Via Dan, guest-blogging for Andrew Sullivan, this story:
As a frontline artilleryman during two tours of duty in Iraq, Army Specialist Jeff Howe faced many dangers that could have ended his military career, if not his life. Instead he got tripped up by his online personal ad, which identified him as gay.
Howe set up the ad last year on Connexion.org as a social outlet during a break between his deployments. Though he did not use the ad or discuss it while on active duty, it led to his discharge on Wednesday under the U.S. military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy against openly gay and lesbian service members…
Howe’s case started this spring in Iraq with a Web log, or blog, the Army asked him to create so that his unit could easily update friends and family back home. One of the photos he posted to the blog depicted a vehicle that was blown up by a rocket. A commander who was senior to Howe’s direct supervisor objected to the photo and quietly started a background investigation on Howe, which led to the discovery of his Connexion.org profile from 2004.
Howe, 32, enlisted in the Army after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, taking a leave of absence from his job in corporate marketing. He was already open with family and friends about his sexuality, but his desire to help his country exceeded his concern about the military’s gay ban.
“Going back in the closet was a trade-off I could make briefly,” Howe said in an interview with the PlanetOut Network.
“With my understanding of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ I thought I was fine,” the Chicago resident said. “I didn’t realize my personal ad was a violation of the policy. You don’t receive any training about it during your military orientation.”
Sharra Greer, SLDN’s director of law and policy, said the military interprets “don’t ask, don’t tell” more broadly than many people realize, and it can include seemingly innocuous statements or actions outside a professional context.
“Any statement of your sexual orientation at any time, to anyone, is a violation,” she said. “But many service members don’t understand that.”
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” just seems to get harder and harder to defend.
*** Update ***
Here is a post written by a member of the same fraternity (a gay fraternity- something I did not know existed) as Jeff Howe.
BinkyBoy
Convicted of multiple misdemenors? Drug usage? Low grades? Dropout? Well thats OK! We’ll take you any day!
Have experience, brains, a college education and the respect of your peers? Too bad you suck dick. Get out.
Mr Furious
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” sounds more like “only virgins who might have thought about the same sex maybe need apply.”
This policy is objectionable to start with. When viewed against the fact that we are supposed to be in a life-or-death war and cannot meet recruitment goals and have implemented a back-door draft with stop-loss, this policy is indefensible and, in my opinion, untenable.
Mr Furious
Oh, and this guy didn’t “come out” in the military, he essentially went back in the closet to serve his country, and the military dug into his perrsonal life and exposed him.
Are they fucking crazy?
Mr.Ortiz
A retaliatory background investigation strikes me as “asking”. Maybe they should rename the policy to more accurately reflect what it is: “Don’t tell. Anyone. Ever.”
Mr Furious
Exactly, Mr. Ortiz. Perfectly put.
Don
I know it makes me a bad person to have laughed at the statement “a back-door draft” in the context of this discussion but I don’t care.
When I expressed my annoyance at Clinton’s abrupt about-face on this issue in his first year, my father commented to me that he didn’t think it mattered; inevitably the courts would have to force the military to integrate homosexuals just as they’d forced integration of blacks years before. Of course this was before striking down intrusive laws and refusing to meddle in coma cases was “judicial activism.” I should ask him what he thinks about it now.
Biff
the courts would have to force the military to integrate homosexuals just as they’d forced integration of blacks years before
Not positive about this, but I think Truman desegregated the military by executive order. I don’t think it was the courts.
Otto Man
It was an executive order from Truman, in 1948 I believe.
Incidentally, the same arguments made now against the service of homosexuals these days were made against racial integration back then — it would lower morale, the new troops were physically inferior, the military isn’t a place for “social experiments,” etc.
Gays serve openly in the British military and elsewhere. They seem to be doing just fine.
Mr Furious
Kinda like how they dredge up old laws against interracial marriage to enforce against gays…
ppGaz
The Brits have the stiff upper lip thing down to a science.
Americans have the lip service thing down to a science.
Zifnab
I’m just confused. What happened to the “Don’t ask” part of “Don’t ask, don’t tell”? Under Clinton, it seemed like the program was saying, “We cannot offically condone a homosexual in uniform, but we’ll be happy to turn a blind eye so long as you don’t start dressing in drag during training days.” If they could administer blood-tests for homosexuality, I’m not sure if that would be off-limits in this day and age.
The good news? Total get-out-of-draft-free card. I think if Uncle Sam ever comes calling, we’ll see a skyrocketing number of closeted impressionable youths.
Dennis P
Reminds me of the time a few years ago that the Navy discharged two sailors for homosexuality because their off-base apartment was too tastefully decorated.
Tina
“The individuals affected — nine men and one woman — include a Farsi linguist…”
Oh, lovely; Iran is cosying up to Shia leaders in Iraq, and they boot someone who actually speaks the language. Bravo. Well done. Hoo-ah. Dopes.
See the linked comment above – exactly right.