Gay Air Force Sergeant Discharged After Police Out Her - Polidicks

[quote](March 13) -- Jene Newsome played by the rules as an Air Force sergeant: She never told anyone in the military she was a lesbian. The 28-year-old's honorable discharge under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy came only after police officers in Rapid City, S.D., saw an Iowa marriage certificate in her home and told the nearby Ellsworth Air Force Base. Newsome and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a complaint against the western South Dakota police department, claiming the officers violated her privacy when they informed the military about her sexual orientation. The case also highlights concerns over the ability of third parties to "out" service members, especially as the Pentagon has started reviewing the 1993 "don't ask, don't tell" law. "I played by 'don't ask, don't tell,'" Newsome told The Associated Press by telephone. "I just don't agree with what the Rapid City police department did. ... They violated a lot of internal policies on their end, and I feel like my privacy was violated." The "don't ask, don't tell" policy has come under renewed debate after Defense Secretary Robert Gates called for a sweeping internal study on the law earlier this year. As the review is under way, officials were also expected to suggest ways to relax enforcement that may include minimizing cases of third-party outings. In particular, Gates has suggested that the military might not have to expel someone whose sexual orientation was revealed by a third party out of vindictiveness or suspect motives. The Rapid City Police Department says Newsome, an aircraft armament system craftsman who spent nine years in the Air Force, was not cooperative when they showed up at her home in November with an arrest warrant for her partner, who was wanted on theft charges in Fairbanks, Alaska. Newsome was at work at the base at the time and refused to immediately come home and assist the officers in finding her partner, whom she married in Iowa - where gay marriage is legal - in October. Police officers, who said they spotted the marriage license on the kitchen table through a window of Newsome's home, alerted the base, police Chief Steve Allender said in a statement sent to the AP. The license was relevant to the investigation because it showed both the relationship and residency of the two women, he said. "It's an emotional issue and it's unfortunate that Newsome lost her job, but I disagree with the notion that our department might be expected to ignore the license, or not document the license, or withhold it from the Air Force once we did know about it," Allender said Saturday. "It was a part of the case, part of the report and the Air Force was privileged to the information." He said his department does not seek to expose gay military personnel or investigate the sexuality of Rapid City residents. Allender said the department was finishing its internal investigation and has determined the officers acted appropriately. They have not been placed on leave during the investigation. Newsome's partner is currently out on bail on one felony and three misdemeanor counts of theft stemming from an incident last year, court officials in Fairbanks said. More information was not immediately available, and Newsome said she didn't know the status of the case and didn't provide more details about it. In the complaint filed last month with the department, ACLU South Dakota said police had no legal reason to tell the military Newsome was a lesbian and that officers knew if they did, it would jeopardize her military career. Newsome, who was discharged in January, said she didn't know where the marriage license was in her home when police came to her house on Nov. 20 and claims the officers were retaliating because she wouldn't help with her partner's arrest. "This information was intentionally turned over because of 'don't ask, don't tell' and to out Jene so that she would lose her military status," said Robert Doody, executive director of ACLU South Dakota. The ACLU is focusing its complaint on the police department, not the military, and Newsome said she and her attorney have not yet decided on whether to file a lawsuit. "The 'don't ask, don't tell' piece is important and critical to this, but also it's a police misconduct case," Doody said. A U.S. Air Force spokesman, Senior Airman Adam Grant, said Ellsworth follows all laws set out by Congress and the Defense Department, and he would not comment specifically on Newsome's discharge, citing privacy policy. More than 13,500 service members have been discharged under the law since 1994, according to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which is lobbying for its repeal. Kevin Nix, communications director of the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, couldn't speak about Newsome's case, but said when "someone is outed by a third party, which it sounds like this was, or by a police officer, then, yeah ... I'm not surprised the person was discharged." Though rare, third-party outing can be especially damaging to service members who wanted to keep their sexual orientation hidden, experts say. Even though 80 percent of "don't ask, don't tell" discharges come from gay and lesbian service members who out themselves, third-party outings are "some of the most heinous instances of 'don't, ask, don't tell,'" said Nathaniel Frank, a research fellow with the Palm Center think tank at the University of California, Santa Barbara and a New York University professor. Newsome, who is originally from Harrisburg, Pa., is currently on the road, driving to Alaska. She said she'd been looking forward to the time when the military would alter its policies regarding gays and lesbians. But that change didn't come in time to save her career. "I felt like it was getting close," she said. "I was really hopeful."[/quote] Source: [url]http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/lesbian-air-force-sergeant-jene-newsome-discharged-after-police-out-her/19397963?icid=main|main|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolnews.com%2Fnation%2Farticle%2Flesbian-air-force-sergeant-jene-newsome-discharged-after-police-out-her%2F19397963[/url] This is such bullshit. This is the part that really pisses me off [quote]"It's an emotional issue and it's unfortunate that Newsome lost her job, but I disagree with the notion that our department might be expected to ignore the license, or not document the license, or withhold it from the Air Force once we did know about it," Allender said Saturday. "It was a part of the case, part of the report and the Air Force was privileged to the information." [/quote] The whole point of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy is that the Air Force DOESN'T want to know about this kind of thing.

The whole Don't ask ,Don't tell policy is bullshit. also obligatory lesbian pun If she wanted to eat out on fish she should have joined the Navy.

