“Don’t ask, don’t tell” has yet again been thrust into the spotlight of American media and is at the forefront of American politics.
The long-awaited Pentagon report on the possible effects of repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell” was released earlier this week.
The report says, “The risk of repeal of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ to overall military effectiveness is low,” continuing, “We conclude that while a repeal of DADT will likely in the short term bring out some limited and isolated disruption to unit cohesion and retention, we do not believe this disruption will be widespread or long-lasting, and can be adequately addressed. Widespread attitude among a solid majority of service members is that repeal … will not have a negative impact on their ability to conduct their military mission.”
The problem with allowing homosexuals to serve openly in the military is deeply rooted in patriarchal tradition. Patrick Pexton of the Washington Post reports that “male troops sign up [for the military] … to prove their masculinity. This has been true since hunter-gatherer days, when a warrior facing death was the ultimate proof of courage and, yes, maleness. Joining the military is a rite of passage and a sign of maturation. Serving in uniform signifies the transition from adolescent boy into the brotherhood of adult men.”
With many men joining the military to prove their masculinity, one can easily understand how homosexuals could disturb this tradition. Gay men are often falsely assumed as being more feminine, and would therein threaten the very fabric of the military’s allure of granting manhood.
This desire to prove one’s manhood is not exclusive to straight men, though. Pexton goes on to report, “But the scores of gay servicemen I have interviewed over the years express an identical desire to prove their strength, courage and masculinity. It isn’t about proving sexual prowess, both straight and gay troops say, but about adulthood and, ultimately, male virtue.”
Ultimately gay and straight men both want similar things — to assert their masculinity through the military. In that, it was more threatening to soldier morale when women were allowed to serve openly in the military. This one goes out to you Mulan. But no one would suggest that we make women hide their physique. That would be absurd.
Instead, we grew up. It’s time we do it again.
Prior to this week, many people argued that the people this legislation would affect most, U.S. armed service men and women, did not get a say. Now they have spoken. The reports concluded that it would have little to no effect on the quality of the military if the policies were removed.
The report even concluded that 70 percent of service men and women have already served in a unit with someone who was gay or lesbian and it made little difference. That means, for all of you who are ignorant of how human beings behave, 70 percent of military men and women have showered with someone who was gay or lesbian and it made little difference. One assumes they were not all accosted by the uncontrollable sexual desires of the homosexual.
The issue now is not about national security; it’s about equity. The U.S. Congress now has an obligation to move on this legislation in light of the Pentagon’s findings, and one would assume that there should be very little debate on the issue.
However, Sen. John McCain, who has continually asked his fellow congressmen and congresswomen to wait until these reports came out, has now decided they are not good enough. The Republicans who vehemently opposed the removal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” are writing this report off as a political exercise aimed at helping the Obama administration and its gay and lesbian allies.
“Don’t ask, don’t tell” is an outdated policy that should be removed. I hope Republicans will start a new trend and begin accepting facts, because if they don’t there could be a rough four years ahead.
Michael Patrick is a junior majoring in political science. His column runs biweekly on Thursday.
