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In my professional opinion, it would.
Right. Try proving that in a courts martial.
In my professional opinion, it would be prevented.
How does DADT prevent someone from finding out or even just suspecting that someone else in their unit is gay? Since DADT specifically states that a CO is the only person who can open an investigation into a person's sexuality, it is quite possible for someone to be almost openly gay (and in some places, even completely openly gay) without being discharged under DADT, especially in certain jobs.
In fact, there are probably a lot of bigoted people out there who would willing allow a fellow servicemember to die just because they don't like a certain trait of that person. There are probably some who would allow a fellow soldier to die because they
don't like a particular person, for whatever reason. There are no rules that will ever prevent this. And DADT does nothing to reduce intolerance. In fact, it promotes it.
It doesn't work like that in the Army. Isn't your hubby in the Army? Ask him. An accusation, alone, is basis enough to go ahead with harassment charges. In those situations, the burden of proof is on the accused. You're thinking like a civilian and it just don't work like that in the service.
First of all, my husband was a Marine and is currently in the Navy, as an MA. My brother was in the Army.
And, yes, an accusation is reason to open an investigation into charges of harassment, not to actually make the charges stick. And, unfortunately, a lot of time it is placed on the accused to prove their innocence, which is wrong. This is another thing about the military that is broke, but it should not prevent repealing DADT. It should mean that those accusing someone else of harassment should have some sort of proof that they were actually being harassed. Unfortunately, there is no good way to deal with this issue, unless the military started setting up cameras with complete audio recording in every space the military owns to ensure that every act of harassment is always completely caught on tape.
And I'm thinking that things should be fair for everyone, to the best extent that it can be. DADT is not fair. It needs to change. I have felt like this since before I joined the Navy, during my active Navy time, and still do during my reserve time. The military should not be promoting intolerance.
But, what if you're wrong? Does anyone have the guts to tackle that question?
I don't deal in "what ifs" that have nothing to back them up. I deal in real life. I have worked with openly gay men and women aboard a US Navy aircraft carrier. I know what the results of the study showed about repealing DADT. And I know that many people fear the unknown, and that fear of the unknown is the main reason for being against repeal of DADT.