What I find so disturbing about "don’t ask, don’t tell" is that it is not applied equally. We expect gays and lesbians to not in any way reveal their orientation, and yet heterosexuals aren’t held to the same standard. Heterosexuals can put up pictures of their partners. They can talk about "hooking up."

Stop it. One standard: Either everybody can discuss their love life or nobody can.

Enough of this whole "survey the force." It’s an order: Either follow it or don’t. Either repeal the law or don’t. Integration of blacks and women wasn’t talked about this much. Why is this any different?

If "don’t ask, don’t tell" is repealed, what happens with bisexual or transgender people?

No one is saying that integration is easy, but the fact is that gays and lesbians are already serving and they’re still having sex. If you’re attractive, they’re still checking you out in the showers, whether you know it or not. Integration 2.0 is simply going to force the military to do the things it’s been saying it’s going to do for years: 1+1 living arrangements, even deployed; private showers. These things are going to have cascading benefits too numerous to name.

I’ve been a soldier for 13 years, and I respect leaders who can make a decision and see it executed. It’s time to make the decision and execute already.

And for those who can’t take it: Thank you for your service. There’s the door. The military isn’t right for everybody. It sure isn’t right for bigots.

By the way: Your right to your religion ends when it impinges upon mine. Hang up the cross and mind your own house already.

Sgt. Joshua DeryCamp Arifjan, Kuwait

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