Word: offing
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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When this policy was first formulated in 1993, the Pentagon and Joint Chiefs of Staff justified it by saying the combat readiness of heterosexuals would be undermined by the presence of homosexual servicepeople. However, this implies some fundamental difference in ability between soldiers of different sexual orientations. Numerous gay soldiers...
The government's reasoning affirms the legitimacy of discrimination and hatred towards gay individuals. While it is understandable that some heterosexual servicepeople may feel uncomfortable serving with homosexuals, discomfort cannot be a basis for discrimination. Other servicepeople may feel uneasy about working with soldiers of a different race or religion...
The policy's ambiguity opens the door to misunderstanding and misinterpretation as well. It offers no way of dealing with the issue of an individual's sexual orientation once it surfaces. As in the Winchell case, the rumors about his sexual orientation started when he went to a gay club...
The armed forces supposedly prides itself on its honesty and integrity, but this policy promotes lying. Dishonesty in any other facet of military life, such as cheating on an exam, would result in an immediate dishonorable discharge. Underhandedness in this regard, however, is encouraged and is in fact necessary for...
Further underscoring the policy's failure is its lack of rational basis. Other limiting military regulations, such as the one preventing women from serving in combat--while still suspect--can be somewhat reasonably justified on the basis of physiological differences in ability between men and women that may become important...