I’m a policy wonk. Most of the time, I keep things toned down here on the blog but those of you that know me understand that I really can’t put everything I rant about in real life on the blog. But tomorrow is a big day for the military and the Army that I love so of course, I’ll write about it.
Tomorrow, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is officially over. For almost two decades, gay men and women have been allowed to serve but in doing so, have hidden who they are. Tomorrow, all that changes.
Now before you get all high and mighty and start quoting scripture to me, check it out. If you believe that God is all power and all knowing, then you MUST accept that God created men and women to be who they are. He MUST have known when each person was born who was gay, who was straight or what ever. At the end of the day, DADT is not about religion, though there are many, many out there who will say that it is.
Also, don’t tell me that the combat arms guys out there are going to have kittens and start lynching the gays. Will there be incidents? Yes. I’m not naïve enough to think that the guy who hated someone yesterday isn’t going to latch on to the new revelations that the dude is gay to boot. But by and large, I’m willing to be that for the most part, tomorrow will come and go and the Army will go rolling along.
Now, let’s discuss domestic life. Housing policy remains unchanged. So does marriage, ergo benefits remain unchanged. All the DADT repeal means is that gay men and women will be allowed to finally be who they are and not worry about ending the career that they have chosen because they love someone who has the same plumbing they do.
And quite honestly, I don’t think that gay relationships are going to cause anywhere near the drama that straight relationships have caused. I’ve been in command for almost a year now and the heterosexual trashy drama I’ve seen and heard about and dealt with would put Jerry Springer to shame. So what’s a little gay relationship drama? It’s just another day in command, as far as I’m concerned.
Look, the Army has integrated before. Folks went up in arms when Eisenhower got desegregated the Army. And lord have mercy you’d have thought the army was going to explode when the WACs and WAVES were brought into the full military service. This is just another change. And for people who say that the Army is built on tradition and values and think that gays can’t serve honorably, I’d say you don’t know the Army I serve in.
I told my company during my in brief that I didn’t care if you were black, white, purple, gay or straight. At the end of it all, we’re all wearing digital grey (it used to be Army green, but hey, that change thing?). Nothing will have changed tomorrow. The person who stood next to you yesterday in formation will still be that person. Yes, there will be problems but nothing we’re not used to seeing in the ranks.
And ultimately, if you are going to quote scripture to me, why not use this one: “Do unto others as you would have done unto you.”
Pretty sure it’s the Golden Rule for a reason.