Why repealing 'don't ask, don't tell' isn't enough

[William769]

(CNN) - On September 20, I cheered with gay and lesbian soldiers, veterans and allies alike when “don’t ask, don’t tell” was officially repealed, signaling the seeming end of a decades-long fight against anti-gay discrimination in the U.S. military.

As a five-year veteran of the U.S. Army and a gay man, I know firsthand the discrimination and casual homophobia the law legitimized. While stationed in Colorado as a 17-year-old Army private, I struggled with suicidal thoughts due to the isolation it caused, and found myself on the receiving end of some of the anti-gay language and bullying that the mere presence of the law ingrained into the culture.

More recently, my role in the fight against “don’t ask, don’t tell” has taken me from the steps of Capitol Hill, where I lobbied for the repeal, to my arrest at the front gates of the White House, where I demanded it. I was an invited guest at the Department of Interior ceremony where the final repeal legislation was signed by President Barack Obama.

However, a closer look at the facts reveals work that remains to be done. Indeed, there are a few particularly disturbing ways in which the LGBT community remains vulnerable within the U.S. military, despite the fact that the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” is a legislated reality – the law of the land.

http://inamerica.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/11/why-repealing-dont-ask-dont-tell-isnt-enough/

[RKP5637]

1. K&R !!! n/t

[dtexdem]

2. Repealing DOMA would certainly help.

Among other things, it would allow the Pentagon to recognize marriage equality, so equality of marriage/partner benefits.