Today, another brave soldier comes forward to share with the President, yet another story of what life is like under the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Former Sgt. Tracey L. Cooper-Harris tells how fellow male soldiers exploited the vulnerability of her secret in exchange for sexual favors.
I was just 19 years old. The deal was simple: Perform sexual favors and my secret was safe.
I had a choice: report these men for "sexual harassment/cohesion" and end my military career or submit to their demands.
It can't possibly have been an easy choice for Sgt Cooper-Harris to share this story, complete with her picture and name. I understand she's opened herself up to a potential world of heartache, which is still, unfortunately commonly directed at women who speak out on the experience of being sexually abused. She says she's doing it so other women won't have to endure what she endured. I hope it was not in vain.
Her story really makes me wonder, just whose feelings are we protecting? Whose moral is at stake? What effect does DADT really have on "unit cohesion?" I invite you to read it after the fold.
Today's Letter: "Please, Mr. President,
do the right thing."
May 10, 2010
President Barack H. Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President,
My name is Tracey Cooper-Harris. I served in the Army for 12 years, reaching the rank of Sergeant. As a soldier and a non-commissioned officer (NCO), I performed my duties with honor and distinction. I was lauded by my peers and superiors for going above and beyond the status quo to complete the mission.
And, I am gay.
I lived in constant fear serving under "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell." I was always looking over my shoulder, censoring what I said and keeping as much physical distance as possible between my military life and my personal life.
Even with this vigilance, I was found out by some male "friends" at my first duty assignment. I was just 19 years old. The deal was simple: Perform sexual favors and my secret was safe.
I had a choice: report these men for "sexual harassment/cohesion" and end my military career or submit to their demands.
Despite the military’s "zero tolerance" policy on sexual harassment, it doesn’t apply to those forced in the closet under DADT. I was sexually blackmailed and just a teenager.
At that time, as well as other times during my military service, I had seen friends discharged under DADT who were in similar situations. My friends were discharged, while their perpetrators were given a slap on the wrist.
The signal from command was clear: being gay was a far more serious offense in the military than sexually harassing a fellow service member. I ultimately chose what I believed was the best decision for me at the time. I let these men have their way with me in exchange for their silence.
I am not proud of what I did, but I loved my job too much to let it destroy my career before it had even started.
My decision didn’t come without consequences. I was eventually diagnosed with an STD which could potentially lead to cervical cancer later in life.
I, frankly, am still ashamed of what I had to do to stay in the Army. I wasn’t discharged under DADT, but left because of it. I continue to attend counseling sessions provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs for what I went through. The memories still come back to haunt me some 16 years later.
I don't want to see other service members go through what I went through. And unfortunately, this will continue to happen as long as DADT is law.
As long as a recruit or military member meets or exceeds the criteria for military service, let them serve. A bullet doesn’t discriminate because of a person’s race, gender identity, sex, religion, or sexual orientation, so why does the U.S. military continue to do so?
The time to repeal DADT is long overdue. Please, Mr. President, do the right thing.
Respectfully yours,
Former Sgt. Tracey L. Cooper-Harris
United States Army
It's worth noting: women, particularly women of color are disproportionately targets of DADT investigations and discharges. From the New York Times:
While women make up 14 percent of Army personnel, 46 percent of those discharged under the policy last year were women. And while 20 percent of Air Force personnel are women, 49 percent of its discharges under the policy last year were women.
By comparison for 2006, about 35 percent of the Army’s discharges and 36 percent of the Air Force’s were women, according to the statistics.
The information was gathered under a Freedom of Information Act request by the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a policy advocacy organization.
"Women make up 15 percent of the armed forces, so to find they represent nearly 50 percent of Army and Air Force discharges under ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ is shocking," said Aubrey Sarvis, the organization’s executive director. "Women in particular have been caught in the crosshairs of this counterproductive law."
Racewire describes women of color as being more than three (3) times as likely to be discharged as the average recruit. I do not personally find this surprising. The forces of bigotry and small-mindedness will use whatever tools we give them to enforce their views of how the world should be. And DADT policy is a very powerful tool.
