the only thing that worries me if that if don't-ask-don't-tell really does get overturned AND they institute a skills draft I won't be able to get out of serving by telling them I'm bi.
You won't be able to get out of serving by telling them you're bi no matter what happens, methinks. If the military reinstates any kind of draft, that sort of discrimination will go straight out the window. The answer to, "But I'm gay/bi/lesbian" will likely be "Shut up and get in line. NOW, KID."[1] You think they'd make it that easy to avoid getting drafted?
Continued discrimination against G/L/B folk was something the military could afford in the 80s and 90s in the face of increasing tolerance of such people in the civilian world because (1) we had an all-volunteer force and (2) the military had a decreasing need for manpower. The military will find that they can't afford that kind of discrimination anymore if our misadventure in Iraq drags on to the point where they feel they need any kind of draft.
This is particularly true for a skills-based draft centered on those with computer experience. The DoD knows damned well that a nontrivial percentage of the most skilled IT professionals out there are non-heterosexual, and that closing off that pool of talent would be like shooting themselves in the foot.
[1]To be read in the appropriate Arlo Guthrie tone of voice....
I'm not saying I'm LIKELY to be drafted... it's just one of those dumb things I think about. Afterall, since I work for a DoD contractor testing parts for new missiles, they'd probably rather have me stay where I am, since I'm already supporting the military.
Actually, a number of people have used the "I'm gay/bi" thing to escape contractual obligations -- in particular, I believe seven people who were Arabic linguists trained by the Defense Language Institute left the service by allowing cow-orkers to find out about their orientation, thus escaping three-year requirements to stay in the service. This despite a shortage of Arabic-speaking linguists in the services.
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no subject
Date: 2004-12-09 10:09 am (UTC)Ok, so it's a stupid thing to worry about.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-09 11:15 am (UTC)Continued discrimination against G/L/B folk was something the military could afford in the 80s and 90s in the face of increasing tolerance of such people in the civilian world because (1) we had an all-volunteer force and (2) the military had a decreasing need for manpower. The military will find that they can't afford that kind of discrimination anymore if our misadventure in Iraq drags on to the point where they feel they need any kind of draft.
This is particularly true for a skills-based draft centered on those with computer experience. The DoD knows damned well that a nontrivial percentage of the most skilled IT professionals out there are non-heterosexual, and that closing off that pool of talent would be like shooting themselves in the foot.
[1]To be read in the appropriate Arlo Guthrie tone of voice....
no subject
Date: 2004-12-09 11:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-09 11:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-09 03:55 pm (UTC)It's an incredibly dumb policy.