A Response to "RD"

The question posed by FF contributor RD, while relating his experiences as a gay officer at war — "Why should I put my life at risk to defend the freedom of Americans who think so little of me and my relationships?" — profoundly disturbs me.

To get a few things out of the way at the outset: I'm gay, I support same-sex marriage, and I want “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” repealed.

“Don't Ask, Don't Tell” is a terrible inconvenience. It is based on a fundamental misunderstanding about homosexuality, and it is an incredible insult to the integrity of our soldiers, thinking them such fragile little beings that being in the presence of a gay person would destroy "unit cohesion." The question posed by FF contributor RD, though, at the end of his article -- "Why should I put my life at risk to defend the freedom of Americans who think so little of me and my relationships that they would take rights away from me?" -- profoundly disturbs me.

First of all, even if we accept the idea that the freedoms of such people are not worth being fought for, there still remains a very large minority of people who do indeed support civil equality for gay people. Surely their sentiments are not to be ignored, or spat upon.

More importantly, though: one should first and foremost be fighting for one's own freedom. 9/11 was not just an attack on straight America after all. I cannot imagine needing the validation of the majority of the citizenry before heading off to defend my liberties. Those rights have nothing to do with one's sexual orientation -- our rights to speech, freedom of association, religious liberty, and due process are universal and are worth fighting for, gay or straight, ignorant or enlightened. These rights would still be worth defending even if the entire citizenry hated gay people.

My message to RD would be: empower yourself. Use philosophy. Fight for your rights. It is your liberties -- and your sense of self -- that justify your work.