Army Fired 11 Soldiers In January For Being Openly Gay

WASHINGTON — The Army fired 11 soldiers in January for violating the military's policy that gay service members must keep their sexuality hidden, according to a Virginia congressman. Democratic Rep. Jim Moran said he has requested monthly updates from the Pentagon on the impact of the policy until it is repealed.

In a statement released on Thursday, Moran said the discharged soldiers included an intelligence collector, a military police officer, four infantry personnel, a health care specialist, a motor-transport operator and a water-treatment specialist.

"How many more good soldiers are we willing to lose due to a bad policy that makes us less safe and secure?" asked Moran, a member of the House panel that oversees military spending.

The Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy was instituted after President Bill Clinton tried to lift the ban on gay service members in 1993. It refers to the military practice of not asking recruits their sexual orientation. In turn, service members are banned from saying they are gay or bisexual, engaging in homosexual activity or trying to marry a member of the same sex.

The military discharged nearly 10,000 service members under the policy in a 10-year period, from 1997 to 2007. The number fired each year dropped sharply after the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, when forces were stretched thin. Whereas more than 1,200 were dismissed in 2000 and again in 2001 for violating the policy, about half as many _ 627 _ were fired in 2007.

The Pentagon has not released its 2008 figures.

The White House has said President Barack Obama has begun consulting with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen on how to lift the ban. But the administration won't say how soon that might happen or whether a group of experts will be commissioned to study the issue in-depth, as some Democrats have suggested.

Likewise, Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill support repealing the ban but have not promised to press the issue immediately.

Comments

[MagisterLudi]

"Openly gay."
Precisely what "open" acts they were fired for?
Was there any activity within military quarters?
Klinger-like dressing ala M..A.S.H or...?
I wonder what GLTBIQ community has to say about it.

[Soapfan]

Obama can change this anytime he wants. He doesn't need to change the law or anyting. He can do it by a simple order.

[skantea]

All I am saying is, I would do a lot of things to get out of the Army...

[ljmck]

If dumping Don't-Ask-­Don't-Tell chases right wingers out of the Army, we'll all be better off.

What the armed services should be exposing are the sweethearts in their ranks who are in bed with corporations. Those are truly perverse and damaging relationships.


See BRADDYB below: “. . . this is a recruitment and retention issue.”

[1differentdrummer]

Nahh, the army doesn't need them.

[SILVANUS]

An intelligence collector, a military police officer, four infantry personnel, a health care specialist, a motor-transport operator and a water-treatment specialist....

And probably some of the best.

Pentagon silliness, and sadness.

Do the 'little boys' feel secure now?

I hope Obama ends this embarrassing Dark Ages nonsense.

[Gidster]

They got rid of many Arabic language translators.

A transmission translated in the days after 9/11 was dated 9/10, and had the go order on it.

[Palemoon]

What if we found out that Thomas Jefferson, John Hancock and Betsy Ross were gay/lesbian? Would everyone rush right out to tear up the declaration of independence, the constitution and burn the flag? Would our Joint Chiefs be offended and renounce their oaths to support and defend the Constitution? What exactly would happen?

I don't care whether someone was born gay or straight, they are human beings. For all the talk about it being a "lifestyle", I don't see it like that, or a choice. I have a member of my family who is a lesbian. And we always kind of expected it. So she was a bit taken aback when she came out of the closet and we all accepted her and confessed that we pretty much already knew about it. It is the way she was born. She can't help it. And I don't think she should be punished for it, nor should she be denied jobs or even the ability to serve our country.

We've gotten over the "black President" stigma at last. We finally overcame that hurdle. So will it take us electing a "gay President" to overcome one more hurdle that is holding us all back?

[1logicalthinker]

I always had my suspicions about John Hancock :) But I guess he was "out" and proud, at least his signature was :)

[signwrite]

Brilliant Pentagon, don't forget to shoot yourself in the foot while you're at it!

[Mattie]

I don't undestand why we need a commission on this, it's not right to discrimate against anyone, period. Obama promised he would do away with this horrible policey of don't ask, don't tell, now he needs a study, that's bull. End it now!

[CosmicSpaceTurtle]

It's absolutely insane that this blatant discrimination is even legal in the year 2009. "Don't Ask Don't Tell" is one of the greatest disappointments from Bill Clinton, although I suspect his motives were sincere, and I really hope Obama has the courage to overturn this ludicrous and backwards law.

[marignymitch]

Hey, HuffPo. I'm trying again. These Americans aren't openly gay, they are gay. Period. For those not out let's use the term homosexuals or closeted homosexuals. Thanks for your attention.

[superstition]

Exactly, why don't we throw around "openly hetero" in the media all the time, too?

[armyannie]

Completion of comment:

Reinstate the draft & include females. Continue the current gay policies, thereby giving anyone
proving or claiming an "alternate" lifestyle a non-draftable status. Listen to the screams & watch
some attitudes change.

[Gidster]

Overnight every one of drafting age would declare themselves gay!

[armyannie]

Reinstate the draft, to include fe

[Fein]

Just as demonstrated in the civilian world, the fundamentalist religionists are probably responsible for
the most depraved bigotry against gays.

Their legal means to enforce their ideologically motivated bigotry need to be removed.

[WADIIAH]

Its sad that if your gay you can serve your country. They should eliminate the poor while they're at it. Its sad the poor have to fight to keep the rich wealthy.