The “don’t pursue” part proposed by Clinton was gutted by Nunn et al.; it never was part of the law. The National Guard is required to meet the same guidelines as the national military branches, in fact, one of the first persons refused re-enlistment under DADT was a very high ranking nurse in a National Guard unit.

This policy hurts our military preparedness and must end. Even Nunn now says it needs to be changed.

They wouldn’t have found out if not for a guy who was upset that I wouldn’t date him.”

Unfortunately, for those of you who don’t quite get it. That is one of the many realities of being gay in the military. The fact is, a person who may be abiding by the rules can be investigated and tossed out simply because of someone didn’t know how to handle their crushed ego.

Many of us DO follow the rules and DO feel the NEED to serve our country for our own reasons. We keep our disgust of serving under such a rule private in hopes that one day the rule will be done away with so we (who don’t die in combat) may continue to serve to an honorable retirement just like everyone else. Many of us have a demeanor (not an act) that allows people to assume we are straight, but it just takes that one person to pick up on the fact that they have never seen or heard you express a more than platonic interest in the opposite sex and/or that you seem to turn down every girl who hits on you. Rumors develop possibly setting off an investigation and, depending on what’s dug out of your past, there goes another honorable career.

How would you like your career to end because you have an old picture of you holding an ex-boyfriend in your arms in a loving pose for the camera? Nothing dirty. Just a couple posing for a picture. Now say that picture was taken prior to you beginning your service. You keep it around for sentimental value just like any other picture. It’s tucked away out of sight locked away in your belongings and never shown to anyone. The military decides to do a surprise search of your units belongings for drugs or some missing property. A military security person, accidentally, knocks the picture from a book as he is moving your belongings around during the search. He decides to report what he saw to a superior. Now an investigation into your private life begins. The soldier in the next locker has photos of him and his girlfriend hanging up in plain view. Obviously, there is no investigation there. Sounds like some made up B.S. that can never happen. Think again.

To any of my brothers/sisters-in-arms. Stay strong our day will come.

They wouldn’t have found out if not for a guy who was upset that I wouldn’t date him.

No one here is disputing that DADT is the law of the land in the military world. Thanks for pointing that obvious fact out. It’s the unfairness of it all that’s got us upset.

Yes, the military can have high standards and can ban certain practices by its soldiers which cannot be banned by government in general, but that doesn’t mean it’s right for it to discriminate based on sexual orientation. Allowing openly gay men and women to serve will not get rid of the rule against adultery or anything else. The push for the repeal about DADT is about showing respect for EVERY honorable man and woman serving his or her country.