Posts Tagged ‘Shima Houshyar’

• 2007-08 Selected Essays

  Date: 2009.04.18 | Category: News, Selected Essays | Response: 0

  The editorial committee of e.g., UW’s online journal of 100-level writing, is pleased to announce the winning essays for 2007-08:

  Technology’s Priceless Value in Education
  Alize Bhojani, Devon Chandler-Brown, Danielle File, and Karlyn Kurokawa

  Picture Frame: An ENGL 121 e-Portfolio (Original e-Portfolio)
  Ainsley Bourque

  Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: Inquiry and Report of a Controversy
  Shima Houshyar

• 2007-08 Winner: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: Inquiry and Report of a Controversy” by Shima Houshyar

  Date: 2009.04.17 | Category: Selected Essays | Response: 0

  On October 27, 1992 Petty Officer Allen R. Schindler was brutally murdered in Japan by his shipmates in an anti-gay hate crime. This event, and many other cases of harassment of homosexuals within the military were brought to the attention of the House and Senate Armed Services Committee. The Committee held hearings to change regulations regarding allowing gays and lesbians to serve in the military. On November 30, 1993 President Bill Clinton signed the anti-gay bill, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Pursue” into law. This policy prohibits investigation of servicemembers by the military for the sole purpose of finding out their sexual orientation and it also bans servicemembers from revealing their own or inquiring about others’ sexual orientation. Those whose sexual identity is revealed or discovered can be discharged on the mere basis of being gay, lesbian or bisexual. For fifteen years since the signing of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” into law, countless organizations have conducted research, investigations and polls to ascertain the morality and benefit of this controversial law. Based on information from these polls and research studies, it is long past time to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” for three main reasons: it is a discriminatory law, not supported by civilian and military opinion, that forces gay, lesbian, and bisexual people to hide their identities; the ban is detrimental to the military’s reputation and our national security by drawing a plethora of anti-military sentiments from all across the nation; and finally, the gay ban is hurting the military financially and unnecessarily costing the taxpayers millions of dollars.

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