Thoughts On Don't Ask Don't Tell?

[Fly Rod]

Originally Posted by scottw

...I'm trying to understand exactly how, in combat, would someone's sexual orientation affect their job or ability to do their job,

Lets use the case of Ted Rubin a Medal of Honor recipient.(not gay)

His sargent was anti- Semite, Rubin is Jewish, he was a holocaust survivor, joined the U S military and fought in Korea. The sargent hated Jews and always gave Rubin dangeous asignments hoping he would be killed. The company was ordered to retreat and the sargent ordered only Rubin to stay behind and hold off the enemy, Rubin held off hundreds of the enemy and was finally wounded and taken prisoner.
Rubin was repeatedly nominated for various medals and awards, but was overlooked because of anti-Semitism by a superior: according to the Washington Post, "in affidavits filed in support of Rubin's nomination, fellow soldiers said their sergeant was an anti-Semite who gave Rubin dangerous assignments in hopes of getting him killed."

Ted Rubin was finally given the Medal of Honor in 2005


My point is that a anti-gay superior can put a gay military person in harms way.