give their lives for their country and they decided that because they were gay that they were able to do it. It is just awful to think about.
And this does not have anything to do with being gay in the army, but the army should also allow those that are under the age of 21 to have a drink. If these young men and women are willing to risk their lives for our country, then they should be able to walk into a bar or walk into a liquor or beer store and enjoy a drink.
I do not agree with the Army’s decision to not allow knowingly gay people to serve in the Army. Under the don’t ask don’t tell policy, people who serve in the military and required to not mention whether they are gay or not. Military officials think that if someone comes out to other members of the military it will weaken their morale and bring down the morale of many of the people around that person I think personally that the military officials are implying that the only way to be part of the military is to not discuss or disclose your sexuality. Why should people have to hold back how they feel? How are you going to kick someone out of the military who is gay? It seems as though the military does not support gay people.
It is crazy to think that Darren Manzella was part of the military and going on convoys then all of the sudden he is booted because he went public about his sexuality. This is not right because everyone is entitled to their own feelings and for our military to boot him shows a lot as to what they think of gays. How can someone that is gay weaken the morale of the military? It does not seem logical for the military, who many people look up to, to deny gays the right to serve in the military. Also in the interview Darren talks about how diverse the military is with many different races being involved. Just like minorities in the military, there are gays in the military who are minorities as well so why should they not be allowed to openly come out while serving in the military.
Also how many people are serving in the military currently that are gay but cannot come out because they want to be part of the military? I think it would hurt the military more because these gay people that can’t come out probably think about it all the time on convoys and other things and this will affect other people. People all the time tell others not to hold back how you are feeling and to let it out, but the military is the opposite and wants gays to not let anyone know because they believe it will weaken the morale of the other troops. What they need to realize is that these people that can’t come out are possibly going through lots of stress and emotion because they can’t not decide what to do. As for Darren Manzella he openly came out and then the military booted him out of the military which I feel was wrong. While on the military I am sure he cared so much for his fellow troops. If people would have known he was gay I do not think it would weaken the morale of the military.
As I see it, this is just another step in the process of accepting LBGT lifestyle in today’s society. But honestly, of all places for racial discrimination to happen, the military? Darren Manzella was just like any other soldier in the military, and as Sam stated, you would never even know he’s gay. The military should definitely not be a place to discriminate, after all these men are the ones keeping us safe and defending our nation. Indeed people in the military have always been stereotyped as being macho white men who can do anything, take on any pain, and complete any mission. No one, years ago (and obviously also to some extent today) would have thought that there very many gay people in the military. These people are saving our country, they should be able to do what they want in their own private time and place. Before watching this video and having SOC 119, I had never heard of the “don’t ask don’t tell” policy in the military. If we look at this situation from the military’s point of view, they may have actually had a somewhat of a point in making this policy. Think about it. Like I said before, the stereotype of people in the military is big strong straight men who can take on any task. The majority of the people in the military are probably (I don’t know the statistics) straight men, probably often be homophobic. Now military officials see homosexuality becoming more and more prominent in the world today and more and more in the military. They may have been right in implementing this policy, after all, most of the men in the Army, Marines, Air Force, and what not are mostly straight men who don’t want to shower or sleep next to homosexual men. This would just create havoc and tear apart the close relationships that are need in a small military group. Think about it, this is the right idea to have, in my opinion. Your sexuality has nothing to do with your work as a person in the military, so why talk about it if it’s going to make it harder to get along? However, the problem is, why are straight military men allowed to talk about their sexuality if homosexuals are not? If they’re going to implement something like this, the policy should tell no one in the military, straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transsexual, to talk about their sexuality at all and everything would be fine. This may solve the problem and offer equality to all sexualities in the military, but I think, as a society, we are moving closer and closer to total acceptance of homosexuality to the point where it won’t even matter in the military what your sexuality is. This is just another small step in moving towards receiving homosexuals into our society as equals to everyone else.
Out of all the articles I have had to read for this class, this one certainly caught my attention immediately. This article really pisses me off. This DADT law is ridiculous and should have never been introduced to the military. I understand that the military is following the law, and I guess that’s ok. But I really think it is time to get rid of this law. Why can’t you be gay and in the military? I really don’t see the big deal. Being in the military is like having a job. People who are in the workforce are gay and lesbian, and they aren’t bothered. I am pretty sure there are corporate laws that actual protect and help gays and lesbians. I do not see the reasoning behind this law at all. Is it because they are afraid guys will be sexually attracted to other guys and girls will be sexually attracted to girls? Well aren’t straight men and women in the military and aren’t they attracted to each other? I really don’t think gay guys join the military just to be around guys. Making the choice to be in the army is a big decision and people make the decision because they want to serve and protect their country, and nothing else. Lesbians and gays are the same as straight people. It is just like race. 99% of are the exactly same as far as biologically, except for our exterior traits. It says in the article that they spent 200 million dollars replacing the skilled gays and lesbians who were dismissed. How embarrassing is that? It also said in the article that once Manzella actually came out, his friends in the military treated him the same and accepted his sexual orientation. He even said that it brought the unit together. Why doesn’t the United States army see that? It says that since the law was introduced, the military discharged 13,000 LGBTs. I can’t believe that. If I was part of any organization, company, etc., I would feel ashamed to have such a horrible statistic like that. It is almost like racism; treating certain types of people as inferior because they are different. It really saddens me. Our own military is refusing to accept its own citizens. It just does not make any sense to me at all. This law is a huge and costly mistake and it is time to get rid of it for good. Sam said in class that it was proven that your sexual orientation has no effect on the military at all. Having lesbians and gays in the military certainly is not the problem. The issue here is clearly the ridiculous policy of the military. I feel like this is the same as having a really good friend for a few years, then having him come out to you, and then tell him you don’t want to be his friend anymore. What’s the difference?
It is too bad that Darren Manzella had to be honorably discharged from the military. However, I guess he is lucky that he lasted in the military as long as he did. The only way I can rationalize why he was not discharged earlier is because although he said he was gay, he did not fall into common stereotypes of homosexuality. For example, he did not act overly feminine, or flamboyant (Probably not the best features to find in a soldier). This is just a theory but if he did behave like the “typical” homosexual than I doubt he would have lasted too long by his superiors or his peers.
And no, had this not been a blog concerning homosexuality, I would have never guessed he was gay. Of course, my “gaydar” was never too sharp. The guy leads a pretty standard guy life; athletic, in the military and shows no signs of homosexuality. I guess the boyfriend thing throws off the image, but aside from that- straight guy.
