Don't ask don't tell law

Senate has voted to lift the “don’t ask don’t tell law” on openly gay troops after nearly 13,500 troop members had already been dismissed over the years under the 1993 law for being gay.

Many are overjoyed while many despise the overturn. The question is….why has this taken so long and why was don’t ask don’t tell law policy ever in affect? It’s a known fact that many troops serving in the military are gay risking their lives in other countries fighting for America while holding on to the secret for fear of losing their military careers. America is supposed to be the land of the free where people can be all they can be but maybe the saying meant be all you can be as long as you’re not gay in our military.

Although many people out there still discriminate against others for the choices they make, the color of their skin or just about anything they can find that’s unlike them having the don’t ask don’t tell law overturned was a real victory even if you’re not gay.

Being gay doesn’t make you less of a person and it doesn’t mean someone else would be better fit for your job so it’s about time someone stood up for the gay community. Don’t ask don’t tell is really going to change things not just for the military but for our country. Those troops that did lose their jobs for being openly gay were good enough to join your military, put in many years of military service, but not good enough to be themselves?

People should have the freedom of choice in any situation that does not harm anyone. It’s also a fact that although the don’t ask don’t tell law has been lifted there will now be other problems presented such as hatred from the straight soldiers which might prevent the gay troops who have been keeping their preference a secret from actually coming out and being openly gay. To all the gay soldiers who do come out, don’t worry about the ones who are going to talk behind your back or try to complicate things for you in the military. Continue to perform your job and be happy about finally being able to be yourself, to all those gay military troops who still choose to keep secret it’s understandable but the truth will eventually come out still stand strong and proud. The don’t ask don’t tell policy is another stepping stone for the gay community, now let’s see what America can do to compensate the troops who were kicked out of the military if anything.