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Loading ...Psychoanalysts call for end to military gay ban
01.28.2009 5:08pm EST
(New York City) The American Psychoanalytic Association is calling on Congress to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the law the bars gays from serving openly in the military.
At its convention this month in New York City, the APsaA passed a resolution opposing the ban.“It is the position of APsaA that sexual orientation is not germane to any aspect of military effectiveness, including unit cohesion, morale, recruitment or retention,” the resolution says.
“Empirical evidence, as well as comparative data from foreign militaries and domestic police and fire departments shows that when lesbians, gay men and bisexuals are allowed to serve openly there is no evidence of disruption.”
The resolution goes on to say ” APsaA recognizes and abhors the many detrimental effects the policy has had on individual service members, the military and the United States society since the enactment of Title 10, section 654 in 1994. Years of psychological research and experience have shown the extensive mental toll of keeping one’s sexual orientation hidden. Mandating a ban on self disclosure of sexual orientation for personnel in uniform is thus unnecessarily harmful to their mental health and well being.”
” For the mental health and safety of those in the military and for those who are contemplating joining the military, this repeal needs to happen now. Evidence shows the presence of gays does not undermine unit cohesion. Tens of thousands of gays, lesbians and bisexuals already do serve openly. Discharging gays, lesbians and bisexuals wastes thousands of highly trained, badly needed troops,” said Ethan Grumbach, chair of APsaA’s Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues.
The American Psychoanalytic Association has approximately 3,300 members.
Since DADT was enacted, more than 12,000 servicemembers have been dismissed when it was learned they are gay. According to statistics from the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which advocates for gays in the military, an average of two service members are dismissed under the law every day.
Legislation to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” the ban on gays serving openly in the military was taken up in committee last year for the first time, but did not make it to a vote. The bill is expected to be refiled this year. If it is passed President Obama has said he would sign it.
How convenient that they finally talk about repealing ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ as soon as thousands of soldiers are dead and they need more to go meet the same fate. It’s like they’re saying ‘okay…well yeah maybe we were stupid to discharge perfectly capable soldiers for being gay, because now that thousands of soldiers are dead- we need you back.’ It’s a good thing, I know because my boyfriend served for 7 years and don’t ask, don’t tell SUCKS-but it’s kind of insulting that the discussion is raised when it’s not really benefiting gay soldiers as much as the presidency & military in general.
I think this comes at a good time, people finally learning the reality that someone being Gay is akin to their having a certain hair color or preference of food…even some macho redneck aquaintences of mine don’t have a problem with me, if you win people’s respect on merit, you’re fine
It is a good thing that a group of 3,300 asks Congress to repeal this repulsive law, but it is likely not enough people to actually quicken the process.
Such a repeal was in committee last year but was not allowed to come to a vote. The article says it will probably be refiled this year . . . but it hasn’t been filed yet. They will probably wait until it is too late to actually get through committee to the floor and so, conveniently, it will have to wait until next session.
That’s OK with Obama. From what I’ve read on this site, regardless of whether or not he would sign it when it reaches his desk, he is not planning on pushing for a repeal for at least a year anyway – maybe more.
Perhaps we ought to begin writing him by droves and add to that 3,300 number.
But, until I see actual progress, everything is rhetoric designed to placate us into continued silence.
You do know that, in the psychological community, psychoanalysts are the equivalent of abacus users, don’t you? Also, it’s ironic that they cite “psychological research” as a reason for ending DADT, and they have been *loathe* to submit psychoanalysis to the same kinds of scientific testing.
This was not worthy of an article, IMO.
(FWIW, I’m a licensed, clinical social worker.)
Not sure what type of psychoanalysis GerryFisher is referring to below, but relational psychoanalysis is far more common today and is a growing field. It’s not the traditional Freudian type. The field has evolved as there’s been a convergence between neuroscience, attachment, and psychology/psychoanalysis. Putting words to feelings does change the brain as the unconscious becomes conscious (sub-cortical to cortical). It’s partly the relationship with the analyst that’s the catalyst for change. Just close your eyes after you meet someone and you’ll see a picture of them in your head. That’s a simple example of how we impact one another.
Carry on.
Gerry – so a “licensed clinical social worker” is casting stones at “psychoanalysts”. Weird. What makes your views on this more valid, being a social worker and all.
Well, we do need all the help we can get from professionals who have no stake in our fate. To me DADT isn’t that important of an issue. Ya we do need it repealed, but going into the military is a choice and what would happen if all those tens of thousands of soldiers were kicked out right now. Even staunch conservatives would be begging for its repeal. How do you organize a boycott for the military though without looking like an unpatriotic ass?
Gays and lesbians make up such a small portion of the US population. I think we’re far too rare and valuable to be wasted in war.:-)
What this is about on the surface is not just our need for brave soldiers re Afghanistan, etc, but also teaching the str8 soldiers – so many who come from small conservative towns – that gay people are good people also.
But really, if you had talked to Darren Sanchez, and lots of other soldiers, gay and str8 alike, you would find out that 3 to 1, they only care that their buddies do their job, for everyone’s life depends on the other.
What this scene is really about is two fold – First of all, breaking the back of the upper, homophobic, old generation military brass, who if they don’t like ending DADT have the right to retire and get out, good riddance to them.
And the real big issue is that it will expose the total hypocrisy and hatred of the relgious right. People will see that in another great American institution, people who volunteer to be at risk of laying down their lives for their country, homophobia doesn’t fly.
And the bigots and their churches will be exposed as nothing but haters. Their money and even more so their power will disappear. That is what they fear. That is what needs to happen if we are to end the homophobic sickness which infests parts of our country’s soul
I too, have a gay male friend that served not once but twice in this ongoing war in Iraq.
We supported each other by email while he was in that hellish nightmare.
He hated Bush, we were so fearful of the Army reading our mails, I was more fearful for him being discovered, so I always stated to try and keep things non-sexual, but that wasn’t normal as we always joked about sex. He finally let go and let it loose, words, sexual fun… teasing, you name it..
I asked why he wasn’t keeping things clean? He stated: Shit, I’ve served once, now twice for my Country, If they are reading our Mails, I don’t give a “fk”…They made me promises they didn’t keep and Bush sucks, so I don’t care, if they don’t respect me because I’m “gay”, then fkem… By the grace of GOD he is now home in the US, In college to study law and serve on the Police Fource… Now the government is playing around with his college funding.. another promise broken! This guy has meant the world to me, going on 7 years of friendship!!!
Point: This is the Psychoanalytic Assn. not the Psychiatric Assn, so where are they too, not only on the Military but on the overall society’s conduct of silently approving of harrassment of gays as evidenced by no hate crime laws rezulting in murder with impunity forsuch persons as Stephen Moller who killed, hit and disconnectred the brain from the spinal stem of Sean Kennedy in SC and got 3 year sentence, up for parole. see: http://www.seanslastwish.wordpress.com