However, it does suck that so many people attempt to classify people as straight or gay based on nearly nothing. It sucks for both parties; 1) sucks when a gay guy who was trying to keep a secret has his cover blown by someone else, and 2) it sucks when a straight guy gets accused of being gay because he does not fit into the alpha male quality.
I just fell that labels is a pointless practice that is done way too often in too many too domains. Why do we need to label everything? Has it ever done anyone any good? We have to be white, black, or yellow and straight, or gay. This has to have come from a bunch of people with an identity crisis. Nobody who was happy with themselves would need to take the energy to label themselves, and everyone else. It will be a good day when we do not need to list which side of different spectrums we fall into. This is so ridiculous, it creeps into everything. You can’t just like Rock music anymore. Now you have to decide if you like classic, alternative, ska, punk, heavy metal, or hair metal. Why do we have to choose? Why can’t I just be a guy who likes music?
When reading this article and watching the video, other then the title of what the article was about as well as how the topic of this post was on homosexuality, I would have no idea that this guy was gay. To me, fighting a war is fighting a war and I don’t understand how this Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy could be enforced. To me, it shouldn’t matter what American civilian is defending our country, or what their sexuality is, as long as our country is being defended. Did the military not at all think of the ethics that goes along with implementing this policy? Ultimately, the military is not allowing those who are fully capable of performing their military duties and went through all the training, to do their jobs if they come out of the closet with their sexual preference-otherwise they can just be LGBT in secret. Tell me how that makes sense. In all honesty, what is the difference? According to the article in CNN, the army discharged 13,000 of their soldiers for homosexual conduct. This policy clearly needs an update. Take a look at the world we live in today. There are fights for gay marriage, cities and towns where being gay is in the norm and where gay marriage is even legal. Why is it that the military can decide that those people (if out of the closet) are not qualified to defend our country when they make up a good portion of our country too? America was always known as a melting pot. We’re supposed to be taught to accept people for their differences from what we expect to be the norm. It makes me very uneasy that the military is so behind in its times. Should we not allow black people to fight in the military because of their past? Absolutely not, that is ridiculous. So what are we doing here? Darren Manzella put his life on the line to defend his country and that is what matters. The comic that Sam put up in class is probably the most relevant to this story. Here you have people, saying gay marriage is bad and should only be between two people who want to form a sacred union. Yet there are ALWAYS people out there who go against its sacredness. There’s people who marry for wealth, for power and things of nature. There is no sacredness there. Whether or not these people have a right to get married (which there is no doubt that they should), nobody should be able to tell anyone that if they are openly LGBT that they can’t defend our country, it is morally wrong and I’m ashamed to say that people in our country actually believe that that’s right, when their the ones who are going against the sacred beliefs of marriage to begin with.
The whole policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell” really never made any sense to me. When most people decide to join the military, it’s for the love of their country that they want to serve. After the decision to serve is made, they sign their name in blood and go through vigorous training. If someone loves their country and wants to serve in its military and is physically able to complete the training, why does it matter whether they are straight or homosexual? Telling someone they cannot serve their country because they are gay is a horrible case of discrimination. Not only that, but it really doesn’t make much sense. Like Darren Manzella said, the military is very diverse. So why discriminate against the homosexuals? They aren’t less able to perform military duties and, realistically, it doesn’t affect anyone else’s performance. And if the fact that someone is gay does affect another man or woman’s performance, doesn’t it make that “affected” person less able? Shouldn’t that person be booted since they can no longer perform their military duty to their best ability just because they learned something personal about another member? Being gay didn’t make Manzella less capable of following orders; he just wanted to serve his country. In the end, everyone follows the same orders, so why does it matter if someone is a homosexual or straight?
I also think that if “don’t ask, don’t tell” just HAS to be enforced, that it should apply to all soldiers. If someone who is gay or lesbian has to sign that they will not speak of their personal life, then I believe every other man and woman should do the same. They also should not be able to speak of their families, carry pictures, or anything relative. Of course, that would never happen, we all know that. Because then it wouldn’t be “fair.” But why should this rule apply only to homosexuals? Why should they be the ones told that they can defend our country as long as they don’t speak about their loved ones? Saying that it “weakens the morale” of the unit is complete bullshit. If your unit becomes weakened by one simple, minute fact, then the problem is not the homosexual man or woman, but rather the people within the unit who are now unable to serve because buried in the back of their heads is the fact that a member swings the other way. This man or woman may be an amazing soldier who is always willing to step up first and follows all orders and serves with 100% pride. This person was 100% capable of serving but because they come out of the closet they become inept? There really is no valid reason to discriminate against homosexuals in the military when it comes down to it, and I really just don’t see how such a policy is even allowed to be enforced.
After reading the article and watching the video, I have a lot of respect for Darren Manzella. I think it’s very admirable that he is so open and willing to speak out about his situation. Although he is only telling his story, he really is speaking for the 65,000 LGBT in the military, and the 13,000 that have been affected by don’t ask don’t tell. Hopefully one day what he is doing will make a difference in this law and procedure, because this don’t ask don’t tell law is absolutely ridiculous. Why is it acceptable and enforced by law to discriminate against LGBT people? If the military discriminated like this based on anything else, it would be totally unacceptable. To tell someone they are being discharged because they are black or because they are female would just be ridiculous. So why is it okay to discharge someone who is gay? It really shouldn’t be. And not only is it just okay, it’s required by law. There’s something seriously wrong with that.
I think its very interesting that the study done by the officials in the military showed that having LGBT soldiers does not weaken morale. That fact is promising, because really, there is no reason it should weaken morale, and if it did I think that would indicate a whole different set of issues. But also, maybe a study like this coming out will put things in the right direction and possibly the eventual dismissal of the don’t ask don’t tell law. If a person wants to fight for their country and defend for all of us here, why on earth would we reject them? Why would you turn someone away that wants to help protect you? We should be honoring these people, not honorably discharging them.
There is absolutely no reason Darren should’ve been discharged. He had already served ample time in the service and nothing terrible had happened simply because he was gay (obviously…), so why turn him away now? It just makes no sense. I understand the military is just following the law, but really if we took a step back and thought about it, it’s pretty obvious how ridiculous this is. Something needs to change.
