Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Shutting Out Minority Voices Harms All

TO THE EDITOR,

“`Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Protects Personal Privacy in Military” (THE HOYA, Oct. 22, 2010, A3) relies on two offensive premises to defend the military’s unwise and discriminatory policy.

First, Ardelean asserts that DADT’s harmful effects can be ignored because most service members are not gay and the leading voices for repeal come from gay civil rights organizations. In fact, most Americans are not gay, but part of the American tradition involves standing up for minority rights. Writing off non-majority voices not only hurts the affected community, it sets a dangerous precedent for future action.

The second premise of Ardelean’s argument hearkens back to the outdated notion that gay men and women are definitionally sexual predators. Gays have been sharing bedrooms, showers and locker rooms with their heterosexual counterparts for ages. Even in close quarters, professionalism and respect will still be the standards of interaction if gays are allowed to be open about their sexual orientations.

Like all emotions, Mr. Ardelean’s feelings are amoral and uncontrollable. I applaud him for his courage to write about his discomfort with gays; nonetheless, it is important to recognize that these feelings stem from a homophobic culture that propagates beliefs about gays that are factually and morally wrong. Just as heterosexuality does not lessen a person’s ability to have professional and respectful relationships with members of the opposite sex, homosexuality does not lessen a person’s ability to have professional and respectful relationships with members of the same sex.

I commend Ardelean for his service, but I hope he will recognize that his argument’s premises undermine minority rights and spread hurtful generalizations of gay men and women.

KEVIN FLANNERY (COL ’12)

OCT. 25, 2010

Leave a Comment
Donate to The Hoya

Your donation will support the student journalists of Georgetown University. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.

More to Discover
Donate to The Hoya

Comments (0)

All The Hoya Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *