by Courtney Jenkins

Last month, in December of 2010, a seventeen-year- long policy was repealed with a vote. This was not merely a political move on the Democrats part, though some might think so. “I don’t care who you love,” Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon, said as the debate opened. “If you love this country enough to risk your life for it, you shouldn’t have to hide who you are.”

With this repeal, military members can be open about their sexuality without fear of a discharge. This ends a discrimination long upheld by the military, one that said homosexuality was wrong and those who were not heterosexual should not be allowed to serve their country.

To discharge a person based on sexuality is similar to firing a woman due to pregnancy. It is determining who is allowed to do what based on a specific quality of a person. The aforementioned policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell” forced those of homosexual identities to hide who they are. Sexuality is part of a person’s identity, so these individuals were pretending to be someone else in order do the same thing other citizens, regardless of race or gender, were encouraged to do.

“All Americans are entitled to equal treatment under the law as provided for by the Fourteenth Amendment.” If no gay or lesbian individuals should be allowed to serve in the military, then the question seems to be, how far does it go? If citizens of our own country are not allowed to serve in defense of it, then should they also not be allowed to work in a regular job?