The Family Research Council today made the ludicrous claim that repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” will prevent ex-gay activists from converting gay soldiers to heterosexuality.
This legislation would more than open the Armed Forces to homosexuals; it would lead to a zero-tolerance policy toward anyone who disapproves of homosexuality. Will the chaplains’ sermons be censored? Would they have the freedom to counsel soldiers with same-sex attractions? Or would they be disqualified from the service altogether? For more on what this would mean to military quotas, don’t miss Ken Blackwell’s op-ed, “President Obama and Military ‘Corpsemen'” in Townhall.
By framing its false accusations as questions, FRC pollutes the public discourse and sidesteps its obligation to substantiate its allegations. FRC also sidesteps the U.S. Constitution — a document that FRC views with cynical contempt — and its guarantees of freedom of religion.
But even this concern about framing gives FRC far too much credit.
The contention that the armed services are chock-full of well-armed, effeminate ex-gay chaplains like Randy Thomas, just waiting to convert terrified and bullied (but masculine) gay soldiers to ex-gay “heterosexuality,” might be one of the saddest funniest things I’ve ever read from FRC.
Might be. Except, that DADT and its predecessor policy permit violent, mentally disturbed, antigay and ex-gay soldiers to not only serve, but murder their gay comrades. The same policy also preserves a servicewide culture of rape and sexual assault by antigay men against female servicemembers.
FRC silently condones a string of killings and assaults committed under DADT — it has never condemned any of the killings, nor called for punishment of antigay violence and harassment in the services. So when you read the ridiculous, irrational, and patently stupid claims of FRC, please restrain the urge to laugh.
Because murder in defense of stupidity is not something to laugh at.