I also think it’s interesting that the law is called “don’t ask don’t tell”. I would definitely be interested in hearing where that title came from. Because in Darren’s case, he probably never would’ve been discharged if he hadn’t told. Just looking at Darren, for those people who think they can tell if someone is gay just by looking at them, I don’t think anyone would ever guess. He doesn’t fit any of the stereotypes of a “gay” man. I don’t think anyone would ever have investigated into Darren’s life if he hadn’t spoken to his supervisor about it, and it’s a shame that all his honesty got him was an honorable discharge.
The whole don’t ask don’t tell things is just weird. I don’t really understand why it matters whether or not a person is gay and in the military. I know it has been now proven that if people were out and in the military it would have no effect on the morale of the group, but I don’t understand why anyone ever thought that it would. Times have changed a lot and homosexuality is pretty acceptable now to most people. I think there needs to be a sense of unity in the military; the soldiers are there to fight for their country and because they love their country, and that alone should unite them not their sexual preferences. I don’t understand how you could expect someone to want to risk their life for a country that makes them keep silent who they really are. This whole idea seems very counterintuitive. I’m glad that everything seemingly worked out for Manzella, but it’s still weird that they made him go through with all the investigations and everything. I know it would take a lot of balls to actually join the military and stick with it and I can honestly say it is something I would never do. I do not have the courage to go out there and risk my life that way, and I have a lot of respect for the people that follow through with it. Those people should be treated as though what they are doing is an honorable thing and not be treated like they have to fit some kind of mold. I think people have this idea that men in the military need to be hyper masculine and everything, and it’s just a stupid stereotype. Plus, there are homosexual men that are very masculine, like Manzella, and who you would never just outwardly see as being gay. He is athletic and not very flamboyant, and I bet because of this no one would automatically expect him to be gay. I think it is stupid that stereotypes and expectations we have of people because they look a certain way or have a certain profession. Those things don’t mean anything, and it shouldn’t mean anything if a person is gay or straight. All that should matter in the military is that someone is doing a very honorable thing and fight for their country, the rest should not matter. Those LGBT’s that are in the military should be able to be as proud of their sexuality as they are of their country. The fact that we have this close-minded views and that we single people out for “violating” don’t ask don’t tell policies just makes us look horrible. I hope that these policies in the military change, because I think it would have a positive effect.
Let me get this straight, I knew that the military had a “don’t ask don’t tell” policy but I was not aware of the fact that you could be booted from it because of “homosexuality misconduct” or whatever it was that they called it. That is deliberate discrimination because of sexual orientation. Why has this gone on for so long? This to me proves that our world is not ready to accept homosexuality and that is really sad. I think that religion has a lot to do with it. Most people that are in high positions in the government here are Christians and most Christians believe that same-sex relationships are a sin, or close to it. They believe that marriage is between a man and a woman so it is no big surprise that I am a minority in the way that I feel about homosexuals. I feel that everyone has thought about being gay like I said in my last journal. Because of society most of us reject the idea in fear that we will be out casts. I don’t know what the case is for everybody but I am pretty sure that the government may have something to do with most decisions. Looking at anybody I for the most part think that I know if they are gay or not, but I am sad to say that I don’t!! There are plenty of people that I could have betted my life savings on that were gay yet they have not come out yet so I can only believe what they tell me, which is that they are not gay. To go to the other end I have known people where I thought they were straighter than an arrow and they came out and told me that they were interested in people of the same-sex. I was surprised but not that they were gay but that I got it wrong (which indirectly points back to the fact that they are gay). I put it past no one, to include myself and my own homophobic boyfriend, that anyone could be gay and at any moment decide to come out to their family and friends or even the world. I feel no different towards anyone for their sexual orientation. For a person in the military, whether they lay next to a person of the opposite sex or a person of the same sex at night they are still willing to put their life on the line for me every day they wake up in Afghanistan or Kuwait or Iraq. That’s something that many of the people I know will never do. Sexual orientation in my eyes has no bearing on the willingness and ability to fight for our country. It is even more admirable for homosexuals to fight for a country that does not all support how they live.
I think that don’t ask don’t tell could have been a lot worse, it isn’t saying that homosexuals can’t be in the military, they just don’t want to hear or know about their lifestyle. I still don’t think its right that these people should have to hide who they really are, but with what they have it really isn’t too terrible. I mean if they don’t want to serve in the military anymore, but they can’t get released all they need to say is that they’re gay. They get an honorable discharge, and the only thing it says is for homosexual activity. However I do think that is sending out the message that homosexuality is “bad” because it’s causing you to be expelled basically. I think that now in our day and age don’t ask, don’t tell could be changed and there wouldn’t be a lot of disagreement or upset. You saw that in Manzella’s case he came out to his officer, and squad and he still got to serve in the army. His squad still treated him in the same way, and he could openly talk to his boyfriend and have pictures up. It wasn’t until he did a public interview, that there was a real problem. Which makes sense, the military can’t be seen as “weak” or not following their own rules, just imagine the impact, it would not be good. When looking at Manzella as a person I would have never guessed he was gay, and neither would a lot of other people, and that is because he is not the stereotypical gay. He doesn’t dress in tight clothes, talk with a lisp, or use over enthusiastic hand gestures. It just goes to show you, that your best friend could be gay and you would never know because they don’t “act” the part. I just think people need to move past all their problems that they have with gay people, because in reality they are all like everyone else. Sure they’re dating someone who has the same parts as them, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have the same problems as straight people. Their boyfriend or girlfriend is just as likely to cheat on them, they get in the same amount of fights, and have the capability to care for another person just as much as the next straight person. I really wish people would stop being so ignorant. I think that if the army opens up their ideas, and allows people to be openly gay, it will really pave the way for other people to be ready to do the same. The military accepting homosexuality will be such a huge stepping stone, and reading this article it seems like the military is ready to take that big step.
From my personal experience, I have noticed certain things about people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender which has tipped me off to the fact that they are homosexuals. Something as simple as a guy talking in a high-pitched voice, or a girl acting extremely masculine- these kinds of things are a stereotype of today’s society that walk hand-in-hand with the term “gaydar.” A majority of the people that I know who are homosexual do portray these qualities, so I wasn’t necessarily surprised when I found out their sexual preference.
Last year, there was a boy on my THON committee who everyone assumed was gay, but we didn’t know for definite. Our assumptions stemmed from very key observations. When we played the name game at the beginning of the year, in which you assign an adjective to yourself before your first name, he named himself “Bootylicious” Brian. Therefore, when he started showing up to our events with other guys, we weren’t surprised at all. In scenarios like that, the homosexual stereotype exists and is primarily right.
