Is War Good For Gay Rights?
Traditional wisdom says that wartime increases crackdowns on all oppressed groups - rape tends to happen more in wartime, and traditional gender roles are enforced as we run towards the masculine to protect and the feminine to comfort. But the current situation with the military might provide an interesting counterpoint to that argument - as the military gets stretched more and more to the limit, are ridiculous policies like Don’t Ask Don’t Tell getting pushed to the wayside?
For at least some people, the answer seems to be yes. As 365gay.com notes,
Even if no one is asking, Army Sgt. Darren Manzella has been telling anyone who’ll listen that he’s gay - without serious retribution so far from the military.
Manzella, a medic who served in Iraq and Kuwait, has admitted his sexual orientation in national media interviews and again on Tuesday in a Washington news conference.
“This is who I am. This is my life,” said Manzella, who received a combat medical badge for his service in Iraq. “It has never affected my job performance before. I don’t think it will make a difference now. And to be honest since then, I don’t see a difference because of my homosexuality.”
Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, said Manzella’s case demonstrates the military is arbitrarily enforcing its “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy now that the country is at war.
Even if it’s not a full action, it’s at least some hope that policies like Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Will be forced to change. I’m not saying that makes it worth a war, but it’s good to know.
GLBT, gay rights, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell
GLBT, gay rights, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell
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