Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy hits Lesbians the hardest - Polidicks

[release]WASHINGTON (Aug. 16) -- The military is throwing out women disproportionately under its "don't ask, don't tell" policy, even as the number of service members discharged for being gay reached a new low last year. According to Pentagon [URL="http://www.palmcenter.org/files/2009DischargeData.pdf"]statistics[/URL] released by the Palm Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara, 428 service members were discharged in 2009 under the policy that President Barack Obama has vowed to end. That's the lowest number since the policy began in 1994 and continues a steady decline that began after the 9/11 attacks. Meanwhile, the Army lost one of its top West Point cadets this past week when [URL="http://abcnews.go.com/US/lesbian-west-point-cadet-resigns/story?id=11395858"]Katherine Miller, a lesbian,[/URL] resigned because of the policy. [IMG]http://o.aolcdn.com/photo-hub/news_gallery/6/8/681181/1281979866476.JPEG[/IMG]Pierre Andrieu, AFP / Getty Images Members of the U.S. 56th RQS (rescue squadron) arrive for a training flight with a HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter last January in La Teste-de-Buch, southwestern France. More than 13,500 gays and lesbians have been discharged since the policy began. In 2001, the peak year for discharges, 1,273 were removed from the military for being gay. As in past years, the policy affected [URL="http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/for-women-in-military-a-long-slog-toward-acceptance/19372020"]women[/URL] in greater numbers than men: [B]Army:[/B] Lesbians accounted for 48 percent of 195 discharges under the don't-ask, don't-tell policy, even though women make up only 14 percent of the force. That's up from 2008, when women represented 36 percent of Army discharges under the policy. [B]Air Force:[/B] More than half, 51 percent, of those discharged were women, who make up 20 percent of the service. [B]Marines: [/B]Nearly one in four, or 23 percent, of discharges under the policy were women, who make up just 6 percent of the Marines. That's up from 18 percent the year before. [B]Navy:[/B] The sea service discharged 22 women, or 27 percent of the total ousted for being gay. Women comprise 14 percent of naval personnel. The data also showed that in the midst of two wars, the military continued to discharge highly trained service members in mission-critical areas. Among those ousted for being gay: seven combat engineers, eight linguists, 20 infantrymen and 16 medical aides. "These data show, yet again, that 'don't ask, don't tell' undermines national security," said Aaron Belkin, director of the Palm Center, a gay-rights advocacy group that focuses on military issues. "Why are we firing linguists and infantrymen in the middle of two wars?" The statistics were released a day after the deadline for service members to return surveys on the Pentagon policy. Despite sending out [URL="http://www.aolnews.com/article/pollsters-pentagons-gay-policy-survey-may-be-overkill/19552257"]400,000 questionnaires[/URL], just over [URL="http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/08/13/dont.ask.dont.tell.survey/"]one in four[/URL] were returned. The results will be considered by a Pentagon working group that will report its recommendations on how to lift the policy no later than Dec. 1. The numbers don't include Miller, a sophomore from Findlay, Ohio, who was ninth-ranked in her class of more than 1,100. She said the law against gays serving openly in the military led her to resign. "I intend for my resignation to offer a concrete example of the consequences of a failed law and social policy," she wrote, according to [URL="http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=11386839"]The Associated Press.[/URL] Miller has a grade point average of 3.829 out of 4.0 after two years, ABC News pointed out. She attended the U.S. Army Airborne School and has written for a Washington Post blog.[/release] Source: [URL]http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/dont-ask-dont-tell-discharges-hit-lesbians-hardest/19595073[/URL] In other news North Korea legalizes gay marriage!

Land of the Free. :911: yeah sure

Oh for fuck's sake :doh: Just get rid of the policy already. I was on board for waiting for the military to compile its report but sweet mother of god, at least suspend the policy till you're done!

It's pretty silly things like this happen. People need to get their heads out their asses.

I don't know why but this makes me particularly sad. Most of the talk about don't ask, don't tell is about male homosexuals and why they shouldn't be allowed in while the Lesbians are ignored. :smith:

fucked up policies

[QUOTE=SPESSMEHREN;24125446]Land of the Free. :911: yeah sure[/QUOTE] only if you're a straight white christian

[QUOTE=JDK721v2;24125908]only if you're a straight white christian[/QUOTE] I had it all good till I lost the straight part and subsequently the Christian.

I don't care if they're straight so long as they can shoot straight.

:geno: People dislike America. They shouldn't dislike Americans, they should dislike the bastards who shaped the culture - and subsequently the basis of government - into accepting this sort of shit.