In terms of Darren Manzella, I never would have known or even assumed that he was gay. It’s kind of cool to me because for so long, I always thought my “gaydar” was on target, but now I know that I can’t possibly judge somebody and claim to know their sexual preference based off of a few social observations.
I’m not a homophobe, I never have been, so I truly have a hard time grappling with Darren Manzella’s situation. Manzella is a hero- he put his life on the line to save his country and he did it over the course of six or seven years. How are you going to put the title of homosexual on someone so that that title overrides the title of hero? It makes absolutely no sense to me. If Manzella was in the service, minding his own business, not going out of his way to talk about his sexuality with fellow soldiers or provoking homosexual thought in anyone, then why in the world was the army so threatened by the idea of him being a homosexual soldier? He shouldn’t be robbed of his ability to serve our country and protect us just because he has a boyfriend writing him letters instead of a girlfriend.
I can’t imagine being a homosexual male or female in the army in the wake of Manzella being discharged. They are probably so proud of him and itching to tell the world the truth, but they’re stuck in between a rock and a hard place. They can stop lying to themselves and be honest and live a life they’ve always wanted, but all at the expense of their career. I’ve never been in a situation so limiting, and frankly, I would never want to be.
The don’t ask don’t tell policy was established in 1993, but these days, being gay or lesbian has become more accepted and more common. Since military personnel do not feel as if someone’s sexuality impacts the success of their military unit, I don’t think the military should have such strict rules on homosexuality. The rule had Darren, and I’m sure many others, in a state of constant panic about being discovered. If one’s sexuality does not negatively impact that person’s coworkers and does not create a negative impact on their performance, it should not be counted against them or prevent them from serving in the military.
Proof of the increasing acceptance of gays lies in Darren’s case. He was often invited out by his coworkers and was encouraged to bring his boyfriend. This made their unit closer and Darren felt comfortable being himself around those he worked with everyday. Clearly, his sexual orientation had no impact on the comfort or performance level of Darren’s unit. Furthermore, this unit completed another 15-month deployment to Iraq knowing that Darren was gay. This goes to show just how accepting of his lifestyle that this group was; also it shows that being straight or homosexual makes no difference in combat, personal relationships, or successfulness. Additionally, Darren felt a hundred times more comfortable being able to openly talk to his boyfriend while overseas. Someone should not have to hide who they are all of the time, and I’m sure it was a huge confidence boost to not have to hide his sexual orientation any longer.
Even after participating in the TV segment, Darren was not dismissed from the military immediately. Darren lived openly for about two years before he received his honorable discharge. It is great that he was able to live for such a long time having people know he was gay. I think it is a huge step that everyone was so accepting of Darren’s lifestyle and that it did not have a negative impact of the success of his unit. However, it is sad that the Army did discharge Darren, especially after he was living openly for so long. I do not understand why they waited so long to release him. If they truly abide by their policy, Darren should have been dismissed much earlier. It is unfair that after he came out he received false hope about the military’s acceptance. The situation made it appear as if the military was taking steps toward homosexual acceptance, but in reality that is not the case. It just seems unjust to allow Darren to be openly gay for so long before discharging him.
I’m going to start by saying that there is no law that specifically protects homosexuals from any sort of discrimination, and it is a terrible thing. This man served in the United States Army in Iraq for two years and protected the lives of millions at the risk of his own and can be discharged for one personal thing in his life. It is not up to the country to decide who is and who is not worthy to be in the army first of all, and it also is not up to the country to tell people who people can and cannot sleep with. How is that fair? As a country that prides itself on being free and progressive, I still do not understand how this type of “legal discrimination” can continue to happen. Really the entire thing is completely ridiculous. Nobody can look at anyone and say that they are gay. I am bisexual and I speak 5 languages. I would like to someday work for the military as a translator, but until this law is revoked, I look at the country as being without my services. Unfortunately, many other good people than this man have been affected by this law that is so absolutely absurd and controlling. Weakening the military as a unit by having homosexuals in the army?? Are you kidding me? As far as I know, gay people are said to be some of the most fun people to be around according to my straight friends. So how would that affect comradery in a negative way? That comment is absolutely ridiculous. The fact that the military officials are thinking about appealing the don’t ask don’t tell policy actually makes me feel a little bit better about the issue. I hope that all the people that were discharged under this policy get their records cleaned off after this whole thing goes through. It is most definitely discrimination in its purest form on the behalf of the government. I really cant believe that this law was actually passed in the first place! The LGBT community issues are some of the hardest issues to deal with, not only personally but publically and the fact that you don’t even have the support of the nation in which you live in is terrible. Gay marriage, and gays in the military really should not be such an issue. Who does it affect? The homophobes? The why don’t we make a law that says there can be no racists, homophobes, or prejudice people in the military? I feel that is a more justifiable law than excluding a larger group of people that do no harm versus excluding people who do the most harm in society.
The ‘Don’t ask, Don’t tell’ article really made me think about the policy of the U.S military. DADT prohibits any openly homosexual person from serving in the United States armed forces.
The Don’t ask part means that military leaders have no right to ask or force any soldier to release their sexual preference. On one hand, that allows gays and lesbians to fight and defend, just not be openly gay. While this may be positive in some twisted way, this is asking gay and lesbian soldiers to suppress a very large part of their lives. So while some may say, ‘well if they want to serve, they can just not tell anyone they’re gay.’ This is a ridiculous argument. Nobody should have to hide who they are.
The whole point of this bill was to ensure that homosexuals didn’t upset the ways of the military. The bill said that having gays and lesbians in the military would be a threat to the military’s high morale, cohesion, and discipline. Basically, allowing homosexuals to serve would make the whole military system self-destruct – according to the writers of this bill. Well, the report from military officials proved their theory wrong. The report found that having LGBT soldiers in a unit does not lower the morale of the unit. So there goes the basis of the bill. Why is it still intact? It is said that President Obama may abandon this legislation. I think this would be a very big step for LGBT supporters around the country. DADT is one of the most discriminatory laws that I’ve heard of. I think that if it got revoked after 15 years, it would make everyone open their eyes to the newly given right, provoking a lot of thought towards LGBT freedoms.
