One of the aspects to the “[tag]Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell[/tag]” policy that’s always bothered me, aside from the transparent bigotry, is the Pentagon’s inability to explain the purpose of the rule.
Physically-fit, well-trained Americans, who want to volunteer for military service during a time of war, and who have conducted themselves as military personnel should, want to wear the uniform and serve their country. Their government tells them not to. Asked why, the Pentagon will offer vague rhetoric about “unit cohesion,” but the explanation not only lacks detail, it lacks coherence.
Maybe the policy has something to do with the Pentagon thinking gay people are mentally ill.
A [tag]Pentagon[/tag] document classifies [tag]homosexuality[/tag] as a [tag]mental disorder[/tag], decades after mental health experts abandoned that position.
The document outlines retirement or other discharge policies for service members with physical disabilities, and in a section on defects lists homosexuality alongside mental retardation and personality disorders.
Critics said the reference underscores the Pentagon’s failing policies on gays, and adds to a culture that has created uncertainty and insecurity around the treatment of homosexual service members, leading to anti-gay harassment.
The Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military, at the University of California at Santa Barbara, uncovered the document and pointed to it as further proof that the military deserves failing grades for its treatment of gays.
For what it’s worth, the document caused a bit of a stir yesterday, as medical professionals, nine members of Congress, and the American Psychiatric Association, among others, condemned the Defense Department Instruction. A Pentagon spokesman said the policy document is under review.