What was “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and why did it face a lot of backlash from the LGBTQ+ community?
In: 920
So, I grew up in a very conservative house/area, and I’ll give a little of the counter perspective.
(My views are now very different).
Conservatives *hated* DADA. It was “social experiments with the military”, “extreme pro-homosexual agenda”, etc.
In reality, it was a compromise and pro-gay groups are right now to call it out as not enough, but at the time it was a huge step forward.
It went from “this person is evil at their core and unfit to be an American” to “this person is fit to be an American, but only if they outwardly conform.” That’s still bad, but it makes people who are on the far side have to confront and alter their worldviews.
Also, exposure is one of the best weapons against prejudice. I don’t know what my views would be today if I hadn’t met and become good friends with gay people at my job.
Was DADA enough? No. Was it a huge step in the right direction that doesn’t get enough credit today? Also yes, imo.
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