There are GAYS in the Military?

Or were these soldiers just "gay-for-pay?" Interesting that they are being charged with various crimes, but the prospect of discharge for violating the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

Of course, gays should be able to openly serve in the military. As one cogent writer observed:

[As] the late conservative icon Barry Goldwater proclaimed in 1993, "it’s high time to pull the curtains on this charade of policy." Not only is it an unnecessary financial expenditure, it institutionalizes the very type of harm that the policy is supposed to prevent. How can it possibly be that exacerbating the social stigma one faces as a sexual minority advance military "effectiveness?" "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell"—by its mere existence and through its vigilant enforcement—sends a powerful message from the government to its citizens. That message, to be blunt, is reminiscent of the Help Wanted ads of a bygone age, "Queers need not apply." What a crass and cowardly message to send, especially from an institution that currently grapples with accusations of rampant (hetero)sexual assault at the Air Force Academy.

President Bush can end this "charade of policy" with the stroke of a pen. The wellspring of support he enjoys among the military brass and their troops enables him to do so. It may not get him an enthusiastic "huah." But his obligations reach further than those corporate boards who have already recognized that gays make important contributions to their organizations. One is tempted to invoke the ethereal nature of "compassion," but I prefer the hard, precise language of the Declaration of Independence, which affirms the individual’s inalienable right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Those rights do not vanish once enlistment papers are signed, and the deprivation of them should not be made a condition of employment.

The majority of the political class will probably never face this issue head on until they are forced to do so through the courts. Toward that end, there's a non-profit organization principally dedicated to "lifting the ban" on gays in the military. And it even has its own blog.

Some ex-servicemembers are taking to college campuses to renew the debate surrounding "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." The "Call to Duty Tour" will "feature the largely unheard voices of young service members who embody the reality of 'Don’t Ask, Don't Tell' in today’s armed forces and highlight the policy’s impact on the nation's security." Hopefully some persons beyond the various campus communities -- surely friendly forums -- will listen.