by liberal japonicus
An interesting piece about the various frames in the decision to shelve the military's DADT policy.
https://inkstickmedia.com/transcending-a-readiness-frame-for-lgbtq-rights-in-the-military/
Driving the repeal forward with a readiness frame was a huge success. The day the repeal was implemented there was an enormous lifting of weight off the shoulders of LGB military personnel. However, downplaying the justice frame also came with costs. Perhaps the greatest cost was that it left transgender service members behind. Widely held misconceptions about transgender medical treatment and its impact on their readiness made the issue easy to sideline. There were also other less visible costs.Framing the repeal as an issue of readiness rather than justice provided DoD leadership with a ready made justification for withholding resources that could have been used to support LGB service members through a difficult transition. Sensitive to the perception that LGB military personnel would be afforded “special treatment,” the committee tasked with studying the possible impacts of the repeal recommended against granting LGB service members access to Equal Opportunity programs. “[W]e do not [sic] recommend,” they wrote “that the Department of Defense place sexual orientation alongside race, color, religion, sex, and national origin as a class eligible for various diversity programs, tracking initiatives, and the Military Equal Opportunity program complaint resolution processes.” The report emphasized the need to treat all military personnel with respect, but prioritized appeasing the homophobic sentiments of a minority who resented the fact that gays would be allowed to serve openly in “their” military over providing appropriate protections against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
Recent Comments