The Zhoosh! Brighton Blog
Brighton & Hove Lesbian Film Club: Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) U.S. policy
The Brighton & Hove Lesbian Film Club is showing ‘A Marine Story’ next Sunday at the Odeon in Brighton (see details here). So I thought it was time to inform myself more fully about the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) policy in the U.S. I had a good search and, inter alia, found out that DADT stems from the “federal legislation that prohibits people who demonstrate a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts from serving in the armed forces of the United States”
This federal legislation however, although rigorously applied, upon close examination was found to have what many would describe as an unguarded weakness …”.the USA military personnel is prohibited from instigating efforts to discriminate or harass closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants ,[ while barring those who are openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual from military service. “]
So…here is the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Don’t Pursue Don’t Harass” policy, a sort of watered down entrenchment that the USA politicians and brass hats are nervously, and under heavy fire from both sides, currently applying to their lesbian and gay serving personnel. if you don’t tell and nobody asks, you might just be OK and not be told to leave.
A bill to repeal this act in its entirety, was recently passed in the USA house of representatives but the USA senatorial weapon of the filibuster has ensured that the act – and DADT - remains in place “until the President, the Secretary of Defense (sic) , and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff certify that repeal will not harm military readiness….”,
In the UK of course we have the European Court of Human Rights on our Britannic doorstep. “There is no longer a reason to deny homosexuals the opportunity of a career in the Armed Forces….. As no primary or secondary legislation is required, with effect from today, homosexuality will no longer be a bar to service in Britain’s Armed Forces. “
Having known a few women (of a certain age) who were unceremoniously and bitterly relieved of their careers here in the UK back in the dark old days…. and also been privileged to witness Mr Tatchell arguing on HMS Belfast that We Can’t Even March Straight – so why would any queer want to serve in the forces anyway….) I do look forward to seeing A Marine Story. How I wonder will the film portray a moral and essentially entertaining – rather than didactic – storyline. What could the consequences of the current USA queasiness with the DADT policy? About which I am now better informed.
By the way are not some aspects of LGBTU missing?
A Marine Story: Directly from the LGBT London Film Festival in April at BFI…. named Best U.S. Feature at this year’s Outfest film festival.
Showing: Sunday 17th April at The Odeon Screen 8, starts 3.00PM. Men welcome to. Full details on the Zhoosh Events Guide
The Brighton & Hove Lesbian Film Club shows lesbian films throughout the year at different venues across the city. It is popular and well attended due to the diversity of films provided, whether that be classics that are hard to get hold of or recently released films straight from the LGBT Film Festivals.
***The campaign to end DADT – The Job is Not done – continues. Take a look at http://www.sldn.org/pages/about-dadt
