Whatever you think of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy , the fact the the House Armed Services personnel subcommittee even had Elaine Donnelly testify yesterday on this subject is patently offensive.
When she says, "We're talking about real consequences for real people," she should have considered that 65,000 gay men and lesbians serve in the armed forces and protect her. While she rages about the lesbian menace taking pictures of other women in the shower, and the likelihood of
forced intimacy
her ignorance speaks for itself, and for the fact that Congress would invite someone like her to testify on an important substantive policy issue.
Did Congress really invite Elaine Donnelly to represent some "side" (other than that of small-minded bigots) on the gays in the military debate? To get a flavor, you can hear for yourself Rep. Patrick Murphy questioning her: http://www.youtube.com/...
What are her credentials? Has she ever served in the military? No. She the founder and president of the "Center for Military Readiness," whatever that is.
She warned of gay men and women spreading
HIV positivity
This statement alone betrays her ignorance on so many levels, not the least of which is that lesbians have the lowest incidence of HIV in the country. In point of fact, the Army's policy for soldiers living with HIV, contained in AR 600-110, is that they will not be deployed OCONUS (outside the continental United States), and will be stabilized at their current duty station. Commanders may not impose additional assignment restrictions on soldiers living with HIV and these soldiers may be assigned to units for a normal tour.
She makes wild and wrong generalizations about
inappropriate passive/aggressive actions common in the homosexual community.
Again, even her language is antiquated. She warns of
forcible sodomy
which if perpetrated by anyone, of any sexual orientation, is a crime under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and would be subject to court-martial.
She warns of
transgenders in the military
and the centerpiece of her tirade appears to be a vague reference to
a group of black lesbians who decided to gang-assault a fellow soldier.
(Here we see her racism and homophobia. Apparently, she is referring to an event that occurred in 1974.) Again, such an incident would be a crime subject to court-martial and dishonorable discharge.
I invite you to contact the Center for Military Readiness http://www.cmrlink.org/ and let Ms. Donnelly know what you think of her testilying. I would also call the members of the House Armed Services personnel subcommittee to find out why they invited her to speak. Finally, I would like to remind everyone that approximately 65,000 gay men and women serve in the U.S. Armed Forces and protect and defend this country. "Don't ask, don't tell"--in addition to affecting recruiting and retention--perpetuates vitriol like that spewing from Ms. Donnelly because it implies that there is something wrong with even talking about being gay.