Thursday, December 30, 2010
Gay Rights Idaho Soldier Serving from the Closet. DADT Repeal Doesn't Lift All Burdens
Posted by Jody May-Chang on Thu, Dec 30, 2010 at 11:09 AM
Despite the recent repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, the policy remains in effect for several more months at least, leaving an estimated 65,000 active duty military service members still vulnerable for discharge for being gay, lesbian or bisexual.
One Idaho soldier now serving in Afghanistan as a combat medic is risking more than her life for her country. She is risking discharge because she is also a lesbian.
To protect her identity Citydesk will refer to her only as “Savanna," which is not her real name.
"My time in service has been rough," said Savanna. “I was aware of the DADT policy, but I don’t believe now that any soldier who DADT directly affects really understands how difficult, mentally and emotionally, hiding their true identity will be until it’s too late to turn back.”
“During basic training,” Savanna recounted, “a small group of lesbians were unfairly blamed for being 'too close’ to who was obviously a lesbian drill sergeant. I am thankful to have had a First Sergeant who stood for what he believed was right. He pulled each of the trainees facing the indiscretion aside and helped us to send home anything that could be perceived to be against the DADT policy (letters, pictures etc.) before the investigation began."
“I am willing to die for my country. Who I go home to at night and who I love should hold no substance,” she said.
Savanna said she refuses to let the Army make her uncomfortable with who she is, but still worries that there are still people “out to get gay and lesbian soldiers,” even though she said most people don’t care.
The chatter in her unit is about how the repeal will be implemented particularly if, and how, facilities like showers or living quarters might change.
“The way I see it,' said Savanna, "If we can afford the conflicts and wars our Commander-in-Chief signs us up for, we [would] have no problem investing in some shower curtains to further privacy.”
Savanna pointed out that all DADT does for her is allow her to be open about her sexual orientation.
“What I would give to marry the woman I’m with and move her to my duty station as my spouse,” she said.
One issue not resolved by the repeal of DADT—in addition to not protecting service members based on gender identity—is that gay service members, even those who are legally married, cannot live together on base like heterosexual couples can.
“We have to spend all four years of service apart, this is the hardest part of all," said Savanna. "There is a reason soldiers get free paid-time-off while deployed, because the time apart from family has proven its negative toll. However, the Army expects me to be away from who I would consider my spouse for my entire time in service. This is absurd.”
Overall, Savanna said she is happy about the repeal and will be relieved when she no longer has to hide in fear of being outed.
“I have been blessed to share this struggle with other soldiers who face the same injustice.”
Comments (4)
Showing 1-4 of 4
I served from the mid 60's to early 70's as a gay man, Marine.
Had a great time too!
This branch of service with all of it's super-macho clientele is more gay leaning
than the other military branches or than most people realize.
The angle on this is to out yourself on an individual basis with the
guy, in private of course.
Young testosterone loaded males are always ready for comfort if you present
them with the right line in privacy with the possibility of more of that same
comfort, again in privacy and confidiality.
like
dislike
Klinger kept trying to get outted for being gay...but it just didn't work! DADT is more about PROTECTING soldiers from getting beat or shot for being gay...not being discharged. If that's all it took, don't you think that more depressed soldiers would just say "Hey, I'm gay...can I go home now?" instead of commit suicide?!
Tell that to someone who's serving in the military; it is most certainly ab being discharged! I do not doubt that perhaps that was not Bill Clinton's intention when passing DADT, but it has statistically been used in more cases to negatively discharge soldiers/sailors/airmen than to protect them...if it were ab protecting them, the law would've addressed more the equal rights of gay/lesbian service members, not in cases of using knowledge of their sexuality against them!
Klinger was not only a fictional character but a joke. To equate that, obviously straight man in a dress character’s transparent efforts to get out of the Korean War, with the brave professional queer soldiers now serving honorably at home and abroad, is not only insulting but only serves to perpetuate destructive stereotypes that do not belong in this discussion in the first place.
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