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Honorable Discharge
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Police Outing
The last time I checked we still had troops across seas, in other countries fighting a war… for freedom. So it should come as no surprise when I am completely dumbfounded that recently an Air Force sergeant, who has been serving for nine years, was honorably discharged because her sexual orientation as a lesbian was discovered by police officers in Rapid City, South Dakota and shared with the military.
Sergeant Newsome married her partner in the state of Iowa, where gay marriage is legal, in October. Police went to the home of the married couple looking for Newsome’s partner who was being investigated for a theft in Alaska. Newsome was not home at the time. She was at work on base. Police were not able to contact Newsome immediately or find her partner.
As Rapid City police officers peered through windows of the couples’ home they spotted their Iowa marriage license on the kitchen table. For the entire nine years that Newsome served in the military she followed the rules of the infamous, “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. She chose not to out herself as so many gays and lesbians in the past have chosen to do. Instead she served her country honorably and waited patiently until the policy was modified.
Third-party outings are often vindictive and in the case of the Rapid City police department the outing doesn’t seem as though it was done for any other reason, but to get back at Newsome for not answering calls from the police department. I do feel comfortable saying that if her partner was involved in a crime than she should be required to provide information to police officers. However, outing Newsome so that she was honorably discharged from the Air Force seems completely unrelated and vengeful. Besides, I thought we needed people to serve in the military. Why discharge someone who was proud to serve her country? Why discharge someone who was willing to fight for freedom abroad even when she does not have complete freedom in her own country?
About the Author
What to say… my name is Jennette. I am a college student living in the Bay Area. I moved here from Southern Oregon to attend college however, now I am going to school online… in Iowa! In August of 2010 I will be receiving my Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Management with a minor in Psychology. I will be continuing on to receive my Master’s in Business Management.
I work for a company called pink spots (www.gaypinkspots.com). GayPinkSpots.com is a resource directory of gay & lesbian (LGBT) friendly & gay owned businesses in San Francisco Bay Area.
Young Buck – Honorable Discharge [NEW] 08/02/2008