John McCain, One Million Gay Soldiers Fought In WWII To Keep You Free

by David Badash · 2010-11-18 15:00:00 UTC
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Senator McCain, you have flip-flopped on your positions against "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal time and time again. In fact, you have, on record, eleven different positions on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." It's clear that your words are meaningless. But here's something for you to ponder. Many, many gay and lesbian service members have fought -- just like you -- and many have died, so that you could be free today.

In World War II, partly because of poor screening practices, and partly because demand for soldiers was so high, up to one million LGBT soldiers fought for their country, according to Allan Berube (1946-2007,) author of the 1990 book Coming Out Under Fire.

Via a New York Times review of the book when it was published:

"In theory, during the war, homosexuals were supposed to be screened out at induction centers on the grounds that they would make poor combat soldiers and that their presence would threaten discipline and morale. (The same rationale was applied at the outset against blacks as well.) The screening devices typically used with male inductees included observation of female bodily characteristics and mannerisms, answers to questions regarding occupational choice (men who checked off interior decorator or dancer were immediately suspect) and responses to the question: How do you like girls?

"But in practice, Mr. Berube argues, since the pressure to meet unfilled quotas was so great, the examinations were often perfunctory. As a result, hundreds of thousands of homosexuals, perhaps a million or more, made their way into the armed forces, serving in all branches of the military -- as tank drivers and clerks, riflemen and bombardiers, messmen and gunnery officers."

It's time for you, Senator McCain, to accept the fact that the military has actively tried to seek out LGBT service members. It's time to see that even your own family finds your positions "awkward." In short, it is time to support the rights of LGBT service members, and vote to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

As you share this Thanksgiving with your wife, Cindy, and your daughter, Meghan, both of whom support many rights for the LGBT community, I hope you'll have an open conversation with them, and be open to their points of view.

It's time, Senator McCain, to put behind us this unconstitutional and discriminatory law.

Photo credit: United States Marine Corps Official Page

David Badash is a writer and civil rights activist who covers politics in general and gay rights in particular. He is the founder of The New Civil Rights Movement.
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