Joan Darrah, retired captain, and a lesbian, who served in a variety of intelligence billets from 1972 to 2002, kept her sexual orientation secret during her time in the military. The secret took its toll on her after the "Don't Ask Don't Tell policy took effect. Her navy career was rather "stress free" until the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy. When she had to fill out her pre enlistment survey and the question "do you know a gay person, and, if you did, what would you do?" she was physically sick after reading it. She was literally sick of lying to everyone.
President Clinton addressed the issue of gays and lesbians in the military during his presidency; by enforcing the "Don't Ask Don't Tell policy". He believed when he passed the law that no matter what one's sexual preference was it should not determine weather one was able to serve in the military.
Georgia Democrat Sam Nunn successfully headed a group that was able to write into law a ban on openly gay men and lesbians in the military. The only negotiation congress was willing to give Clinton was the exemption of the question asking about one's sexual preference.
So you might be asking ‘why does this matter to me'? Majority of the people serving in the military right now, were recruited from the ages 18-24. And currently if you are an openly gay male or an open lesbian, you are not allowed to serve in the military. Since this is the fiftieth anniversary of the law, many changes to the current law have been discussed. With the upcoming election, the idea of getting rid of the law is prevalent. Joan Darrah believes that with a democrat in office the ban would essentially be dropped. She also says "the younger generation doesn't care at all." So my question to you is: do we care? What is your take on the law as it is right now and the rumors of the upcoming changes/exclusion?
The Full Story:
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1707545,00.html
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