It’s a little hard to know what to make of this piece at the US Naval Institute Blog on repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy, which opened military service to homosexuals as long as they keep their sexual preferences secret and remain celibate. For the record, neither US law nor military policy place restrictions like this on heterosexuals–they may openly express their lust for the opposite sex, and play as they will. The blogger, a reserve Marine LTC using the nom de plume “UltimaRatioRegis,” opens with a set of notional “amplifying instructions” guiding implementation of DADT repeal, ostensibly from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
The content of this invented document comes in a snarky tone, and includes the sort of instructions that no military officer would ever issue: direction to revise passages in the Bible which he reads as banning homosexual behavior, add pro-gay instruction to curricula at DOD Dependent Schools, and a statement that “failure to agree with my views on this subject will be considered an integrity violation and subject to administrative or disciplinary action.” Just to be clear, the good colonel thinks that military leaders repress dissent–or they should. He should know that regulations do not prohibit public disagreement with superior officers. The rules ban doing so in uniform, but the do not limit individual self expression on political issues or military doctrine.
Mr. Regis then writes that Admiral Mullen should in fact issue such instructions, and complains about dismissal of objections to the repeal of DADT as “the rantings of intolerant and hateful bigots.” He further whines about the “marginalization” of people who object to homosexuality on religious or moral grounds because of their faith and their views. Finally, he lists related issues which have “not gotten serious discussion,” including whether or not the “diversity industry” (whatever that means) will force command sponsored gay pride days, whether others would accept openly serving gays as they have the current secret ones, and of course the old slippery slope “what about transexuals” crap. Read the rest of this entry »