Today is certainly a historic day for the United States, but I have a lot going through my head. There are three of me all thinking different things at once, I really want to take this opportunity to clear my thoughts by putting it in writing. Plus, as a hipster, I have to believe that my opinion is the only one that matters and that other people want to hear it. So, I will drop some personal inquiries on you in the name of hipsterosity.
The first part of me that is really tugging at me isn't my homosexuality--it's my military upbringing. I've heard everything, including my own father's ideas on Don't Ask, Don't Tell. I understand a lot more about the military than most. So, I know that the issue surrounding DADT is not homosexuality, but sexuality in general and how it affects combat readiness. Men and women live in separate barracks because any sexual contact would cause unneeded distraction from the mission at hand. What do we do with gay men and women? Putting them in separate barracks would be the equivalent of putting men and women together. So, the military has no option but to keep living quarters integrated, which brings me to the next point. Yes, it's repealed, and yes, gay service members can serve openly, but, quite frankly, it doesn't change jack squat. When was the last time you observed a heinous act of racism or heard on TV about one committed? If you can say "in the 20th century," I applaud you for your success in living in a cave full of rainbows for the last decade. Even though slavery was officially abolished more than a century ago, and segregation ended almost 50 years ago, black people are still discriminated against. Why? Because Americans are ignorant, judgmental, egocentric, and prejudicial. And no matter how cynical I am being, we all know it's true. We are never going to be able to change the mind of the man living deep in the hills of Arkansas who has a Confederate flag hanging on his barn. And this is why I understand that gay service men and women will never be able to "openly" serve until every service member in America stops being prejudicial and ignorant. Which will take a long time.
Don't get me wrong, I have the utmost faith in our military to make this transition smoothly and to educate our troops against discrimination against homosexuality and continue to punish those who commit hate crimes against gay men and women. I have faith that service members will learn that homosexuality has nothing to do with career ambitions, and will not stop gay men and women from being fantastic service members.
The second part of me speaking out is my inner Public Relations/International Relations geek. I feel like sometimes we cling to this ideal that America values liberty more than anyone else, and we forget that we are not a progressive nation. We value the freedom to be ignorant more than the freedom to exist. We are not the first nation to allow gay men and women to serve openly. The only reason it's a big deal today is because we were one of the few countries (including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and North Korea) to enact strict laws banning homosexual service members from serving. In 2009, when talks of repeal started, there were 25 other countries (including Israel!) waiting for us to repeal it. We may be the most powerful military, social, and economic entity in the world, but we always lag behind every other developed nation in the realm of personal liberties. Kind of ironic for the country that was the first to aggressively defend the rights of the individual. It's good PR for the US for now, but it's more of a "you're finally doing something right; don't screw it up" kind of publicity. It needs to become a non-issue and become a part of our everyday culture. Everything else will follow.
The last part of me to speak up is my homosexuality. And for him, it's a big deal, but he's outspoken by the other pieces of me. I'm excited for all those who can finally be who they are while serving the country they love, just like Obama said. I'm glad that we are slowly absorbing the sub-culture of homosexuality into mainstream acceptance. I'm overwhelmingly relieved that gay men or women who are discriminated against or abused won't have to make the choice between being silent or being discharged. But I still hold my previous views.
So, in true hipster fashion, I'm going to end this with a broad, overarching statement that is supposed to be excellent advice for humanity.
Instead of rejoicing in our "success," we should realize that we are not achieving anything revolutionary, but rather fixing a wrong that was made 17 years ago. We are back on track, and we need to just keep marching forward.
Tucker
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