# They've suspended Don't Ask Don't Tell. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 19, 2001, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-suspended-dont-ask-dont-tell/82695 "2001-09-19T23:21:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-suspended-dont-ask-dont-tell/82695/21 "2001-09-20T17:13:35Z")
hey wait a minute > [@](#): > > The Sa…said today that DoD has suspended … Don’t Ask Don’t Tell in this time of war. It was done before the Gulf War in **1991** as well. Wasn’t ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ a Clinton slogan? Clinton was not in the office or president in 1991. Am I missing something? ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-suspended-dont-ask-dont-tell/82695/22 "2001-09-20T17:26:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by matt\_mcl \* > \*\*Operation Get Behind the Homos. \*\* Oh, you’d LIKE that, wouldn’t you? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-suspended-dont-ask-dont-tell/82695/23 "2001-09-20T17:34:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \* > **1. Man claimed to be gay at an induction center. He was told he would need a marriage license to another man for that to get him off.** Would you care to rephrase that, RealityChuck? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![magdalene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@magdalene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magdalene)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-suspended-dont-ask-dont-tell/82695/24 "2001-09-20T17:35:51Z")
The logic is so bizarre to me… Peacetime “We can’t have openly gay people in the military, because it will, um…yeah…it will affect unit cohesion! That’s right! In tense dangerous times, on a warship or plane, you’ve got to be able to um…yeah…be cohesive as a unit!” Vs. Wartime “Okay, people, we’re entering the most tense and dangerous time ever, so step up openly gay people and serve and risk your lives for your country! We’ll probably fire you afterward though. Gotta make sure those wartime units stay cohesive.” :rolleyes: I’m so encouraged to see the posts of the military folks in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-suspended-dont-ask-dont-tell/82695/25 "2001-09-20T17:40:58Z")
“We don’t want you, we just need you. You’re useless to us, except as cannon fodder. You’d ruin any fighting unit, but we’re going to use you in fighting units.” :rolleyes: And “military intelligence” once again retains the title of quintessential oxymoron. Esprix ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Lao](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Dr.Lao](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Lao)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-suspended-dont-ask-dont-tell/82695/26 "2001-09-20T17:57:08Z")
Whoops, looks like I missed the point. But, isn’t this a good thing? It certainly strengthens the argument that gays can serve openly in military units without being detrimental to morale, right? It is definitely hypocritical, but I guess I have faith that with good, rational people around hypocricy doesn’t last forever. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-suspended-dont-ask-dont-tell/82695/27 "2001-09-20T17:59:43Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by MysterEcks The militia is legally defined by [10 USC ¤311](http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/10/311.html), and boils down to all male citizens between 17 and 45 plus members of the National Guard of any age and either gender_ but… but… hey! Nobody ever tole ME this! I’ve been in a militia this whole time? Dang! I missed muster. Where’s my rifle? Oh, I’m supposed to buy one myself? Rats. I’ll get right to it. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2001, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-suspended-dont-ask-dont-tell/82695/28 "2001-09-22T20:21:40Z")
As reported in Fenceberry gay news digest: > [@](#): > > CONTRARY TO PRESS REPORTS, PENTAGON HAS NOT REPEALED OR SUSPENDED ‘DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL, DON’T PURSUE, DON’T HARASS’ > Washington, DC - Contrary to recent headlines, neither President Bush nor Pentagon leaders have repealed or suspended ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Pursue, Don’t Harass.’ > What has happened is this: President Bush issued Executive Order 13223 on September 14, 2001 authorizing, but not ordering, the Secretary of Defense to consider issuing a stop-loss order in each Service. The Service Secretaries will make that decision in the next two to four weeks. A stop-loss order may or may not include suspension of gay discharges. > C. Dixon Osburn, Executive Director of Service Members Legal Defense Network (SLDN), stated that "service members should continue to operate with the understanding that ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ remains in effect. The gay ban has not been lifted. > . Contact: Steve Ralls; 202-238-3244, ext. 116; [sralls@sldn.org](mailto:sralls@sldn.org) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2001, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-suspended-dont-ask-dont-tell/82695/29 "2001-09-22T21:00:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by k2dave \* > \*\*hey wait a minute > > > [@](#): > > > > The Sa…said today that DoD has suspended … Don’t Ask Don’t Tell in this time of war. It was done before the Gulf War in **1991** as well. > > Wasn’t ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ a Clinton slogan? Clinton was not in the office or president in 1991. Am I missing something? \*\* I think that the SF Gate article was saying that the Pentagon could decide not to allow **any** discharges, which would include discharges for breach of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” as well as for other reasons, like hardship and so on. Bush père appears to have issued a similar order suspending discharges during the Gulf War, which obviously wouldn’t have included the “Don’t Ask” reason for a discharge. > [@](#): > > In the aftermath of last week’s terrorist attacks, the Pentagon has issued an order suspending discharges – including those of service members who disclose their homosexuality – a spokesman for the Department of Defense said yesterday. > … > It’s the second time in recent history that a stop-loss order has been issued. The last time was during the Persian Gulf War under President George Bush. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2001, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-suspended-dont-ask-dont-tell/82695/30 "2001-09-22T23:07:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hajario \* > IIRC, the Soldier of the Year in 1991, a Gulf War hero, came out the next year. Since he “told” he was kicked out of the service. How fucking idiotic was that? Soldier of the Year in 1993, actually. He came out at a Pride march in San Francisco six weeks after receiving the award. [Here](http://www.rice.edu/projects/thresher/issues/83/951006/News/Story03.html) is some information about him. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyve-suspended-dont-ask-dont-tell/82695.md?page=1)