It's just "Don't Ask" now...

Yesterday (9/20) morning at 12:01am, the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) policy that formalized the ban on gay and lesbian persons in the military officially ended.  The policy was created in 1993 by then President Clinton as a compromise between the change he wanted to make (to fully allow gays and lesbians to serve openly) and the policy that congress would actually pass and that the miliary at the time would actually accept.  Most people forget that, despite DADT not being what anyone wanted at the time, it WAS better than what the military's policy was before (before that, they could ask, pursue, dig into your personal life, etc. - after DADT, they couldn't).  Still, 13,000+ qualified men and women have been discharged from the military in 18 years under DADT, simply for being themselves.

Of course it's only been a day, but the general feeling is that this really isn't going to change very much.  Sure, there will be a spike of gays and lesbians currently serving to come out over the next few days (this article was a good example, and another talked about two soldiers just got married since they live in a state that allows it) but, just as in most workplaces, people go to work and do their job, and, for the most part, leave their personal life at home.

I had a long chat with a friend of mine who has served in the military about this a few years ago.  He thought it would be very disruptive and he would have been uncomfortable serving with a gay soldier.  I asked him if he was uncomfortable serving with female members of the military and he said no.  I then asked if the military has a code of conduct that everyone is required to follow.  He said yes (I already knew that, but I was pointing it out).  I said that if ALL soldiers, gay, straight, or otherwise, are required to follow this code of conduct or lose their job, then what difference does it make if they're gay?  I think he thought about that one for awhile.  We never had another chat about it, so I don't know.

I don't think this is some huge step forward in rights like many people are making it out to be.  The vast majority of the military are in their teens and 20s, and that generation of people is already past this issue and doesn't care anyway.  Most people growing up now know and have gay and lesbian friends in high school and college.  It's still good to know that these qualified men and women will no longer be losing their jobs for no good reason.

Unrelated, I also have to throw in this article I read this morning:  http://news.yahoo.com/alexander-gop-leaders-thanks-no-thanks-223425967.html. 

It talks about a Tennessee republican senator who has decided he doesn't want to be forced to vote party lines on everything anymore, but rather actually make a conscious decision about each piece of legislation he is voting on.  This article shouldn't even be news, EVERY one of our elected leaders should base their decisions on their constituents, the available facts, and their conscience, but in our current system that is NOT the case.  So kudos to Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, I hope you get re-elected next fall.