Don’t Ask Don’t Tell

Don’t ask, don’t tell has been the DoD response to sodomy in the military since the Clinton administration. The DoD’s justification for the current policy, that a change would be bad for good order and discipline, appears to be fading because the practice of sodomy appears to be socially acceptable. Such social mores inevitably cross over into the military population. As they knew they would, the military establishment is faced with finding a new justification for the policy or discarding it.

Why is allowing the practice of sodomy not good for the military? Clearly, there are many sodomites in the military as the military draws from the population and that practice is becoming, it seems, more and more accepted. It is also true that sodomites have served well in the military, performing honorable service to their country. It is also true that excluding sodomites from service would deprive the military of some very talented individuals. The act appears acceptable to a growing number of individuals, including service members. We need talented individuals to serve in a growing military population. What then can serve as the reason for excluding sodomites from military service?

I would suggest a reason that many in the military have been historically reluctant to accept – that the evolution of the military is, like it or not, a social experiment and its makeup and mores are a significant part of our collective social evolution. Accepting the premise that the military is, like it or not, part of our social experiment and evolution, what is the positive national impact of changing our policy on sodomites in the military? I believe this premise changes the debate fundamentally. The question becomes not what is best militarily, but what is best socially. Is it truly best for our country to fully embrace sodomy as an acceptable life choice? Such a recharacterization of the issue takes the onus off the military and places it where it should be – on the Congress to decide where our country is going, both in terms of military effectiveness and, as importantly, in terms of our society. If it turns out through current studies that the majority of service men and women have no problem serving with sodomites and that retaining those who practice this lifestyle choice is not detrimental to good order and discipline, the decision is squarely on Congress to decide if this change is really good for our country. I look forward to hearing their arguments.