[QUOTE=cheesedelux;24126391]:geno: People dislike America. They shouldn't dislike Americans, they should dislike the bastards who shaped the culture - and subsequently the basis of government - into accepting this sort of shit.[/QUOTE] You voted em' in.

That's pretty difficult considering I'm not American. It's not a case of terrible current government, it's centuries of progressively working these things into a nation and it's culture to the point where to other 'First world' countries the whole lot seems backwards and completely reluctant to do anything about it.

On the bright side, the policy gives straight men and women an easy way to ditch the military.

[QUOTE=ZekeTwo;24126450]You voted em' in.[/QUOTE] Not really. We choose between the lesser of two evils.

Oh hey General, mind if examine your anus? *winkwink* [editline]12:31AM[/editline] Automerge

[QUOTE=PvtCupcakes;24126545]Oh hey General, mind if examine your anus? *winkwink* [editline]12:31AM[/editline] Automerge[/QUOTE] But what if the general says yes? Then you're[I] fucked[/I] :mmmsmug:

[QUOTE=cheesedelux;24126391]:geno: People dislike America. They shouldn't dislike Americans, they should dislike the bastards who shaped the culture - and subsequently the basis of government - into accepting this sort of shit.[/QUOTE] Often times, in a democratic republic, the politicians are a reflection of the people. These politicians did everything right except for actually serving the people, they garnered support from the public, they have degrees from law schools and universities, a lot of them have fortunes collected from the private industry. It's like what George Carlin said about garbage in and garbage out.

[QUOTE=Billiam;24127663]Often times, in a democratic republic, the politicians are a reflection of the people. These politicians did everything right except for actually serving the people, they garnered support from the public, they have degrees from law schools and universities, a lot of them have fortunes collected from the private industry. It's like what George Carlin said about garbage in and garbage out.[/QUOTE] You only get two choices in an election though. And to quote South Park, one choice is a giant douche, the other is a turd sandwich.

[QUOTE=PvtCupcakes;24127817]You only get two choices in an election though. And to quote South Park, one choice is a giant douche, the other is a turd sandwich.[/QUOTE] Well there's a bunch of third parties, but in the ridged two party system that is America, they mean nothing.

Yep. Guess who gets the set the election rules? That's right, Democrats and Republicans.

[QUOTE=SPESSMEHREN;24125446]Land of the Free. :911: yeah sure[/QUOTE] Yeah? What about Australia, You have no clue what it's like losing freedom and liberty until you have lived here.

I don't understand the big deal about homosexuality in the army. Just built a small separate shower room for people of different sexual orientation. And if you're the type to start crying over being "separated" from the others, then you don't belong in the army.

good [editline]09:05AM[/editline] I wouldn't want a gay man in a shower with me.

I don't want bigots in the shower with me either

[QUOTE=ZekeTwo;24126450]You voted em' in.[/QUOTE] Don't look at me, I didn't vote for anyone.

[QUOTE=Evald;24129212]good [editline]09:05AM[/editline] I wouldn't want a gay man in a shower with me.[/QUOTE] no one would want to get into shower with you oh burnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn i'm not gay, but gay people would be banging chicks left and right in today's standards. [img]http://www.topnews.in/uploads/gay-men.jpg[/img]

Uhh, how you get resigned, you shout [B]IMMA GAY IMMA GAY[/B] all of the sudden? Not good thing that they can't serve in the open, but is it really that hard not to reveal that fact? Also, how many of those 13,500 suddenly "realized" their new sexual orientation after realizing how shit it actually is being there.

[QUOTE=JDK721v2;24125908]only if you're a straight white christian[/QUOTE] add rich and male

as soon as Obama is out of Government, Conservatives will be all over this. I think gays are disgusting freaks, but even I want them to be able to have equal rights. TBH, aslong as you don't tell me anything past which way you swing, I'm ok

[QUOTE=evilking1;24129949]Uhh, how you get resigned, you shout [B]IMMA GAY IMMA GAY[/B] all of the sudden? Not good thing that they can't serve in the open, but is it really that hard not to reveal that fact? Also, how many of those 13,500 suddenly "realized" their new sexual orientation after realizing how shit it actually is being there.[/QUOTE] Often someone rats them out. Also it can be hard not to reveal it if all your pals frequently talk about their girls back home, how hot that chick is etc [editline]10:25AM[/editline] [QUOTE=Evald;24129212]good [editline]09:05AM[/editline] I wouldn't want a gay man in a shower with me.[/QUOTE] But you'd be ok with getting shot at in a foreign country? :raise: