Dignity in Fighting?

Earlier this year I wrote a short article calling on Americans to end the military policy of "Don't Ask Don't Tell". Here is my article:

"“Dignity to Serve”

The notion that the military cannot function with LGBT people serving openly is a myth. At its best it is an idea and policy instated by ignorant, but rather well meaning straight men trying to protect our military. At its worst, it is a policy that speaks to homophobic and transphobic paranoia and persecutes people simply for being. In the history of our world there have been many open LGBT leaders who have served and commanded greatly successful militaries, most notably, the undefeated Alexander the Great. Other LGBT military leaders throughout history include:
• Fredrick II of Prussia
• Richard the Lion Hearted
• Albert Cashier during the civil war
• The Greek special unit, The Sacred Band of Thebes
• Tiberius
• King Edward II
• The Emperor Hadrian
• Nzinga of Angola
• Joan of Arc
• Samurai practicing “bi-do” or the beautiful way.
• Horation Herbert Kitchener of Britain

The list goes on and on. That is why I am calling on the Commander –in-Chief of our United States Military, President Barack Obama, to sign an executive order to repeal this policy that puts our service men and women at risk by denying qualified capable and potentially great military leaders the chance to serve alongside their straight cisgender counterparts. In a time of two wars when many say our military is overstretched, it makes absolutely no sense to deny people simply because they admit to being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. People of America, please join me and countless others in the struggle for equal rights by telling President Obama and our members of Congress that this injustice cannot stand and that victims of this policy should be re-instated! Send letters and e-mails to the President, post videos online, do anything you can do to tell your story and show that equality is one of the most fundamental tenets of our great nation. Even if Maj. Margaret Witt isn’t re-instated, she has already shown that she is an American hero by choosing to stand up for equality in the face of the establishment at her own expense. "


At the time when I wrote this particular article I was passionate about the issue, as I remembered dealing with it in my own life. When I was in high school I disqualified my application to the Air Force Academy because of my fear of ”Don't Ask Don't Tell”. Since then, I've had heated arguments with my friends who are proponents of this policy. In looking back though, I have begun to seriously question whether this is an issue worth fighting for. At what point does equality become counterproductive? When looking at other minorities and oppressed groups I've noticed that there is a trend of slower promotions and work on the front lines. I understand the idea of fighting for the principal of equality, however, when I read past civil rights leaders like Malcom X calling for an exemption to military draft service for African-Americans, I can't help but question whether military service should be discouraged in the LGBT community altogether as well. If more gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender kids end up joining the military because “Don't Ask Don't Tell” is ended, will its repeal have really have been a victory? As liberal and a rationalist, I think war is never really worth fighting, especially if you are an oppressed minority because in truth war only serves the establishment. Even women who fought for integration in the military and are working in our armed forces have to deal with rampant rape and sexism. I agree that it is necessary to fight against the discrimination of our LGBT brothers and sisters currently fighting in the armed forces, however, I feel that as a community we should work to discourage each other from joining altogether. Besides, there are better ways of serving your country than picking up a gun! What do you guys think; do the adverse effects on the LGBT community of ending “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” outweigh the benefits?

Peace and love,
Aurora