Author: Claire Larson
It’s 2009. We are in an age where technology develops before our eyes, environmental conservation is a hot-topic and the current American president is African-American. And yet underneath this façade of progressiveness exist laws that prevent gay and lesbian citizens from enjoying the rights that heterosexual people take for granted. In 2009!? The prevalent opinion in the gay community is that Obama is not acting quickly enough, and a majority of activists and supporters agree. They are right.
“Don’t ask, don’t tell” and the controversial Defense of Marriage Act categorize gays and lesbians as second-class citizens. The “don’t ask, don’t tell” military protocol, initiated during the early Clinton years, prohibits homosexual individuals from disclosing their sexual orientation and expels them from the military if they do. The message behind “don’t ask, don’t tell” is that barring gays from serving reinforces the military’s policy in upholding certain standards of morality and discipline.
But what about the straight enlisted men who, according to recent PBS reports, not only rape innocent civilians in U.S.-occupied areas of the Middle East, but in 2008 were responsible for some 1,400 reported assaults on fellow female soldiers? These are the examples of morality and discipline that the United States legally allows to represent our country, while any hard-working, dedicated gay soldier is unacceptable.
Last week, protesters took to the streets of Washington, D.C, calling attention to the fact that President Obama has yet to repeal the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, a promise he made on the campaign trail that he has yet to fulfill. Because this policy has yet to be addressed, openly gay servicemen are dispatched from the military solely on the basis of their sexual orientation. The message this sends is that being a homosexual makes one unfit to defend this country. “Don’t ask, don’t tell” restricts an entire population of people from expressing their patriotism through volunteering for the army. It is a policy that very simply suggests that gay people are not American citizens.
Obama appeared at a Human Rights Campaign (HRC) gala on Oct. 10 to reassure the gay community that he still has intentions to follow through with his plans to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell.” So what is taking him so long?
The President’s speech to the HRC did little to provide a timetable for when he will approach the subject more actively. He mentioned he is currently working with Defense Department leaders to abolish “don’t ask, don’t tell,” but even this is a vague description of the effort he has put into the process.
It seems Obama is sending mixed messages about his commitment, especially when, in actuality, it should not be so time-consuming for him to overturn the policy. “Don’t ask, don’t tell” could be repealed almost immediately by an executive order. Obama simply has to declare that the policy is defunct and the issue will go to Congress as legislation. The President doesn’t have to wait for Congress to enact legislation on this issue; he can initiate it himself.
Admittedly, Obama hasn’t been in office long. Even gay activists acknowledge that – and many currently are still giving him the benefit of the doubt that he will get around to resolving the issue eventually. After all, Obama has a lot on his agenda these days with foreign policy and the urgent pressures of the struggling U.S. economy. But this argument isn’t satisfactory. Aren’t human rights just as urgent in this day and age? The fact that there even remain unresolved issues of discrimination in the United States is altogether embarrassing.
Why are human rights still an issue in a country that was founded on the principle of equality for all? On Oct. 6, Occidental hosted Los Angeles’s Reverend Eric Lee, an African-American minister dedicated to the fight for equal marriage rights for gay individuals. In his talk with students on campus, he drew parallels between the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s and the current gay rights movement. What is amazing is that 50 years after civil rights were awarded to the black community, the gay community continues to struggle against oppressive laws that restrict their participation in American society.
In addition to “don’t ask, don’t tell,” The Defense of Marriage Act essentially gives privileges to straight couples for being traditional – kind of like a gold star sticker awarded for heterosexuality. Because members of the gay community can’t enter a marriage legally recognized by the federal government, they are prohibited from the luxury of marriage rights just by virtue of being gay. Those rights include spousal Social Security benefits, federal health care benefits and filing taxes jointly, according to The Washington Times.
Is love between homosexual people any different than between heterosexual people? Of course not. So why should the way gays define their love, through marriage or any other mode, be any different?
It is 2009. Decades of activism for civil rights and women’s rights should have pushed the issue of inequality into antiquity. The gay and lesbian community should not still be struggling to find legitimacy and government recognition. It is time for Obama to listen to the rallying cries outside the White House and follow through with his promises. His grace period is over. Human rights can’t wait any longer. Not when it’s already 2009.
Claire Larson is an undeclared sophomore. She can be reached at clarson@oxy.edu.
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