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October 28, 2006

But We Are Being Sent To Iraq

Michael Grunwald of the Washington Post has a weekly column called The Zeitgeist Checklist. Overall, its a good rundown of "what's hot" in the news, and he adds a bit of humor as well.

Now, I'm usually not one to be nitpicky, but #4 stuck in my craw today.

JERSEY BARRIERS FALL Last week:-- Weeks on list: 1

[New]

4. Same-Sex Marriage. The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that homosexuals are entitled to the same rights and benefits as heterosexuals, while leaving it up to the legislature to decide whether those rights constituted "marriage." Gay-rights activists said they were pleased with the decision, and increasingly ecstatic that they still can't be sent to Iraq.

The truth is something different. LGB servicemembers are being sent to Iraq, Afghanistan, and other places around the world. The only difference is that they are, by law, required to lie continuously about who they are.

The policy is officially called "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", but the reality is that, in everyday life, you are "asked" any number of times, whether you know it or not.

"What did you do this weekend?"
"Are you dating anyone?"
"Want to go to a bar and pick up a couple of girls?"
"What say we go out to a movie on Friday?"
"Mail call. You got a letter from Dennis. Who's Dennis?"

The list goes on and on.

And what happens when you tell the truth? Or someone else decides to tell the truth for you? You are discharged. No matter that the military is lowering standards all over the place to try to fill the ranks. If you're gay, you're out. Period.

So, yes, we can and are sent to Iraq. We just have to be on guard 24 hours a day in order to be able to continue to serve our country.

So, while I applaud New Jersey and their step toward equality, our nation is far from looking at its gay citizens and treating us equally.

Posted by Alan at October 28, 2006 06:38 AM