Over the Rainbow: - Wrestling With Angels

up gay rights issues. Obama assured them of his continued support, saying, ”My expectation is
that when you look back on these years, you will see a time in which we put a stop to
discrimination against gays and lesbians, whether in the office or on the battlefield” (McGreal,
2009).
By 2009 the military had expelled 12,500 gay service members since 1993 as a result of
violations of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. With two wars in progress this was a hard-toabide
consequence (Ephron, 2009) A 2009 Gallup poll based on telephone interviews with 1,015
adults found that 69% of Americans were in favor of allowing openly gay men and lesbians to
serve in the military (Jones, 2009).
BACKLASH to Gays in the Military
The military population is more conservative than the broader population. A Military Times
poll of active-duty service members in 2009 showed that 58% opposed any change in the policy
toward gays, and 23% might not re-enlist if the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law is revised. Decisions
to enlist are made around the dinner table. Opponents to such a change contended that
allowing gays to serve openly could harm unit cohesion and discourage conservative parents
from supporting and encouraging their children to enter a ‘gay military’.
In response to President Obama’s request to repeal the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law Senator
Carl Levin called a meeting to discuss the issue. Wendy Wright, President of Concerned
Women for America, sent an urgent request to members to “Call your Senators and
Representatives and tell them to keep the current law that prohibits homosexuals from openly
serving in the military. If the policy is overturned, it would distract from the critical mission of
the military simply to impose a sexual agenda onto society.” She contended that “This is not
the time to begin social experimentation in our military. Our armed forces are stretched
fighting the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Repealing the 1993 law now will create an undue
hardship on our military and their families” (Wright, 2010).
Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and highest-ranking officer in the
armed forces , likes to talk to the enlisted troops and listen to their concerns. In Feb. of 2010,
Mullen called for a repeal of the ban as the “the right thing to do”. Mullen is faced with the
possibility of having to ask troops to openly welcome gay men and women. If this becomes a
reality, he will be required to act as a mediator between President Obama and the wider
cultural scene, advising Obama on what the military and the troops can or cannot accept
(Ephron, 2009).
Over the Rainbow: The Gay Battle for Social Reorganization of America. 2010
Dr. M. L. Coppock
24 | P a g e