Posted by: AGuyNamedWayne contact

DADT - Homophobic and Racist

Information obtained by the group Servicemembers United shows that nonwhite military personnel are more likely to be discharged under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy than their white counterparts. Racial minorities accounted for approximately 29% of active service members, yet 45% of the soldiers discharged under DADT in 2008 were nonwhite. "Lawmakers have a responsibility to address this problem immediately, and the president should hasten the appointment of a new undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness who is qualified and willing to deal with this issue" said Alexander Nicholson, a former U.S. Army interrogator and the executive director of Servicemembers United. -- On a personal note, during my long ago tour of duty in the U.S. Army I was investigated for suspicion of homosexuality. As I recall, there were two other soldiers, one African-American and one Latino, who were also under investigation and eventually discharged from military service. Lack of evidence and what I believed to be some clever maneuvering on my part was enough to get my investigation closed before it ever really began. But after seeing these new numbers, I have to wonder if my being white played a role. (Photos: Wayne, U.S. Army Basic Training)



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