Well, DADT has been repealed. As I noted previously this was inevitable, if not now, then at sometime in the future. So can we please now tell Andrew Sullivan to STFU about it?
The fact that I have to resignedly accept this development-does not mean that I like it. I just recognize it for what it is, the end of a line of destructive changes to the military that began back in 1992-or even before in 1976. The military is going to be called to do more and more and is going to find itself less and less prepared to do it effectively. Don’t kid yourself, the “Star Trek” vision of the military does not exist and its not going to exist anytime soon. This law change is going to full of unintended consequences-and someone is going to have show me how gays and lesbians are not going to become another protected species in the services.
Eventually there will be a norm that will be unofficially established of what will and what will not be accepted. Until we get there though-there are going to be some spectacular headlines on the pages of your Navy times.
And you are kidding yourself if you think the activism is over-this was never about gays being free to be “who they really are”. This is about cold hard cash-and receiving military benefits for partners and partners of partners. Nothing in the change in the law creates that-and until gay marriage becomes universally accepted -or domestic partnerships are recognized by the military-the 800 pound gorilla is going to remain in the room.
There are also going to be a whole host of other unintended consequences as they work through this. As I pointed out earlier-the current group of folks is probably better equipped to deal with this than folks from my age group are. But still its more than a little frustrating to realize that a guy will get cashiered for having meaningless sex with a Wanchai “sales professional” but a some guy who dresses up like Dorothy and wears Ruby Red slippers and a dress all weekend will get put on the fast track to success.
Guess it all comes down to this-I’m glad I served when I did. It was a lot more fun.