15
years ago today (September 20, 2011) the US Military officially ended its “Don’t
Ask Don’t Tell” Policy making it legal for Homosexuals to openly serve in the
US Military.
“Don’t
Ask Don’t Tell” was created in 1993.
Before
“Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” Homosexuals were not allowed to openly serve in the US
Military and it was even a Crime across the United States to be Gay or Lesbian.
From
1776 until 1921 there were no official Laws within the US Military making it
illegal for Homosexuals to serve, but any Homosexual who was found serving was immediately
Discharged.
The
First Known Homosexual Discharged from the US Military was Lieutenant Frederick
Gotthold Enslin, a German fighting with George Washington at Valley Forge, who
was “drummed out” of the Continental Army on March 11, 1778 following his Conviction
at his Court-Martial of Sodomy.
On
February 4, 1921 the US Military the US Articles of War of the United States of 1916 was amended to include Article 93 that
made Sodomy or the Attempt to Commit Sodomy illegal.
It
was the first time Homosexuality was made officially illegal in the US
Military.
From
1921-1947 all the Branches of the US Military had their own, independent polices
of what to do with a Homosexual serving within the Armed Forces.
For
the most part when a Soldier, Sailor or Airman/woman was suspected or found to
be Homosexual they could either deny the charge and be Court-Martialed (and
99.9% found to be guilty of Sodomy) or say they were Homosexual.
They
then received a “Blue Discharge” which was a Discharge Without Honor, Neither Honorable
Nor Dishonorable.
People
discharged with a “Blue Discharge” were not eligible for the GI Bill Benefits
or VA Benefits and were excluded from serving in the US Federal Government, as
Teachers and in many other Civilian Occupations.
“Blue
Discharges” were ended in 1947 and were changed to either a "General
Discharge" or an "Undesirable Discharge.”
A
General Discharge was considered to be under Honorable Conditions though
distinct from an "Honorable Discharge".
An
Undesirable Discharge was under conditions other than Honorable, yet distinct
from a "Dishonorable Discharge."
In
1942, Military Psychiatrists warn that "Psychopathic Personality Disorders"
make Homosexual Individuals unfit to fight.”
In
October 1949 the Department of Defense created a uniformed Anti-Homosexuality
Policy within the US Military.
The
DoD stated “Homosexual Personnel, irrespective of Sex, should not be permitted
to serve in any Branch of the Armed Forces in any capacity, and prompt
separation of known Homosexuals from the Armed Forces is mandatory."
On
May 6, 1950 President Truman created the Uniform Code of Military Justice,
which became effective on May 31, 1951.
It established a single Justice System for the
Armed Forces.
Its
Article 125 forbade Sodomy among all Military Personnel, defining an Offender
as "any person subject to this chapter who engages in unnatural carnal
copulation with another person of the same or opposite Sex or with an animal is
guilty of Sodomy. Penetration, however slight, is sufficient to complete the
offence."
On
April 27, 1950 President Dwight D Eisenhower signed Executive Order 10450 which
prohibited Federal Employees (including those in the US Military) from being Members
of a Group or Organization considered subversive.
The
Order lists "Sexual Perversion" (ie Homosexuality) as a security risk
constituting grounds for termination or denial of Employment.
In
1957 the US Navy conducted the first Study of Homosexuals in the Navy.
The
Crittenden Report found that “Homosexual People were no more likely to be a Security
risk than Heterosexual People”, but nevertheless recommended that Homosexuals
be excluded from Service because "Homosexuality is wrong, it is evil, and
it is to be branded as such."
In
September 1975 Technical Sergeant Leonard Phillip Matlovich became the first Openly
Gay Active Duty Service Member when he appeared on “Time” Magazine’s Cover.
Matlovich,
who served 3 Tours in Vietnam and was seriously wounded by a Landmine, was
immediately Discharged from the US Air Force for being Gay.