The whole idea of DADT makes me angry. The women and men of the military are volunteering to fight for our country – fight for each and every one of us. How are we going to kick them out because of their sexual preference? I freely admit that all of the people enlisted are far more courageous than me. I can’t see the righteousness in judging the ones who put their lives on the line for our country. So some of them are gay and some of them are straight. Who cares? They’re all doing one of the most honorable things in the nation. Someone who is homosexual shouldn’t have to hide for fear of being discharged. There is a wide variety of races, backgrounds, home cities, family situations, etc within the military. Why can’t there be a variety of sexual preferences? They are fighting for us… but we say they can’t fight because we don’t agree with their orientation… that is wrong.
Homosexuality doesn’t threaten the morale of the troops. Don’t ask, don’t tell needs to be abandoned. It is injustice at it’s finest.
Over the past few years, the army has seen a lot of anger and frustration towards them due to their actions and behaviors, mostly because of the war the United States is fighting. The Army makes decisions which at times are not what other people agree with and it is affecting the “clean” image that the Army once had. Personally, I think the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy is completely absurd and unnecessary. It is discriminating against Americans and is causing problems for people who wish to serve our country, but feel as though their true selves has to be kept a secret. The United States needs more soldiers to join the Army however by using “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” they are turning well qualified, strong potential soldiers away. Just like in this video segment, Army officials found nothing different in the way a gay soldier fought versus a straight soldier. It should not matter your background if you are willing to fight and defend your country. Not only should the Army get recognized for this negative behavior, but the entire United States military. I have a feeling that there is a lot of discrimination in the military but many try to keep it a secret that the United States has issues concerning race and sexuality. There have been stories before about discrimination in the military and finally, someone has spoken out about the Army discriminating against being gay. The United States is portraying a terrible image by acting this way and I think it is affecting or will affect people choosing to join the military in the future.
Although I am not in the military, I have a personal opinion about the entire situation. If I were fighting with such a reputable military, I would hope that strong people regardless of their race or sexuality would be there to help protect both me and my country. I would never look at someone and assume because they are different than me they are weaker. If someone thinks like this, they are only proving their close mindedness and prejudice against people different than themselves. The United States is supposed to allow all people to have the same freedom and the same rights so how can something like “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” be acceptable. No one should have to hide who they are in fear they won’t be able to protect and defend our country. It is wrong to think that the United States can say one thing and then act in a completely different way. Overall, being a gay person or a person of a minority race does not affect how someone can perform and protect our country. But most of all, it does not affect the civilians that the soldiers are risking their lives for.
While watching the video for the post “Don’t ask, Don’t tell please” we were asked to think about two questions. My answer to question one is that no, I would not think that Darren Manzella was gay but then on the other hand, what makes a person seem gay? Being flamboyant with a swagger is all a bad stereotype. Gay men come in all different shapes, sizes, and color. There are gay business men, gay CEO’s, gay farmers, gay body builders, gay waiters, gay film producers, gay professors, gay technicians, and gay accountants. In every profession there is a gay man who works hard, and that should be no different in the army. Gay men are just like every other human being. Having a different sexual preference does not make them sick with a disease and not be able to perform their task like the rest of society. Whatever happens behind closed doors is their choice. But it does not make them any different and we should not treat them like they are. What does it matter if Darren Manzella was gay? He still had more courage than most heterosexual men out there. H e was protecting our country and instead of humiliating him by discharging his services, we should honor him for all that he has done. He is a HERO, no matter what his sexual preference might be.
According to question number two a “recent report from military officials investigating whether having LGBT soldiers on a unit “weakens morale” decidedly determined that it does not and that the DADT policy should be abandoned” Lets travel to Israel for a moment. Israel has one of the strongest armies in the world and to many people’s surprise they let gay soldiers serve openly in the army since 1993. Also, studies and research has found that having openly gay men and lesbian woman serving in the military did not bring down the military performance. The study of “The Effects of Including Gay and Lesbian Soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces: Appraising the Evidence”. Found that “There is no evidence that the inclusion of homosexuals in the IDF has harmed operational effectiveness, combat readiness, unit cohesion, or morale in the Israeli military.” The study also goes on to state that “Security and mental health officials for the IDF have found that sexual minorities adapt to military life as well as heterosexuals”. The last point that the study clearly points out is “Contrary to the claims of some American experts, some Israeli soldiers in combat units do come out of the closet. Even in these cases, Israeli officials report no deterioration of unit cohesion or performance.” This should be enough information for the American army to throw away the Don’t Ask- Don’t Tell policy.
I really do not see the problem with a person in the army being gay because they are just like everyone else. If anything I believe the United States army would see this as something that would phase their perception of being a tough and aggressive force of males and may also go against the prestige that they want to uphold. This is definitely an example of hypocrisy in the government at its very finest because the army wants people to enlist, but yet they turn people away because of what they choose their sexual orientation to be. No matter if someone is homosexual or heterosexual; they can still contribute to the union of the army. The “don’t ask, don’t tell” situation is very funny because the army would never know anyone’s sexual orientation if the applicant would never tell. It’s a shame that LGBT people have to hide whom they are if they want to be enlisted in the army. The whole United States of America is hypocritical and filled with hypocrisy because first off this is supposed to be the land of the free and opportunity, and America also has a reputation to uphold, but if Americans cannot even enlist in the army, then this is not a nation of free opportunity by any means necessary. Gay soldiers are no less qualified to represent and fight for this country than any soldier, if anything they may possess more courage than soldiers who are heterosexual and are in the army. How could the army willingly release someone who is trying to fight for their country? How can they take away an opportunity from someone and be able to live with themselves? Back in January there was word that Obama may be ending the “don’t ask don’t tell” policy and he is supposedly going to focus on this issues at hand which is the economic distress, but I would like to see what the army tries to do or say after this policy is completely dismissed. LGBT people will then get their equal rights in which they are entitled to being an American citizen. Clearly the guy in the story was good at what he did and he was going to do the same duties and have the same obligations as any other soldier but by him having a preference for males instead of females affects his work ethic in what possible way? He is still a man that can battle for his country. Also, I’m very sure that there are still numerous soldiers who are on the workforce or have served on the workforce in the past that were homosexual. It is inevitable that the army will not know who is homosexual and whom is heterosexual.
I have always been confused by the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy of the U.S. military. If I remember correctly, this arose during the Bill Clinton administration in the 1990s. The arguments for it being in place were that having a gay or lesbian member of the army brought down the moral of the troops. I’m not quite sure how well that correlates. Back when the military was almost all men, I could see how it might be awkward being in close quarters like that with a gay man in the mix. It brings an unnecessary sexual aspect to a situation that doesn’t need to be there. Every man in the military needs to focus on fighting the war, not worrying if the gay man in their troop is going to hit on them. However, now the military has many women in it. The sexual aspect is there for straight men now. Therefore, in my thinking, if the sexual attraction aspect is there for straight men (and women) then who cares if it’s also there for gay men and lesbians.
