I have been besieged over the course of the past 6 months with Pentagon surveys requesting me to catalog my feelings about serving with homosexual military members.
First and foremost, let me say that I support the idea that homosexual Americans should have the exact same rights and opportunities as every other American. It strikes me as peculiar that we can pride ourselves on being a land of liberty for all yet decide that there is a class of citizens who are entitled to fewer liberties than others. In my opinion, the current debate will be viewed by Americans in 50 years in the same way that we now think of woman's suffrage and civil rights.
Having grown up in a very conservative Christian community, I can understand (but not agree with) the anger that homosexuality induces in some. I cannot, however, find in the Bible where I have been authorized to impose (share, yes) my own religious beliefs on those around me.
With that said, the current policy is terrible. I have served with openly gay individuals and never did I doubt their commitment to their country or feel threatened by their sexuality. I have shared living quarters with gay people and been oblivious to their orientation. The notion that the Joint Chiefs of Staff could agree in principle with the equal rights of homosexuals yet request time to take surveys to decide a course of action strikes me as incredible. Since when did we decide that popular opinion was the American method of apportioning rights? Either homosexuals deserve the same rights as all of us, or they don't. There's no morally defensible position whereby the general says, "Sure they have rights, but my soldiers are against it, so I'll pass." I would have been completely understanding if they had dropped DADT, but requested time to put in place policies for actual implementation (does the partner get access to Tricare and military housing, how must living quarters be adjusted.....). What the military's leadership actually did was disgraceful.
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