A Military Job Is Not Economic Justice: QEJ Statement on DADT
Posted by Q4EJ on December 22, 2010 · 25 Comments
In just a few moments President Obama is scheduled to sign the repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) policy, which in theory, will allow for gay and lesbian members of the military to serve without being in the closet.
Queers for Economic Justice staff and constituents have all met people in the LGBT movement who have said to us that the DADT repeal is an economic justice victory, since many poor and working-class LGBT people join the military to have access to better jobs, and because the military is the nation’s largest employer, QEJ should be joining the in the victory dance.
But QEJ believes military service is not economic justice, and it is immoral that the military is the nation’s de facto jobs program for poor and working-class people. And since QEJ organizes LGBTQ homeless people in New York City, we wanted to remind the LGBT community and progressive anti-war allies that militarism and war profiteering do not serve the interests of LGBT people. Here’s how:
- The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans reports that about one-third of all homeless people in the US are veterans, but about 1.5 million more veterans are at risk of homelessness “due to poverty, lack of support networks, and dismal living conditions in overcrowded or substandard housing.” They also report that 56% of homeless veterans are Black or Latino.
- Some studies also show that one in four veterans becomes disabled as a result of physical violence or emotional trauma of war. There are currently 30,000 disabled veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- Rape and sexual violence are very common occurrences for women in the military, and the ACLU is currently suing the Pentagon to get the real numbers on reported incidences.
- Half of the US budget in 2009 was made up of military spending, including current expenditures, veterans benefits and the portion of the national debt caused by military costs, according to the War Resisters’ League. That is more than the US spent on Health & Human Services, Social Security Administration, Housing and Urban Development and the Department Education combined. Wouldn’t more social safety net spending help the millions of queers who can barely make ends meet?
In short, military service is not economic justice.
Furthermore, QEJ understands that there are LGBTQ people in other parts of the world, particularly Iraq and Afghanistan, who have been killed, traumatized, or made disabled directly as a result of the recent US-led wars, or who have become vulnerable targets by fundamentalist backlashes to US imperialism. We stand in solidarity with other LGBTQ people around the globe, and do not condone violence against them or their home countries so that “our gays” have the “right” to serve openly in the military.
QEJ supports real economic justice. You should support QEJ this season.
It’s hard to ask for a donation on such a tough issue, but showing your support for real economic justice is one way to reject the framing of militarism as economic opportunity. Make a donation to QEJ today.
From all of us,
Queers for Economic Justice
As a Gay Veteran, I am truly grateful that I served in the military. I was discharged for being gay. My experience was a good one. I served before “don’t ask, don’t tell”.
From my experience, being openly gay didn’t matter. There is this bond of brotherhood that trumps all racial , political, cultural, and, yes, even, sexual orientation barriers.
You wouldn’t understand unless you served in the Arm Forces.
Gay and Lesbians have always served in military. The only difference now is that it will be official.
I challenge everyone at Queers for Economic Justice to sign up and served at least four years in the military.
I’ll stop. I’m scaring you.
Please look at the big picture as an American, not just a Queer American.
Peace and Light,
Gabriel
excellent article. Poor people have always been used for cannon fodder and the rich would pay poor guys to take their place even during the Civil War and I believe even before that not only in this country but other ones.
Economic justice my foot….a lost leg or other limb does not grow back!
Oh thank goodness for a word of truth and sanity!
I love obama! No DADT+Marriage Equality=Union Jobs for Poor LGBT Community- Queers
Thanks for publishing this important essay. A Few Queers On The Prowl stands with you.
I will never understand why anyone would want to do the bidding of the war mongers and help the imperialists fight the world. The so called discrimination that L & G’s face in the military is just a ‘pull my hair’ compared to what they will and are doing to folks around the world.
An interesting article was published by Saffo and from it I quote:
“If DADT gets passed then that means homeless queer and trans youth– predominantly of color– who have run away or have been kicked out by their parents for being queer and have few other options are going to be sucked in and exploited by military recruiters. the fuckers that are organizing this repeal DADT shit don’t give a FUCK about how this is going to affect the most marginalized members of our community. that’s because this agenda is set by the most privilieged LGBT folks.” ……….Saffo
Read the full story, don’t ask, don’t tell, don’t care who you’re murdering by Saffo.
The repeal of DADT needs to be celebrated for some reasons but that doesn’t mean it has to be so for all reasons. Just because repeal is a good thing, it doesn’t mean everything associated is a good thing. The temptation of both “sides” to lump everything together lessens the conversation.
DADT helped cover up rape. It hurt those who joined- many of who falsely belived the glossy promises. It is good the government can no longer perpetrate this discrimination, but to support repeal doesn’t mean one supports civilian deaths nor did the policy stop gay people from the possibility of participating in them.
It’s not economic justice but military service and the benefits service members have access to, provided for thousands upon thousands of white soldiers returning from WWII access to build wealth through homeownership and other services, benefits people of color and women were barred from (not to mention individuals who wished to serve openly who identified as lgbt or q), full stop, and that is significant in the quest for economic justice.
I think the GI bill is still a powerful tool that, for some, is the only means for accessing post-secondary education. There is significant evidence indicating that individuals with an undergraduate degree have a significantly higher income potential than individuals with just a high school diploma (similar evidence between high school diploma and GED). It’s not perfect, but I think it is a significant step in the right direction.
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