Fighting for our country is the most honorable thing you can do, in my opinion. These men and women are potentially giving up their lives so the lives of Americans as a whole can be improved. That is an incredible, selfless act that I know I would never be able to do. I know many people in the military right now, or who are in ROTC and plan to be in the military in the future. I really hold these men and women in the utmost respect.
That being said, what makes a gay man or lesbian less qualified to serve our nation? We need as many people as we can to fight for our country. Why would we turn away ANYONE who is willing to do this job?! In the article, it states that more than 13,000 gays and lesbians were discharged since the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy was enforced. That is completely insane. Why should we be turning away anyone who is qualified?
The story of Darren Manzella is really heartbreaking. He seems like a dedicated young man who just wanted to serve his country. I don’t know about the situation with Servicemembers Legal Defense Network though. Manzella knew that he might be discharged if he did the interview, and he still agreed to do it. His motivation was that he could be a voice for all gays and lesbians in the military force. So he shouldn’t have been surprised that he got discharged. I’m no way saying it was right that he got discharged; I’m just saying that he shouldn’t have been surprised. The law is still the law even if most of us don’t agree with it.
First of all, I am not one of those people who claim to know when someone is LGBT. However, I think we all have that picture of the stereotypical gay guy or at the very least know of it. I am talking about the thought that gay men tend to spend more time around women, have higher voices, partake in activities that woman usually do, and wear more colorful clothing. In my opinion, these are just dumb generalizations and obviously do not apply to all homosexual men in the world. Unfortunately, I find myself thinking about these stereotypes whenever I suspect someone (particularly a man) of being homosexual.
As for this Darren Manzella, I would have never thought that he was gay. He said that he had two other brothers and from the pictures shown in the video where he was playing baseball and fishing, he acted like any other guy. This makes sense because he said that he had never known anyone else that was homosexual, so he stayed inside the closet. I think I didn’t believe he was gay because I myself and possibly many others are so tied to the ‘gay stereotype’ that we don’t realize that anyone can be homosexual. These stereotypes should not be used to separate out homosexuals, just like we cannot use skin color to separate out different races.
I thought that the entire situation between Darren Manzella and the armed forces was a little strange. Darren entered into a relationship with another man and then began getting phone calls and emails that he was being investigated for being gay. Then later a superior went to the legal department and turned him in for violating the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy. I’m just wondering, where did Manzella specifically say that he was a homosexual? It seems that the armed forces were trying to find out if he was gay, and if it turned out to be true, then they would say he violated the policy. This sounds as if they are just trying to dismiss those of a different sexual orientation out of the military, which is just wrong. The strangest thing is that they dropped the investigation and said there was no proof of homosexuality, even though Manzella had admitted to being gay.
Personally, I think the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy is just dumb. I honestly don’t see how having people who identify themselves as LGBT could be in any way detrimental to the military. It’s not the same as having relationships with other officers that could compromise judgment calls, which is detrimental to the military. I remember when Sam mentioned the report from military officials that stated that having LGBT personnel in the armed forces has no effect on morale. So if this is true, why hasn’t the policy been done away with yet?
I think that the “don’t ask, don’t tell policy” is one of the stupidest policies ever created. I have a really strong passion in this subject because my dad works for Service Legal Members Defense Network (SLDN) in Washington, D.C. It is a non-profit organization that works to repeal the “don’t ask, don’t tell policy.” My dad had brought home videos, brochures and showed us video clips online. He always keeps my family and I updated with what the latest news is in D.C. I had the opportunity to go to a banquet held last year for my dad’s office which raised money to support gays and lesbians who have been kicked out of the military as well as to support SLDN repealing the policy. There were over 200 gays and lesbians there who have kicked out of some branch of the United States military for openly coming out and saying that they were gay or lesbian. Some of the people my dad introduced me to had been three star generals or other high ranked positions. Some of them were flamboyant and I could tell that they were gay but others I couldn’t tell at all. I asked some of them how they got found out about and how they were kicked out and most of them said that they weren’t told on; they had made a personal choice to come out knowing the consequences because they felt as if they were living a lie. I got to hear a lot of them give speeches about their experiences and became really intrigued in the subject. I couldn’t understand how Clinton could pass a policy like this. It is so discriminatory and absurd. Why shouldn’t gays and lesbians be able to serve their country without keeping their sexual orientation secret?
I actually decided to write a research paper for my English class on this topic. I have been doing research and have found that the majority of the U.S. believes that the policy should be removed and that having gays and lesbians in the military has no negative impact on the troops. Fighting for our country is a very honorable thing for someone to do. In some cases, people are risking their lives for our country and have to leave their friends and family behind. Most of the people that I met at my dad’s banquet who had been kicked out were really sad that they weren’t able to serve anymore. It was like a way of life for them and a lot of them had been in the military for most of their lives. In addition to going to the banquet, I participated in a march from my dad’s office to the White House in D.C. to protest the policy. There were about 400 of us and we were all carrying signs and chanting through the streets on a Saturday afternoon in the summer. It was a really great experience and I’m so glad I participated in it. Obama said that he was going to repeal this policy but no one knows exactly when. Hopefully he will take action and repeal the policy as soon as possible. Since he has gotten into office there have been over 250 members discharged. This number will keep going up if action is not taken soon. I am not gay or lesbian but I believe that gays and lesbians should have the same rights as heterosexual people. They are just human beings wanting to live their lives just like you and me.
