Go Ahead. Ask, and tell!

Congress is finally considering overturning Don't Ask, Don't Tell-- a move that I think would be good for the nation and good for the military. I mean, I'm sure right now the military isn't a very fun place for openly gay people (well, I can't imagine it's a particularly fun place for anyone, but you know what I'm getting at), and it won't be a welcoming environment for gays for a long time. But I think allowing gays to be open about themselves might, albeit slowly, help break down some barriers in the military, and maybe help some officers to face their prejudices and understand their feelings a little bit more fully.

Imagine that you're a young guy in the Army, maybe 18 or 19 years old. Say you have a commanding officer, a man you look up to and respect, who is incredibly masculine and strong. You've never had suspicions that he might be gay, and because of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, you've never questioned your image of his sexuality before. Because you don't know a lot of openly gay men, you're slightly unnerved by the idea of them; you assume that gay men are prissy, high-voiced fellows who are easily identifiable, and therefore your commanding officer could never been one of them. But if we take away DADT, and your commanding officer feels comfortable enough to confide in you that he's gay, your image of gayness might change. Instead of being afraid of gay people, you might grow to respect them, to understand how they can look or act just like anyone else.

I think DADT keeps people from understanding one another, which isn't helpful in a military environment where people are already under so much stress. I hope that, after DADT repealed, our men and women in uniform can welcome everyone into their ranks, regardless of sexuality. After all, it would make the Army stronger if we could recruit more diverse types of people, and it would also make the recruiting pool larger-- which is something the Army has desperately tried to do, what with all the wars we seem to be fighting these days.