Thursday, July 27, 2006
Don't Pursue, Don't Harass
Well, look at that. Another gay Arabic linguist has had his ass kicked out of the army for being gay. That makes 55 now, according to the article. Still, a blatant disregard for the War on Terror is to be expected in pursuit of the enforcement of Don't Ask Don't Tell. What makes this so different?
Well, for one thing, they asked. Repeatedly:
Shortly after Copas was appointed to the 82nd Airborne's highly visible All-American Chorus last May, the first e-mail came to the chorus director.
"The director brought everyone into the hallway and told us about this e-mail they had just received and blatantly asked, 'Which one of you are gay?'" Copas said.
Copas later complained to the director and his platoon sergeant, saying the questions violated "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
"They said they would watch it in the future," Copas said. "And they said, even specifically then, 'Well, you are not gay are you?' And I said, 'no.'"
The accuser, who signed his e-mails "John Smith" or "ftbraggman," pressed Copas' superiors to take action against him or "I will inform your entire battalion of the information that I gave you."
On Dec. 2, investigators formally interviewed Copas and asked if he understood the military's policy on homosexuals, if he had any close acquaintances who were gay, and if he was involved in community theater. He answered affirmatively.
Wow. Community theater. I'm surprised they didn't make him walk a straight line to see if he pranced.
I don't know if this an one-time incident, or just one more in a series of blatant offenses. Either way, the military is not upholding its end of DADT, still dwelling in the ways of dishonorable discharges and gay witch hunts. They've likely forgotten the last part of the policy: Don't Pursue, Don't Harass.
Well, for one thing, they asked. Repeatedly:
Shortly after Copas was appointed to the 82nd Airborne's highly visible All-American Chorus last May, the first e-mail came to the chorus director.
"The director brought everyone into the hallway and told us about this e-mail they had just received and blatantly asked, 'Which one of you are gay?'" Copas said.
Copas later complained to the director and his platoon sergeant, saying the questions violated "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
"They said they would watch it in the future," Copas said. "And they said, even specifically then, 'Well, you are not gay are you?' And I said, 'no.'"
The accuser, who signed his e-mails "John Smith" or "ftbraggman," pressed Copas' superiors to take action against him or "I will inform your entire battalion of the information that I gave you."
On Dec. 2, investigators formally interviewed Copas and asked if he understood the military's policy on homosexuals, if he had any close acquaintances who were gay, and if he was involved in community theater. He answered affirmatively.
Wow. Community theater. I'm surprised they didn't make him walk a straight line to see if he pranced.
I don't know if this an one-time incident, or just one more in a series of blatant offenses. Either way, the military is not upholding its end of DADT, still dwelling in the ways of dishonorable discharges and gay witch hunts. They've likely forgotten the last part of the policy: Don't Pursue, Don't Harass.
