USA: Two Gay Former U.S. Soldiers Refute Military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Policy

Record ID: 276960

  • Title: USA: Two Gay Former U.S. Soldiers Refute Military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Policy
  • Date: 4th February 2010
  • Summary: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 2, 2010) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) TANYA DOMI, U.S. MILITARY VETERAN, SAYING: "The questions that you were asked: Did someone kiss you? Did you kiss them? Did you take your clothes off? Did they take their clothes off? It went through the gamete of questions that are quite personal and it's pretty horrifying, especia
  • Embargoed: 19th February 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAEJMT6G5ZP1LRFQ3MI0VO950VN
  • Story Text: A wary U.S. military prepared on Tuesday for an eventual repeal of its "don't ask, don't tell" policy barring gays from serving openly, but made clear movement should be gradual on the politically charged change requested by President Barack Obama. The Pentagon will take at least a year to act. Obama called for repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" in his State of the Union address last week, putting a spotlight on the hot-button issue before congressional elections in November.
    Many gay activists were frustrated last year that Obama had not moved quickly to carry out a promise to overturn "don't ask, don't tell." Gays and lesbians strongly backed Obama during his 2008 presidential campaign.
    Tanya Domi, a former Captain of the U.S. Army, enlisted in 1974 and was forced throughout her 15 years of service to hide her sexual identity.
    Domi recalls going to a gay bar in Boston during her time of service. Those attending thought of it as a fun distraction. Later, she would be interrogated for this decision. "The questions that you were asked: Did someone kiss you? Did you kiss them? Did you take your clothes off? Did they take their clothes off," said Domi. "It made you feel pretty dirty. It made you feel pretty ashamed. And actually to this day I will never forget being mirandized for being gay."
    Despite her successes in the military, including her nomination to teach at Westpoint, Domi retired and was honorably discharged.
    Domi, an active opponent of, "don't ask, don't tell" emphasizes that the policy effects heterosexuals as well. "It's not just lesbians that it happens to and it happens repeatedly. It's a term now that even the DODs adopted called Multiple Sexual Traumas, MSTs, where women are repeatedly traumatized over and over again," said Domi.
    As a senior in High School, Jen Hogg decided to join the New York National Guard in March of 2000. With knowledge of the policy, Hogg decided that concealing her identity was a means to an end; a way she would save for college.
    When the twin towers collapsed on 9-11, Hogg received the call. She was going to Iraq.
    "I see everyone saying goodbye to their family," said Hogg. "It feels more like a punishment at that point to have to tell your support system bye and not be able to show the same type of emotion that everyone else can."
    Americans favor allowing gays to serve openly in the military by a margin of 56 percent to 37 percent, according to an April poll of just over 2,000 registered voters by Quinnipiac University. Support was higher among younger voters, although there was majority support in every age group.
    "Repealing it would take a lot of pressure off of people," said Domi. "You can't say certain things, you can't refer to your partner. I mean, you know, I think it's very difficult for people."
    Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who has voiced caution in the past against moving too quickly to repeal the policy, said he fully supported Obama's decision and announced a team of advisers to start reviewing steps the U.S. military would have to take to integrate openly gay service members.
    Many top military officers and Republicans in Congress assert that having gays openly serve in uniform would undermine morale and discipline.
    The internal Pentagon review, to be led by Army General Carter Ham and General Counsel Jeh Johnson, is expected to look at sensitive issues including how a change might affect unit cohesion, recruitment and retention, as well as the possibility of extending marriage and bereavement benefits to the partners of gay soldiers.
    Jenn Hogg is now a law student at The City University of New York (CUNY) and co-founded Service Women's Action Network (SWAN) with ten other female veterans.
    "I eventually found other veterans who had either similar circumstances, or for being a woman in the military," said Hogg. "And we just connected on the issues that we had experienced in the military. And you don't have to be gay in the military to understand the pain of serving under the policy."
    Tanya Domi lives in New York with her partner where she has embraced her sexual identity. She is also an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University, focusing on human rights issues.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register