In the summer of 2002, nine linguists were discharged from the military for being gay. Six of these linguists were being trained to speak Arabic. In response, a group of gay and lesbian active duty service members formed the GLSME. There has been much debate on the effects of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," on the US Military, but those directly affected by the law are forced to remain silent. Since its inception, the GLSME has consistently provided a voice for active duty gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender service members.
Throughout its short lifetime, the GLSME has written a letter to Congress, stating that if the draft were re-enacted that DADT would have to be scrapped. This position is supported by DADT's author, Charles Moskos. The GLSME has also contributed to a study on privacy in the military by Harvard University. We have also provided information and stories of our personal experiences to countless reporters and studies. Veterans of the GLSME participated in the Call to Duty speaking tour, in which they shared their personal experiences at venues across the nation and put a face on the "gays in the military" issue.
Recently the GLSME has switched focus. Now our mission is to get GLBT service members, their partners, and allies connected and informed. It is not easy to be both gay and in the military, and the GLSME is designed to reduce some of that strain by allowing members to anonymously communicate and build a community.
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Patrick English is the current Director of the GLSME. He served in the US Army from 2000-2005 as a Korean Linguist. His service includes yearlong tours in Korea and Iraq. Shortly after graduation from the Defense Language Institute, several linguists were discharged under DADT. Many of these service members were personal friends of English, and so he joined and helped run the GLSME. During his time in the military, English was out to many of his peers without an issue. This prompted him to speak out against the rationale that an openly gay service member will hinder unit cohesion, morale and readiness. He has spoken on the Call to Duty Tour, and to many reporters on the issue. He currently lives in Washington state and continues efforts to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." |