On
January 16, 1981 The Department of Defense issued Directive 1332.14, stating
that "Homosexuality is incompatible with Military Service" and that
any Service Member who has "engaged in, has attempted to engage in, or has
solicited another to engage in a Homosexual act" will face Mandatory Discharge.
The
Directive was reissued with updates in 1982, 1993 and 2008.
In
December 1988 a Report commissioned by the Department of Defense, the Defense
Personnel Security Research and Education Center supported the conclusions of
the 1957 Crittenden Report that Homosexuals pose no significant security risk.
US
Military Leaders and Politicians challenged its findings.
On
June 12, 1992 The Government Accounting Office (GAO) released a Report
estimating that the cost associated for replacing Service Men and Women Discharged
for Homosexuality was $28,266 for each Enlisted Member and $120,772 for each Officer.
The GAO notes that the estimates do not include investigation, out-processing
and Court costs.
On
November 30, 1993 President Bill Clinton signed the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell
Policy.”
The
Policy defined Homosexuality as "an unacceptable risk to the high
standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the
essence of Military capability."
The
Act (The Don’t Tell part of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell) prohibited any Non-Heterosexual
Person from disclosing their Sexual Orientation or from speaking about any Same-Sex
Relationships, including Marriages or other familial attributes, while serving
in the United States Armed Forces.
The
Act (The Don’t Ask part of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell) specified that Superiors
should not initiate an investigation of a Service Member's Orientation without
witnessing disallowed behaviors.
The
Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Act specified that Service Members who disclosed that they
are Homosexual or engaged in Homosexual conduct should be separated
(Discharged) except when a Service Member's conduct was "for the purpose
of avoiding or terminating Military Service" or when it "would not be
in the best interest of the Armed Forces."
On
November 30, 2010 The Department of Defense released a Report concluding that
the Repeal of the Ban on Gays in the Armed Forces would “have a minimal
negative impact on the Military's effectiveness.”
December
22, 2010 President Barack Obama signed the Repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell “into
Law.
September
20, 2011 “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” officially ended and Homosexuals could now
legally and openly serve in the US Military.
June
26, 2013 The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a portion of the 1996 Defense of
Marriage Act (DOMA), which restricted Federal Employees in Same Sex Marriages —
including Military Families — from
receiving Federal Benefits.
In
September 2021, on the 10th Anniversary of the “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” Repeal,
President Joe Biden announced that the Veterans Administration would start
providing Benefits for Service Members who received Other-Than-Honorable Discharges
(before DADT was enacted and while it was in effect) because of their Sexual Orientation.
From
1940-2011 over 100,000 Homosexuals were kicked-out of the US Military
(including 14,000 during the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Era from 1993 to 2011.)
Homosexuals
were forbidden to be Drafted (the United States had the Military Draft from 1862-1865
during the American Civil War, 1917-1918 during World War 1, 1940-1946 right
before and during World War 2, 1948-1973 right before the Korean War, during
the Korean War and during the Vietnam War.)
Same-Sex
Marriage became legal nationwide in the US in 2015 (except for some Indian
Reservations and the US Territory of American Samoa.)
There
is currently a new Lavender Scare causing Unnecessary Mass Moral Panic across
the United States (the same way it did in the 1940s-1970s.)
13
US States have Constitutional Bans on Same-Sex Marriage that would go back into
effect if the US Supreme Court ever decides that Gay Marriage is Illegal.
30
US States have State Statues that Ban Same-Sex Marriage that would go back into
effect if the US Supreme Court ever decides that Gay Marriage is Illegal.
43
US States have Anti-Homosexual Rights Restrictions currently in their State
Laws or are trying to pass the Laws.
The
US Federal Government is also looking into doing away with Gay Marriage and
many other Federal Homosexual Protections.
Politicians
and Groups of People across the United States are trying to cause panic and
fear against Homosexuals so attention is deflected from the real issues and so
People have a Scapegoat to blame all their problems on.
