Don't Ask Don't Tell Is Dead
I'm not sure if I'm ready to go in on this but by watching highlights of President Obama signing the bill to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell makes my opinion all the more timely. I actually have two points that I want to make but I'll start there.
As I express my opinion I also invite conversation and other opinions so please comment. As a heterosexual male that has never been in the military, for obvious reasons, I never really understood the complexity of Don't Ask Don't Tell. Serving in the military is your job and with any job there are professional standards. I never really saw how revealing your sexual orientation was that trivial that it would be opposed. I'm not trying to sound ignorant but like any job and the people I work with there are just things that I don't reveal about myself to those I work with. Maybe I'm being too simplistic in my thinking, but I don't see how one's sexual orientation could not fit into one of those things. Who you are and what you do in the confines of your home are between you and your significant other. Why would it matter if you don't tell anyone your sexual preference?
Since my beliefs shape who I am and how I view the world I must also indicate that I am a believing Christian that faithfully practices my faith. Homosexuality is a complex issue because it is an orientation that impacts one's identity and I think because those that identify as such have traditionally been marginalized, isolated and misunderstood it is easy to simplify their experience. Even still I've always looked at Don't Ask Don't Tell as something easy enough to accomplish.
I say all this to welcome an opinion to help me understand how serious it really is to keep your sexual orientation as one of those things you just have to tell someone. Like I said, in a profession you are hired to do a job. Do the job why does it matter if you tell people the full story about you. Watch who you trust and make sure that if you do reveal something about you that you are willing to accept the consequence. I guess the recent repeal if it makes it through--Obama isn't the final say--protects homosexuals if they do reveal themselves. I just answered my own question but either way in today's day and age you don't even have to ask or tell to know if someone is homosexual. Not saying it is a bad thing but I've lived in the city long enough and the ones I suspect always are. I take that back but some of you know what I'm saying. I'm not opposed to civil rights in terms of employment,
What I am opposed to is clearly depicted in an opinion piece that I read last weekend about how the term hate speech is being used to undermine certain values when in opposition to gay rights. The chairman of a university department declines to help promote an LGBTQ film and is denounced by the university's chancellor claiming that his response warrants action from the Hate and Bias Incident Response Team. Back in April, Christian group at a California law school that was denied campus recognition because it went against the university's nondiscrimination policy. The group would not allow gays or nonbelievers to serve in leadership because it went against the core values of the group. The Supreme Court ruled against the Christian group. The article argues that there is a determined effort to look at anything that supports views in opposition to same-sex marriage or anything oriented toward gay rights as an expresion of hate and not to be tolerated.
The article hits home for me because as a practicing Christian believer and as a person I felt like someone finally got it. One groups civil rights should never come at the expense of another's but it happens. One individual should be able to healthily and respectfully disagree with another's values without having action taken against them. We all have values and things that define who we are and shape how we view the world but one's ability to speak in accord with their values should never come at the expense of another. No authority should be more willing to penalize one group over another, but it's happening. At the end of the day I'm glad that someone spoke out for the other side. I welcome continued conversation on this. These are my thoughts so let's talk
As I express my opinion I also invite conversation and other opinions so please comment. As a heterosexual male that has never been in the military, for obvious reasons, I never really understood the complexity of Don't Ask Don't Tell. Serving in the military is your job and with any job there are professional standards. I never really saw how revealing your sexual orientation was that trivial that it would be opposed. I'm not trying to sound ignorant but like any job and the people I work with there are just things that I don't reveal about myself to those I work with. Maybe I'm being too simplistic in my thinking, but I don't see how one's sexual orientation could not fit into one of those things. Who you are and what you do in the confines of your home are between you and your significant other. Why would it matter if you don't tell anyone your sexual preference?
Since my beliefs shape who I am and how I view the world I must also indicate that I am a believing Christian that faithfully practices my faith. Homosexuality is a complex issue because it is an orientation that impacts one's identity and I think because those that identify as such have traditionally been marginalized, isolated and misunderstood it is easy to simplify their experience. Even still I've always looked at Don't Ask Don't Tell as something easy enough to accomplish.
I say all this to welcome an opinion to help me understand how serious it really is to keep your sexual orientation as one of those things you just have to tell someone. Like I said, in a profession you are hired to do a job. Do the job why does it matter if you tell people the full story about you. Watch who you trust and make sure that if you do reveal something about you that you are willing to accept the consequence. I guess the recent repeal if it makes it through--Obama isn't the final say--protects homosexuals if they do reveal themselves. I just answered my own question but either way in today's day and age you don't even have to ask or tell to know if someone is homosexual. Not saying it is a bad thing but I've lived in the city long enough and the ones I suspect always are. I take that back but some of you know what I'm saying. I'm not opposed to civil rights in terms of employment,
What I am opposed to is clearly depicted in an opinion piece that I read last weekend about how the term hate speech is being used to undermine certain values when in opposition to gay rights. The chairman of a university department declines to help promote an LGBTQ film and is denounced by the university's chancellor claiming that his response warrants action from the Hate and Bias Incident Response Team. Back in April, Christian group at a California law school that was denied campus recognition because it went against the university's nondiscrimination policy. The group would not allow gays or nonbelievers to serve in leadership because it went against the core values of the group. The Supreme Court ruled against the Christian group. The article argues that there is a determined effort to look at anything that supports views in opposition to same-sex marriage or anything oriented toward gay rights as an expresion of hate and not to be tolerated.
The article hits home for me because as a practicing Christian believer and as a person I felt like someone finally got it. One groups civil rights should never come at the expense of another's but it happens. One individual should be able to healthily and respectfully disagree with another's values without having action taken against them. We all have values and things that define who we are and shape how we view the world but one's ability to speak in accord with their values should never come at the expense of another. No authority should be more willing to penalize one group over another, but it's happening. At the end of the day I'm glad that someone spoke out for the other side. I welcome continued conversation on this. These are my thoughts so let's talk
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