Jon Wong writes…

In today’s New York Times “Room for Debate” series, where a panel of experts from a certain field answers questions on a current controversial topic or interesting question, the experts discuss the repeal of the Clinton-era Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy (DADT). Aaron Belkin, a professor at UCSB, states what seems to be a newly fascinating way to get rid of DADT:

A forthcoming study by experts in military law, sponsored by the Palm Center, shows that President Obama can circumvent the mess by signing an executive order commanding the military to suspend discharges for homosexuality.

This is certainly an interesting prospect, and one to surely lift the hearts of some progressives, but not so quick. As Aubrey Sarvis of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) notes, an executive order can be quickly reversed by a future administration (as we have no doubt seen with the back and forth EOs dealing with the Mexico City Policy). While it’s certainly true, I see no reason why Obama couldn’t sign an executive order and use it to leverage Congress to do the right thing.

Unsurprisingly, the retired Army Lieutenant Colonel opposes the repeal. He states that openly serving LGBT individuals would “polarize and fragment that critical trust” that exists within cohesive units. I don’t know how he can say that so assuredly, especially considering there is an abundance of anecdotal evidence from current and former members of the military that having someone in their unit be openly gay would be fine and would, in fact, increase trust. He also goes on to imply that retention rates would be severely undermined, yet fails to acknowledge that DADT is costing us millions of dollars and thousands of soldiers, or that  young people are increasingly favorable towards LGBT equality and so it won’t even be an issue in the next few years even if it is an issue now. He then goes on to say that somehow case studies from other countries who have open service aren’t relevant to US policy. His most ludicrous argument, however, is that there are “increased health costs associated with the gay lifestyle.” What? First of all, it isn’t a “lifestyle.” Secondly, I don’t see any increased costs of health insurance for LGBT individuals. Finally, if he’s even remotely referring to the myth that somehow just being gay makes it easier for you to get AIDS, I would like to refer him to the CDC and note that you can just as easily get HIV from vaginal sex.

I’ll end by agreeing with Jon Soltz, the final expert. Repealing DADT is easy. It just takes the political courage and political will of Congress (which really shouldn’t be difficult considering that the vast majority of Americans support the repeal). This means it also takes YOU to go to your e-mail account or cell phone and call your representative and senator to push for a repeal of DADT.