'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Hits Lesbians Hardest

WASHINGTON (Aug. 16) -- The military is throwing out women disproportionately under its "don't ask, don't tell" policy, even as the number of service members discharged for being gay reached a new low last year. According to Pentagon statistics released by the Palm Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara, 428 service members were discharged in 2009 under the policy that President Barack Obama has vowed to end. That's the lowest number since the policy began in 1994 and continues a steady decline that began after the 9/11 attacks. Meanwhile, the Army lost one of its top West Point cadets this past week when Katherine Miller, a lesbian, resigned because of the policy.

Army: Lesbians accounted for 48 percent of 195 discharges under the don't-ask, don't-tell policy, even though women make up only 14 percent of the force. That's up from 2008, when women represented 36 percent of Army discharges under the policy.

Air Force: More than half, 51 percent, of those discharged were women, who make up 20 percent of the service.

Marines: Nearly one in four, or 23 percent, of discharges under the policy were women, who make up just 6 percent of the Marines. That's up from 18 percent the year before.

Navy: The sea service discharged 22 women, or 27 percent of the total ousted for being gay. Women comprise 14 percent of naval personnel.

Source

How much truth is there to this?

Is there seriously some kind of double standard going on here? Is this the "easy way" of getting women out of the military? Is that view still going on during this day and age?

[edit on 17-8-2010 by -Blackout-]

No, but if they dont want to be in the military, it is an easy way out. Just prance around blowing kisses to all the other service members will get you a first class ticket out. No questions asked (pun intended).

reply to post by Common Good


The article is regarding lesbians...'prancing' and 'blowing kisses' is generally a 'girly' thing to do, is it not? Thus making the girls more girly and not much of 'an easy way out.' Your post make me believe you just read 'Don't ask, don't tell' and troll through with some inane comment.

However, so far as my understanding of the conservative mindset is, there's more of an 'ick' factor when it comes to homosexual males so homosexual stereotypes are more accustomed to what some homosexual men do, prancing and blowing kisses as an immediate example.

It's a completely unfair system in place (DADT), regardless of gender. It needs to go.

reply to post by links234


I guess you missed the whole point, but thats ok, I will try to make it clearer for you.

When people are in the military, and they want OUT, all they have to do is
show how they are unfit for duty by proving to their commanders that they do notbelong. So they come up with all sorts of crazy ideas on how to get out. One being "hey, Im gay".
Sometimes they do drugs, sometimes they go on extended vacations(awol), sometimes they just act crazy and start dribbling around an imaginary basketball all over base until they are kicked out, and once they sign that paper they say "Games Over".


Im sorry that you cannot take a joke, or have any sense of humor whatsoever, but thats your problem, not mine.

This is the sort of image that strikes utter fear into America's enemies.

i144.photobucket.com...

reply to post by Common Good


Sarcasm does not travel well through text.

It's not as simple as, "I'm gay." There are time periods, number of infractions and various other things that lead up to discharge.

I've done my time in the military, I've seen some of the worst people stay in for months and even years before being seperated. Being under contract you're obligated to remain within the force, even if you're doing a lousy job of it. Usually, I'll notice commanders will drag the seperation proceedings out for any number of reasons. The quickest way out of the military once you're in it is to either lose a limb, be gay (boyfriend/girlfriend, obscene pictures or whathaveyou), or put yourself in prison.

The flipside to DADT, which has recently been addressed thankfully, has been that homosexual members who do abide by the DADT concept do their job, have their private life and don't blare to the world about it. A jealous coworker, for whatever reasons, will out them and they'll be forced out. Some of the worst I've heard of are straight members of the force being called out as gay and forcefully seperated.

reply to post by links234


Well, I guess it must depend on which branch you are in, some may be more tolerant than others in keeping things quiet.

I too have been in the military, but I HAVE been locked up by the military for almost 4 months. I heard many stories of why people were getting kicked out and for what. The majority of the time, the people were there on their own accord, meaning, they just wanted to get out of the military, even if that meant a going to jail/brig/prison what have you, along with getting a bcd, oth, or even dd.

Majority of these people who get thrown out, get thrown out on their own accord.

IMO, it is pretty damned simple to get kicked out if you want out.

I say they have no right to complain unless they entered the service before the policy was put into effect in 1994. If you know you can get canned for being gay.. don't sign up.. it's that simple. None of those people were drafted.

[edit on 17-8-2010 by JohnPhoenix]

reply to post by Common Good


But, if they want to stay ion the military stop blowing kisses.

reply to post by gem_man





One more line.

Edit-Blackout- sorry for all these posts I am takin up on your front page.



[edit on 17-8-2010 by Common Good]