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Homosexuality in the Military

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Serving in the military is for many the most honored position they will hold in their lifetime. Many dedicate their entire lives to serving their country. For some soldiers however their dream of proudly serving their country was cut short because they are gay, lesbian or bisexual. America’s attitude towards acceptance of homosexuals has continued to grow over the past couple of decades, but full acceptance and equality is still far off. Nowhere are attitudes towards homosexuality more conservative than in the U.S. military, yet even here attitudes are slowly evolving towards acceptance and equality. Gays and lesbians were banned from serving in the military until 1992 when President Clinton signed into law “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, which allowed homosexuals to serve as long as they did not discuss their sexuality, and the military could not ask about it. The debate about whether homosexuals should be allowed in the military at all and of whether they should be allowed to be open about their sexual orientation while serving has been ongoing over the last thirty years. Sexuality has no bearing on one’s ability to be a good soldier or on the cohesion of a military unit. Gays and lesbians should be allowed to serve openly in the military, because the policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is harmful to both soldiers and the military. Human sexuality is complicated, yet we live in a society that tries to only see such issues in a black and white fashion. Homosexuals have been a part of society since the dawn of man and are an accepted and integral part of many cultures. Likewise homosexuals have also served in militaries throughout history as well. For the ancient Greeks homosexuality was an accepted part of life and members of the military were encouraged to embrace this lifestyle, especially while on the battlefield. Such acceptance historically is not

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