The Armed Services’ “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy regarding sexual orientation forces soldiers to lie, prevents relationships of trust from forming and wastes money, a panel of former military personnel said.
The panel spoke March 30 at the U’s law school about the ongoing debate regarding the military’s current policy.
“I reluctantly left (the army),” said panelist Jarrod Chlapowski. “I say reluctantly because I had fallen in love with the army.”
The panel is traveling across the country speaking to college students to raise awareness of the negative impact they believe the policy has on individual soldiers as well as overall national security.
Critics of the policy believe the nation has come a long way since 1993, when former President Clinton put it into effect. Clinton suspended the former policy that banned gay, lesbian and bi-sexual individuals from serving in the military.
Congress opposed the decision, and after many hearings, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was implemented.
This law prevents inquiries about the sexual orientation of soldiers, but it also forbids members of the Armed Forces from admitting they are gay to anyone, including family, friends or coworkers.
Soldiers are also not allowed to tell their doctors, psychiatrists or chaplains about their sexual preferences.
Members of the panel shared stories of being discovered and discharged as a result. They discussed the negative effect that being forced to lie has on the level of trust within a unit, leading to a less-effective troop.
“Constantly lying and living a lie violates the honor code of the service,” said Rear Admiral Alan Steinman.
There are an estimated 65,000 gay, lesbian or bisexual soldiers currently serving in the military and more than 10,000 have been discharged over the past decade.
According to a study released by the Government Accountability Office, the different military branches spent an estimated $190 million to recruit and train replacements for those discharged soldiers.
“I thought that bringing this voice to the law school would be a good thing,” said John Hurst, a second-year law student who helped organize the panel at the U. “It is not talked about all that much, and it is good to get it out there. It was good for people from all different backgrounds.”
“I would like to see more people get involved with (this issue), especially? veterans,” said Marisa Black, a second-year law student.