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06/23/2006
'Do tell': 'Don't ask' advocate defends Pentagon document
Of the recently revealed Pentagon document that lists homosexuality as a mental disorder, the president of the the "don't ask, don't tell"-supporting Center for Military Readiness, Elaine Donnelly, is quoted by Focus on the Family's CitizenLink as saying that...
...gay activists are just trying to stir up trouble. In fact, she said, about once a month the pro-gay group, located on the University of California-Santa Barbara campus, puts out inaccurate or outdated information.
"This is another phony story generated by the Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military," she said. "They're trying to create an illusion of support or a need to repeal the law that says homosexuality is incompatible with military service."
The document causing the controversy, Donnelly explained, lists a number of reasons a person might be ineligible to serve in the military including mental retardation and physical disabilities. And under "don't ask don't tell," the military has the right to include homosexuals.
Only problem with Ms. Donnelly's attempts to spin the document as a "phony story?" The text actually exists in a tangible form for all to see. And it doesn't list homosexuality as just a reason a person might be ineligible to serve in the military; it specifically lists 'moness as a MENTAL DISORDER:
So yea, the document is almost 10 years old -- big f***in' deal! The erroneous misclassification of homosexuality as a mental disorder was corrected by the APA in 1973. So for Ms. Donnelly and CitizenLink to try and paint our outrage over this document "as just another attention-grabbing stunt," is actually just another example of how the folks on their team can never admit any sort of wrongdoing when it comes to anti-gay sentiment. They instead try to re-craft these sorts of situations as if we are just being oversensitive, politically-motivated, bleeding heart, agenda-filled, militants determined to reshape society. It's enraging.
The thing is -- facts are facts! Even if you think homos are all Hell-bound perverts, you have to admit that homosexuality is not classified as a mental disorder. You might disagree and think being gay is the worst of mental illnesses, but your opinion does not change the fact that it is not classified as such! And since it's not, this is a clear-cut error. Supporting this error would be like one supporting a government document that says abortion is illegal, simply because they themselves are "pro-life." No matter how much they tried to spin that document, the fact would remain that abortion is protected under law. Convictions do not change actuality.
Even though we shun this Pentagon document's classification because we find it beyond offensive to the gay community, we just as forthrightly reject it because it's frighteningly inaccurate! A misrepresentation of facts is a misrepresentation of facts! "Don't ask, Don't tell" or not, the military has no right to misrepresent the nature of homoseuxality. Defending the factual error because your political agenda (likely) wishes it were true only makes you and your "team" lose face.
Pro-Gay Group Cries Foul [FOF CitizenLink]
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