Vagina boob.

I'm confused as to why the police insisted she needed to come find her partner. Is that a law, that you have to assist the police find a wife/husband if they're looking for them? It seems like a quick telephone chat (like it sounds they had) in which she says, "Sorry, don't know where she is," would suffice. Why alert the air force about it at all?

Why does a free nation still have such a bigoted policy? Oh wait, because that nation is still bigoted.

The cops need to have their badges taken, this is udder bullshit. They were jealous that the woman had a more successful career and was able to actually get a woman.

[QUOTE=Zeke129;20730081]Why does a free nation still have such a bigoted policy? Oh wait, because that nation is still bigoted.[/QUOTE] We're not really a free nation. It's more like free to do what they tell us to do.

[QUOTE=wildwill;20730243]We're not really a free nation. It's more like free to do what they tell us to do.[/QUOTE] Liberty and freedom for all unless you're not white straight and christian

The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy isn't that bad, much better than disallowing gays which would just be stupid. That stuff shouldn't be brought up in the military.

[QUOTE=OutOfExile;20730424]The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy isn't that bad, much better than disallowing gays which would just be stupid. That stuff shouldn't be brought up in the military.[/QUOTE] Wow. Just, no. Don't Ask Don't Tell is blatant fucking discrimination.

[QUOTE=OutOfExile;20730424]The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy isn't that bad, much better than disallowing gays which would just be stupid. That stuff shouldn't be brought up in the military.[/QUOTE] But they [I]are [/I]disallowing gays. It's more like, they don't allow gays, but as long as no one finds out you're gay, you won't get caught and discharged.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

[QUOTE=Tarana;20730579]But they [I]are [/I]disallowing gays. It's more like, they don't allow gays, but as long as no one finds out you're gay, you won't get caught and discharged.[/QUOTE] Well than the general idea of it is fine but they took it a step too far.

[QUOTE=OutOfExile;20730424]The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy isn't that bad, much better than disallowing gays which would just be stupid. That stuff shouldn't be brought up in the military.[/QUOTE] She didn't bring it up. Someone else brought it up against her will.

[QUOTE=OutOfExile;20730424]The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy isn't that bad, much better than disallowing gays which would just be stupid. That stuff shouldn't be brought up in the military.[/QUOTE] You seem to think that if DADT wasn't in place gay people would be running around shouting "HOLY SHIT I'M FUCKING GAY EVERYBODY!!!" DADT assumes that gay people have no restraint, that they can't tell for themselves when other people might not want to hear about their sexuality. It assumes that they will just blurt out "I fuck guys up the ass, it's so cool when my dick slides in and out of their sweaty butthole" at any given moment.

[QUOTE=OutOfExile;20730424]The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy isn't that bad, much better than disallowing gays which would just be stupid. That stuff shouldn't be brought up in the military.[/QUOTE] Herp Derp. Because homosexuals are going to rape you in the butt when you're not looking. Why don't you think that through.

[QUOTE=OutOfExile;20730424]The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy isn't that bad, much better than disallowing gays which would just be stupid. That stuff shouldn't be brought up in the military.[/QUOTE] it is better than blatant discrimination.

According to current Obama administration plans DADT will be repealed some time during 2011 and replaced with a non-discriminatory policy.

I dont trust Obama.

[QUOTE=Uncle_Earl;20731397]I dont trust Obama.[/QUOTE] You know the box out of Primer? Well you're getting a slightly lower-tech version of that.

i guess you could say.... the don't ask don't tell policy is really [i]gay[/i]... xD

[img]http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/2497/gmd.png[/img]

[QUOTE=OutOfExile;20730424]The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy isn't that bad, much better than disallowing gays which would just be stupid. That stuff shouldn't be brought up in the military.[/QUOTE] no, it is that bad

Talk about a gross invasion of privacy.

I thought Obama fixed this already. The one thing he actually can change he doesn't. Funny.

[QUOTE=Rambo_9;20731913]i guess you could say.... the don't ask don't tell policy is really [i]gay[/i]... xD[/QUOTE] Someone should really ban Rambo_9 look at this fuckers posts for Christ's sake.

Crap like this needs to stop.

[QUOTE=OutOfExile;20730424]The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy isn't that bad, much better than disallowing gays which would just be stupid. That stuff shouldn't be brought up in the military.[/QUOTE] Agree'd. You can join just don't speak a word of your sexuality. [editline]08:34PM[/editline] [QUOTE=Sigma-Lambda;20730925]She didn't bring it up. Someone else brought it up against her will.[/QUOTE] Then she told that person. Once again, Don't ask, don't tell.

[QUOTE=JoeSkylynx;20733521]Agree'd. You can join just don't speak a word of your sexuality. [editline]08:34PM[/editline] [B] Then she told that person[/B]. Once again, Don't ask, don't tell.[/QUOTE] hey, brochange, read the article again better yet, read the fucking headline. [editline]04:42AM[/editline] another stupid post by Joeskylynx, everyone

[QUOTE=JoeSkylynx;20733521]Agree'd. You can join just don't speak a word of your sexuality. [editline]08:34PM[/editline] Then she told that person. Once again, Don't ask, don't tell.[/QUOTE] More than likely they wouldn't. But they shouldn't be kicked out just because they do say something. Legal policies like this only add to the discrimination in our society.