I’m not someone who would say that I have necessarily good “gaydar.” Which I always thought is a stupid word because it automatically refers to stereotypes. But I guess it means that people are good at determining if someone is gay or not based on observation. That said, no, Darren Manzella is not someone who I would typically assume is gay. He does not speak like the flamboyant stereotypical gay man or really give any indication that he is a homosexual when looking at him and hearing him speak like people in TV and movies tend to do. I found it interesting how he described growing up with the constant debate of “am I gay or not?” I have never debated my sexuality, but whenever I do have struggles it’s very difficult for me to overcome my anxiety. I can not imagine having such an internal battle with my identity. This story actually bothered me because it prompted me to really think about the Don’t ask, Don’t tell policy. The policy prohibits anyone who “demonstrate(s) a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts” from serving in the armed forces of the United States, because “it would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability.” It’s really unfortunate that there even needs to be a policy at all. If people are willing to serve our country and fight for our lives and freedom, they should be able to do so openly. The Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy is very discrimination against the LGBT community. I really don’t see how someone’s sexuality could create a risk to unit cohesion and discipline. I’m sure there are people in the military that are homophobic, but there are homophobic people everywhere. It shouldn’t create such a stressful environment for LGBT. Like Darren Manzella said in the video, “life is too short to not be who you really are.” Manzella was forced to hide his true identity like many other men and women in the military. It’s not fair at all and it’s not something that is a confusing complicated issue. It’s about what’s ethical and fair and right. What’s right is letting people be who they are and love who they want and be able to be open about it. Manzella was willing to give his life for our country and yet the U.S. Military discharged him simply for homosexuality? It just doesn’t make any sense. I think that Manzella is inspirational and I think it’s amazing that he went ahead and not only came out to himself but is now speaking about his experiences. Manzella made the decision to serve our country and that’s all that should matter. I highly doubt if Manzella did something heroic people would think of his actions as less because he is gay. I really hope that stories like this reach a lot of people because it’s the only way that change will ever happen.
The issue is not allowing gays in the military; they are already there, competently and heroically doing their jobs, as many other soldiers are. People are more than their sexuality, and I have never heard of an instance in any profession where a person is unable to do her or his job because of a sexual orientation. Our men and women in uniform deserve more from us; they deserve the right to be able to serve and, in many instances, continue to serve our country while being able to fully have families. They should not have to lie about their loved ones back home. The arguments that somehow allowing gays into the military will negatively affect group cohesion is based on the faulty premise that gays are not already serving and this simply insults the gay women and men who have served, are serving and will continue to serve. This is about letting these people do their jobs, the jobs that they are more than qualified to do. The fact of the matter is, discharging these gay individuals from their positions only hurts the military and inevitably costs them more money when they have to go recruit and train someone who might not even be as gifted or skilled at that same position. If anything, the talent and abilities we lose in gay women and men harms our military and national safety. It seems to me like getting rid of “don’t ask, don’t tell” is a no brainer. The fact of the matter is that gays are in the military now. If you don’t like them, or have some type of an issue with them, you’ll know who they are. If you do like them (support their sexual preference), you can welcome them and let them know their sexuality is okay or better yet, let them know it’s their own business. Any way you look at it, gays are in the military now, have always been in the military, and will always be in the military. There is no negative link between military skill and sexual orientation. Are US soldiers really so mentally fragile that the thought of serving with an openly gay person makes them lose all their discipline and training so that they are literally incapable of serving? I think not. What does it say about a soldier’s “so called” patriotism if he or she refuses to fight for your country if gays are allowed to serve openly? One wouldn’t seem like a very upstanding person to me if they are not willing to fight for freedom alongside someone of a different sexual orientation. We need to let go of such remedial biases and prejudices and look to the greater good, which many soldiers claim to be doing by fighting for America’s freedoms.
Sometimes it is clear if someone is LGBT. Other times it is not. Many are stereotyped as “feminine,” if a male, and “butch,” if a lesbian. If I was not told that Darren Manzella was gay, I would have never guessed. He is a good looking guy, as are many gay men. However, he does not show any form of femininity. In my mind, I never think that men who serve in the military are gay. I know a lot of people who have served and are serving now, none of which are gay.
I choose to do my journals on LGBT issues because it often angers me. Just because some is LGBT does not mean that they are any different from someone who is straight. They have the same physical capabilities. What they do in their personal lives does not determine if someone is more capable of serving their country. The don’t ask don’t tell policy is bogus in my mind. I see this policy screaming out “you can serve your country if you do not reveal who you really are.” I feel like it is constantly preached that it is important to be proud of who you are and what you believe in. How can someone be proud to serve their country if they have to keep who they really are a secret? Darren Manzella’s rights are being denied in my eyes. If someone wants to fight for their country, let them, even if they are gay. Who cares? It does not affect anyone else. Citizens of the United States are supposed to have “equal” rights. Someone who is LGBT should have the same rights as someone who is straight. They should be able to serve their country freely, without having to hide who they truly are.
Darren states he cannot talk about his relationship with his boyfriend. Why is this? It should not have to be this way. When I watched the video and he stated he was being investigated for being gay, that blew my mind. Do straight soldiers get investigated for being straight? No. He also stated that 65,000 men and women serving are gay. That is amazing. That would be 65,000 less soldiers supporting the United States of America. When he talked about CBS wanting to do a segment about gay servicemen and he discussed the cons, it made me made. He said a con would be that he could be discharged for speaking out publicly. And he was. Why did his discharge papers have to state “homosexual conduct?” Who cares? I do not feel that having LGBT soldiers on a unit “weakens morale.” They are they to do the same thing, serve for their country. Their personal lives do not change the moral of anything. I completely agree that the DADT policy should be abandoned. I feel this way because I feel that every single LGBT should share the same opportunities and rights as any straight person in the United States.
When it comes to fighting for your own country, it should not matter what race you are or orientation you associate yourself with. One of the most unifying things you can be a part of is the army. Everyone in the army has one common goal that is to protect its own country. It disgusts me that this young man was booted from the army just because he was gay. When it comes to fighting for your country, everyone gets the exact same training. Just because you are gay does not make you inept to protect your own people. I fail to understand how this is allowed to occur in a country that claims it is open to new ideas and different kinds of people. The army now accepts people of all races and cultures. It is appalling that they discriminate against sexuality. It makes me wonder if the reason why he got discharged is because other soldiers feel uncomfortable sleeping in tight quarters with him. I respect this young man for being brave enough to come out to himself as well as the country. I am positive he was a great influence of other gay soldiers in the United States army who have been in the closet. It takes an enormously brave person to speak up and be himself in the face of so much hate. When Manzella witnessed the death and destruction that came with war he forced himself to be honest and admit he was gay. The United States army has much more to worry about than discharging those who are not “normal”. Apparently it is okay to be gay and serve America as long as no one knows about it. I had never heard of this “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy before and can’t imagine people actually thinking it is okay and fair. The way the American army makes it seem is as if these soldiers choose to be gay. America should be honored to have young women and men giving up their lives to protect us and not care about what traits they prefer in a partner. Once again, a soldier is a soldier. Who he is personally should not matter. It also should not be hidden or factor into whether or not he can serve our country. It makes me curious to find out how this law or policy came about and under whose hands. It also makes me wonder how many people have stories like Manzella and if anything was done about his situation after this was aired on national television. Sam showed us a couple of slides to us in class that told us about how businesses are now open to LBGT employees. If private owned businesses can take this step, the American army can.
