Repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” Alleviates Mental Burden for Troops
December 25th, 2010
This week, Congress repealed the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy prohibiting openly gay service members in the armed forces. From a counseling and therapy perspective, this is especially heartening news. The repeal alleviates the psychological burden carried by an unknown number of closeted active duty military personnel who have been keeping part of their identities a secret from those they live and serve with on a daily basis. Hiding something from those around you can be both exhausting and isolating. It limits the depth of friendships that a person forms, which in turn limits the support system available to that individual: a limitation especially jarring for active duty troops faced with the intensity and trauma of combat. While the repeal of DADT is just the first step necessary to create a safe and supportive space within the military, it is an important step nonetheless, as the affected service members are no longer threatened with punishment for simply being themselves.
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this is a good development I agree.with all the stress that armed personnel already have we didnt have to give them more reasons to worry.this will help things hopefully.
Yes this is SUCH good news for people in the military, and for their partners, and family and friends. It is also good for all of us – for the United States to no longer require that gay, lesbian and bisexual men and women lie in order to serve.
I don’t think this is going to help much.Its not like a serving person in the armed will now walk up to his superior and proclaim that he is gay,is it?This just has to do with keeping the armed forces’ morale high as they get tired of an unending war that nobody actually wants.
17 years past due but better late than never I suppose
A progressive step I would say.But we need more than just this.We need thorough equality and not just on paper but also practically.And that can happen only through awareness.
This is way past time. It was a bad ‘compromise’ that asked people serving to lie, not only living in the closet themselves, but also meant the same for partners, family and friends. Gary, they won’t have to make declarations any more than straight soldiers do every day in small ways and large ones.
A step in the right direction? yes. But the answer to all that is wrong with the military? Absolutely not. There are so many issues in the military that go far deeper than the issues related to don’t ask don’t tell. There are soldiers who face being away from home for long periods of time and the hardships that this causes on those families. There are soldiers who see who knows what in combat and yet are encouraged to keep that information to themselves and to deal with it like a soldier. Come on. Who cares if there are gays in the military or not? There are far greater issues that need to be addressed when it comes to our fighting men and women.
It may alleviate the burden of some troops but I can certainly see how it adds to the stress of others. There are some people who are very uncomfortable with the concept of fighting beside gay troops. I am not saying that this is right but isn’t this a concern that also needs to be addressed too?
Gary, gay and lesbian people serving in the military won’t necessarily need to walk up to superiors and proclaim their sexual orientation once DADT is over – though they could – but they won’t have to hide it either and be required to lie. And yes many of us – me very much included – do not want these wars, but I believe that equality and civil rights are different issues, and civil rights is what ending DADT addresses.
Cecelia, I don’t think anyone wrote that this fixes all that is wrong with the military. And “who cares”? Gay and lesbian people do. They want to be able to serve out loud instead of in silence. Invisibility is a heavy burden that they have been required to carry all these years and that takes a toll on how they serve as soldiers and who they are as human beings.
It also means that those at home who love them also can be honest. Life partners will finally be acknowledged instead of not knowing if and when there is news of a partner’s injury or death.
Jane, yes some people serving are uncomfortable, but they have been fighting beside gay troops all along. Knowing who they are may make things tougher for some, but it may also help them to realize that these are their friends – people they like and have trusted their very lives to.
If the fear in some is that if they are not closeted then gay and lesbian people might make unwanted sexual advances because they don’t have to keep their same gender affectional orientation secret, then that is understandable because it may be new – but should be dealt with in exactly same way that it would if it is between a man and a woman. Saying “no, not interested” just the same – and if “no” is not respected and that doesn’t stop some unwanted sexual behavior then it should be reported and dealt with just as it should be if it was something between a man and woman.
As to how this concern/discomfort should be addressed, I think we need recognize DADT is ending as wrong, dishonorable – an unconstitutional law not worthy of being enforced in this country- and not coddle and pamper people’s bigotry.
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