Six American military members have been outed thus far this year, after officials were led to Internet personals which included information that violated the military’s controversial “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy regarding homosexuality, the watchdog group Servicemembers Legal Defense Network has reported.
The SLDN says the six were exposed by people who know them, possibly angry former lovers or embittered roommates turning to online outing as a way to get even, which the group thinks is abusing a policy that is already abusive.
In fact, SLDN and PlanetOut are collaborating now to deal with the issue, which SLDN says has resulted in at least one military discharge a month thus far this year. The collaboration includes PlanetOut and Gay.com posting information to gay, lesbian, and bisexual military members who want to connect to friends, family, and loved ones safely, without running afoul of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
“For lesbians and gays in the U.S. armed forces – who serve courageously around the world but are not allowed under ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ to be honest about who they are – our communications channels are even more vital,” said PlanetOut senior vice president Jeff Titterton, announcing the collaboration. “With the lives and careers of these courageous men and women at stake, we are proud to provide these guidelines and other resources for service members that we hope will allow them to communicate through our Websites without putting themselves at risk for entrapment or harassment.”
“SLDN is proud to work with PlanetOut.com and Gay.com to make service members aware of what they should know when they log on,” said Sharra E. Greer, director of law and policy for SLDN. “Many service personnel do not realize the risk they take when using the Internet. These guidelines are an important tool in helping service members protect their careers.”
A typical case of such an outing involved a 28-year-old Marine known as James, who spoke to Gay.com on condition that his real name was not used. He was outed earlier in 2004 by someone known to him, with his Web profile used against him to reveal his sexual orientation, and he now awaits discharge from the military after having been stripped of his leadership responsibilities in the U.S.-Iraq War.
“It really makes you feel like you did something wrong,” said James, who has since lined up a new job and is prepared to move on, though he also said he would be a Marine for life in his heart, as many Marines feel. “They make you feel like you’ve let the Marines and the country down.”