This week, I chose to respond to Sam’s blog “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell…please”, because the ethics behind the military’s don’t ask don’t tell policy are so incredibly wrong and condescending to someone who is doing a great service to our country in a time of dire need. “A recent report from military officials investigating whether having LGBT soldiers on a unit “weakens morale” decidedly determined that it does not and that the DADT policy should be abandoned”, Sam writes. However, whether the policy is rightfully abandoned or not, I think that the fact that this policy ever existed is enough to question our morals, ethics, and even patriotism.
How could a man or woman that is putting his or her life on the line for his/her country be judged or discriminated against due to their sexual orientation? Where does sexual orientation even come into play in this situation? If I’m not mistaken, someone being accepted into the military must go through many intense physical and psychological feats and tests to qualify. If the soldier qualifies, then why would his (in this case) sexual orientation matter? In any other work place, sexual orientation – gay, straight, transgender, whatever – does not make for a good or bad work ethic. The two are irrelevant and unrelated. So why, I ask, does this “don’t ask don’t tell” policy exist in today’s military?
The fact that it’s called a don’t ask don’t tell policy is condescending in itself, because it makes it seem as if the question not being “asked” is regarding something negative with an answer that is unwanted. This is so disrespectful to the men and women who serve our country to make our world safe. The military should be the first to believe in the freedom to be gay. The military stands for our country, and our country is SUPPOSED to stand for freedom to be who we want to be. The fact that our military is preferring straight men and women over those who are LGBT is a very negative attribute to what our country stands for in regards to what they are supposed to be over seas fighting for. This policy negates and contradicts our freedom, and the military should be the first to see this.
The fact that Darren Manzella got “honorable leave” is disgraceful. He was penalized and discharged for going public with an incredibly life changing confession, and this to me is completely unfair. From what I understand, he does not look or act gay. One would never be able to tell he was gay. That makes it clear that his sexual orientation has not affected his duties and responsibilities as an American soldier, however, he was still released from the army. The fact that it is called “honorable leave” is condescending in itself because not only does the army clearly find his choice “dishonorable”, but he also did not get his full financial benefits that he should have. This is discrimination at its worst, and it is embarrassing to our country that our military, the one force that fights for what our country stands for, makes a statement against LGBT’s.
Darren Manzells introduces several sociologically sound and interesting points. The first interesting thing I would like to highlight is the calmness with which he carries himself. He could very easily be angry or upset about his unnecessary discharge from the army, but rather, he’s interested in retrospection and sound analysis. This is a critical character trait necessary for growth in one’s life. Say, perhaps, he did not consider the realities of his situation critically, and had instead acted on his anger-he may have done something irrational, and not truly confronted the problem at hand; inequality. This is why sociology is such a powerful force; it allows those who truly understand it to see that they are individually not the problem, but that they are part of a larger societal problem which much be confronted collectively and considered sociologically in order to be “solved”. This allows human healing to occur, because the “problem” (which is really just a situation in which a societal norm is tested) can be shifted into the palms of the public as opposed to resting in the palms of he who has the “problem” (which could cause them to feel like the world is on their shoulders).
Second, Darren comments on the fact that denying yourself the fact that you are homosexual (if indeed, you are) is basically lying to yourself. Why should a person lie to themselves, knowingly, when they could easily accept themselves as they are? I truly wonder how many people would come out of the closet as homosexual if it were the “norm” (there probably actually wouldn’t even be one- we would all be automatically considered gay as we are today automatically considered heterosexual). Imagine a world in which heterosexuality was as taboo as homosexuality is. Then there would be a ban in the military for publically announcing that you are attracted sexually (and spiritually, personally, etc –more importantly…) to a member of the opposite sex. How would the average person act different in this world? If our parents had been telling us all along (in some way or another) not “You’re expected to marry someone of a different sex, produce children with that person, and if you don’t do this, and you end up loving someone of the same sex and not producing children, then you should be ashamed of yourself” but rather “You’re expected to marry someone of the same sex, not produce children with that person, and if you don’t do this, and you end up loving someone of a different sex and producing children, then you should be ashamed of yourself”- WE WOULD ALL BE GAY AND SCARED TO BE HOMOSEXUALS/
Which brings me to my final point; why should anyone be scared to be them selves- SELVES- meaning INHERENT, meaning NATURAL meaning BORN THAT WAY? They shouldn’t. Let’s celebrate our selves.
After reading the post entry on the Race Relations webpage by Professor Richards titled, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell…please” I felt many different feelings. First of all, I remember that in class, Professor Richards said that there have been many studies conducted by high ranking officers in both the FBI and the military clarifying that homosexuality has no impact on the morale of a militant unit. When I watched the CNN report about Dan Manzella, I actually became somewhat angry. Personally, I admire every single person in the United States military and truly believe they are all heroes for many reasons. Being in the military is something I’ve always dreamed of doing, but I haven’t simply because I live a comfortable lifestyle, and quite frankly I am too scared to actually do it. When I think about all the people who are willing to sacrifice their own lives so people like me can live in freedom, the last thing that comes to mind is the sexuality of those people. It is absolutely outrageous for people to have different feelings about someone just because of their sexuality. I agree with what Professor Richards always tells us in class. The people who fear homosexuals or have different feelings about them aren’t comfortable with their own sexuality. As long as you are comfortable with your own sexuality it should not matter what other people’s sexual preferences are.
As far as the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) policy in the military there are a few issues. I understand the purpose of the policy and why it is in place. It is no ones business what people’s sexualities are. There is no reason for anyone in the military to share that information. However, I’m sure when troops go to war with their fellow soldiers they develop close relationships – maybe even lifelong friends. Therefore, if people in the military go beyond just being soldiers and have close relationships there should be no reason why they can’t share information such as their sexual preferences if they are comfortable in doing so. In the case of Dan Manzella, the military gave him an honorable discharge with all of the appropriate benefits, but they still discharged him because of his sexuality nonetheless. I guess the rules are the rules in the military, but I personally think the DADT policy is absurd. If someone is willing to devote their allegiance to our country for the just cause of keeping fellow Americans safe on our own soil, there should be no limitations to that person, especially regarding their sexuality. It truly disturbs me that this is still even an issue in the military when so many people are becoming more accepting of the many issues in our society, especially LGBT issues.