Don't Ask + Don't Tell = Don't Serve.

[David Zephyr]

The U.S. Armed Forces has a very wicked policy toward GLBT Americans. And frankly, I’m old enough, I’ve lived long enough and I’ve seen enough to say enough is enough.

When the wars are hot and there are not enough young ones to lure into service, those proud "morality" policies of the U.S. Military sure seem to change quickly and the number of discharges of gay and lesbian service men and women drop to very low levels.

Oh, but when peace time comes, or when the force levels are adequate, well then the discharges against my gay sisters and brothers starts up anew.

Every gay youngster should look closely at that very ugly UNWELCOME mat that is at the threshold of our U.S. Armed Forces before they think about committing themselves to serve.

When 80% of all homosexuals are harassed within the Armed Forces, when the history of brutality, murder and official cover-up of violent crimes against gay service members is a one of decades and decades of shame, when GLBT Americans are not protected in civilian employment here at home, when discrimination in housing is still sanctioned against GLBT Americans here at home, when GLBT Americans are consistently denied our civil rights and even have them subjected to ballot measures at the whim of the heterosexual majority, then why would any gay young man or woman consider serving, especially now when the green light to gays will probably be once again quietly, temporarily allowed?

Why on earth should any young gay chap or lesbian American kid consider giving their time, their hearts, their passion, their intelligence, their limbs or their lives to this nation's military that does not want them there in the first place? And to a military that sanctions tattle-telling against them behind their backs.

I have a dear friend, a sweet, eldery woman, who grew up in Kentucky. The joy of her life was riding her daddy’s tractor and working on his farm. But then, the whispering got too ugly in her little town and she joined the Army so as "not to shame her poor family". She served her nation during the Korean and Vietnam wars. And then, just as it had been back in Kentucky, so it was to be again. Whispering and then the sudden swift surprise and heartbreak of an official discharge. Beverly wound up working in the shipping department of a company where I worked Compton. She was a lot older than me and had a van with a bumper sticker that said, “the worst day fishing is better than the best day at my job.” She also had her sweetheart, a quadriplegic woman, who Beverly worshiped and cared for. After all those years of her service to our nation, Beverly did not receive one dollar in veteran benefits or veteran health-care. How shitty is that?

And there are tens upon thousands with similar tales.

President Obama promised that he’d end the discrimination against GLBT Americans in the Armed Forces BEFORE he got elected, but now he says he needs Congress to do it. Well, he could have immediately ordered an end to the cruel discharges while the policy was being reviewed. But he didn't. Maybe seeing that fat fraud, "Pastor" Rick Warren giving the Inaugural Prayer in January changed his mind. Who knows? It doesn't matter really anymore. He's proven he doesn't care. At all.

But now, our newest War President, Barack Obama, will be probably be running short on recruits for his two hot wars now, so the discharges against our GLBT sisters and brothers that he has shamelessly allowed to continue, will probably quietly slow down again, but only because the wars are hot. If he truly pulls us out of these wars and we return to peace-time, that 'sticky homosexual thing' will once again become an issue. And when the whispers are turned in against gay service members, the discharges will increase.

To my GLBT sisters and brothers: Do not overlook the obvious. To serve in the U.S. Armed Forces requires that you lie. The official national policy requires you to be a liar. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell instructs young, gay Americans that dishonesty is patriotism. That’s honor? No, that's evil.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell? Fuck that. Don’t Lie and Don’t Serve.

Below is a photo for any of my younger GLBT sisters and brothers to contemplate before joining up to serve. It’s a photo of our troops dropping a bomb on the unsuspecting people of Afghanistan back in 2001. Look at what was written on the bomb and ask yourself, do you if you really want to live a lie about who you are, lose your limbs and then be denied your benefits for serving because you didn’t lie about who you are like you were supposed to?

Do you want to drop “fag bombs” on people you don’t even know?

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell? Nah. Instead, I’d ask you to think about being good kids and don’t ever lie about who you are. Ever

If and when GLBT Americans have equal civil rights and if and when there's a big welcome mat for our community to serve OPENLY and HONESTLY in the Armed Forces, then that will be another day.

And just because they might temporarily need you now, the truth is they don't want you with them. They despise you. How many times must you hear how that your young, precious souls will "bring down their morale" or how you will "hurt the cohesion of their troops" before you get their hateful, vile message? What more do you need to know?

You are not welcome there.

Don’t Ask + Don’t Tell = Don’t Serve.

[MinneapolisMatt]

1. What really angers me...

...is when people say "if you support the war, then enlist!".

I CAN'T. I'M OPENLY GAY.

[LuvNewcastle]

2. I almost enlisted many years ago.

I could have used the money for education. I've often wondered how different my life would be today. Guess it wasn't meant to be.

[MinneapolisMatt]

3. I came out to my recruiter

before I came out to my military family.

[David Zephyr]

5. YOu could have served and then been snitched on by a jealous soldier.

And what would you have to show for it.

It all comes down to the fact that the government is actually asking youngsters to be dishonest, to be deceitful and to deny who they are and who they love.

That's a very sick policy. And it's cruel.

[David Zephyr]

4. In other words, you are honest.

Your response is spot on. :thumbsup:

[dsc]

6. I tell all my students not to enlist

but I especially tell my gay ones not to enlist.

[David Zephyr]

8. I would do the same, dsc.

I could not possibly encourage a precious young gay girl or boy at that tender age to subject themselves to so much hatred and betrayal which will end in bitterness and disillusionment.

Let the heterosexuals kill themselves with religion and war. It's their party, not ours. We are only invited if we can die quietly.

Don't Ask + Don't Tell = Don't Serve.

[No Passaran]

7. I have been around gay soldiers

Our whole unit knew this but never really talked to others. I can tell you from our experience that we didn't care who was what as long as we all had each others back. Is the policy pure shit? Yes. Should our gay brothers and sisters now give up their dreams of serving because of this policy? I think not. By the time this policy is overturned, they will be too old to serve and always look back on those lost days.

[David Zephyr]

9. How do you square that with the thousands who served and don't get their benefits?

That "dream" of serving works out well for heterosexuals who get their benefits, doesn't it?

My friend Beverly, and thousands like her, were betrayed by the Armed Forces.

And your experience flies in the face of statistics that show the horror that goes on against GLBT soldiers. But just like the rape of women in the Armed Forces, there's a cult of silence that protects it.

Gay kids should stay out of heterosexual wars.