"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Has Reached its Death Point

by Michael Jones · 2010-01-27 08:24:00 UTC
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Military SaluteWhen President Obama takes the podium tonight for his State of the Union address, upwards of 66,000 LGBT soldiers, plus millions more allies around the globe, will be waiting with bated breath over whether the President will call for an end to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." If the President needs it, he can draw on the voice of one of the most prominent military officials in the country, who says that the time to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is now.

General John Shalikashvili, Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, joined leading legislators today in saying that the military's policy on discharging gay, lesbian, and bisexual soldiers from the ranks of the U.S. military is bad policy.

Even better, Shalikashvili denounces many of the myths put forward by folks who think discrimination in the military is appropriate. For those who believe that openly gay, lesbian or bisexual troops would hurt military readiness, Shalikashvili taps into reality to come up with a response.

"Studies have shown that three-quarters of service members say they are personally comfortable around gays and lesbians.  Two-thirds say they already know or suspect gay people in their units. This raises important questions about the assertion that openly gay service would impair the military. In fact, it shows that gays and lesbians in the military have already been accepted by the average soldier," Shalikashvili says.

What about the assertion that openly gay, lesbian or bisexual troops would hurt troop morale? According to Shalikashvili, that argument is phony. Evidence actually suggests that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" hurts troop morale, because it deprives the military of well-qualified soldiers who would do a good job.

Tonight President Obama has the chance to turn the beat around when it comes to discrimination in the U.S. Armed Services. Right now, 25 militaries around the world have fully integrated militaries, where gay, lesbian and bisexual troops serve openly. And not one of these militaries has experienced the doom and gloom scenarios spelled out by naysayers of equality.

It's also important to not underestimate the power of voices like Shalikashvili, a member of the military brass who used to support "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and enforce it. He's come around. So should the rest of our country.

In environment speak, the term "Death Point" refers to the concept of a period beyond which a certain life form can't exist. We've hit that point when it comes to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Now we just need a Commander in Chief to push the delete button.

Photo credit: NYCMarines

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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