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To raise awareness to the need for Presidential leadership, The Servicemember's Legal Defense Network, has launched this media campaign launched in partnership with is intended to underscore the urgent need for congressional action and presidential leadership at this critical point in the fight to repeal "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" (DADT). Today's letter is a repost of yesterday's.
Every weekday morning as we approach the markup of the Defense Authorization bill in the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, SLDN and a coalition of voices supporting repeal, will share an open letter to the President from a person impacted by this discriminatory law. We are urging the President to include repeal in the Administration’s defense budget recommendations, but also to voice his support as we work to muster the 15 critical votes needed on the Senate Armed Services Committee to include repeal. The Defense Authorization bill represents the best legislative vehicle to bring repeal to the president’s desk. It also was the same vehicle used to pass DADT in 1993. By working together, we can help build momentum to get the votes! We ask that you forward and post these personal stories.
Participating blogs: 365 Gay, The Advocate, AfterElton, AmericaBlog , Ameriqueer, AKAWilliam, The Bilerico Project, BoxTurtleBulletin, BrandFabulousness, The Daily Kos, David In Manhattan, David Mixner, Fired Up Missouri, GoodAsYou, HRCBackStory, Kenneth In The 212, Lez Get Real, LGBTPOV, Michael in Norfolk, Mike Gets Real, Mile High Gay Guy, Open Left, Page One Q, Pam's House Blend, RepealNow, SayenCroWolf, Seattle PI Stepforward, Signorile's The Gist, The New Civil Rights Movement, The Queer Times, Towleroad, We Give A Damn.
WHY THIS IS A CRITICAL TIME:
• SLDN and other coalition voices are urging the President to include repeal in the Administration’s defense budget recommendations, but also to voice his support as we work to muster the 15 critical votes needed on the Senate Armed Services Committee to include repeal.
• The House and Senate Armed Services Committees will markup the Defense Authorization bill in a few short weeks.
• The Defense Authorization bill represents our best legislative vehicle to bringing repeal to the president’s desk. It also was the same vehicle used to pass DADT in 1993.
LAYOUT FOR REPEAL / HOUSE AND SENATE TRACKS:
• Sen. Mark Udall told the Denver Post the committee was "within a vote or two" of including repeal in the Defense Authorization bill. Udall is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
• Rep. Jared Polis, who holds a key position on the House Rules Committee, told the Denver Post he is willing to help insert a similar provision in the House version of the Defense Authorization bill with the help of Rep. Patrick Murphy, who is the lead sponsor of the House repeal bill.
THE NEXT 30 DAYS ARE CRITICAL:
• The House Armed Services Committee markup of the Defense Authorization bill is expected May 19.
• The Senate Armed Services Committee markup of the Defense Authorization bill is expected the week of May 24.
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CALL TO ACTION!
Fate of repeal will be decided in the next 30 days. As time grows short, repeal advocates have multiple strategies are in place. One thing they all share is a need to hear from the public the time is now. Now is the time for LGBT allies to get off the fence and call for equality for their fellow Americans.
New Call to Action: Howard Dean and Democracy for America have joined the effort to End Don't Ask, Don't Tell in 2010. Sign the petition here. This is the first major, non-LGBT group that I have been made aware of. Where are our straight allies in this fight?
• Contact the White House: The Servicemember's Legal Defnese Network has put out an action item: Not Another Year. They are asking people to call the White House and tell our Commander in Chief to call for repeal in 2010, repeal can't wait until 2011. The moment is now. They say: "Our Congressional allies are not giving up. SLDN isn't giving up. Tell President Obama not to give up either. Call the White House today. (202) 456-1414"
• Contact your Senators: Tell them to support adding repeal to the Senate Defense Spending Budget: these Senators are most key: Bill Nelson, Ben Nelson, Evan Bayh, Jim Webb, Robert Byrd and Scott Brown. But call them all. Show them there's a grassroots movement to vote now. SLDN contact tool here.
• Contact your House Representatives: Tell them to support Representative Patrick Murphy's plan to offer DADT repeal legislation as a floor amendment to the military bill. SLDN contact tool here.
• Contact Senate Armed Services Committee Chairmain Carl Levin (D-MI) and tell him Military Budget Attachment is the way to go. His office in Washington can be reached at: (202) 224-6221
• Become a citizen co-sponsor of repeal at Senator Udall's site.
