From Draft NOtices, January—March 2009
— Paula Hoffman Villanueva
Don’t ask, don’t tell. Don’t tell, don’t ask. Ask and tell. Tell and ask.
Anyway you put it, the policy is a web of dysfunctional and contradictory regulations, applied subjectively to suit the needs of the military. And the historic truth is, in wartime, it’s really not about being gay or lesbian. It’s about warm bodies. It’s about feeding the military machine with human fuel.
When recruit numbers were less critical, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) was used to harass and persecute gay military members. From 1994, when the policy was implemented, to 2001, the number of discharges based on homosexuality steadily increased (614 in 1994; 1,273 in 2001). Beginning in 2002, the numbers started dropping dramatically in all branches of the military. In 2006, there were 612 discharges. Why half as many as in 2001? The reason is simple: warm bodies for Iraq and Afghanistan.
DADT is a hysterical and hypocritical policy. For the estimated 62,000 gays and lesbians who are in the military and want to serve, they must never come out and must never even casually touch a member of the same sex. “Discovery” can lead to an other-than-honorable discharge or a dishonorable discharge.