Don't Ask -

Don’t Ask –

J.D. Oriani

(9.20.11)

Don’t ask about the nobility of service,

            Despite being treated like a second-class citizen.

Don’t ask why I am FREE to serve, fight, and die for you,

            But I must lie about who I am.

Don’t ask how I can be FREE to dedicate my heart & soul to your children’s defense,

            But if my wife and I adopt, it is a crime for which I will lose my career.

Don’t ask why I am FREE to spend months and years of my life away from the ones I love, fighting our Nation’s wars,

      But if I wear my husband’s ring, you will swiftly ask me to remove the uniform I am so proud of.

Don’t ask me to remember not so very long ago, when there were others who fought for the honor to fight for your FREEDOM’S flag,

      But they too were made to feel less than human for their efforts.

Don’t ask why yesterday’s man of color or proud American female would suffer such abuse voluntarily,

      Nay by the hand of a heartless enemy, but by his own superiors, or her own countrymen.

Don’t ask me why I serve,

      I won’t tell you about the lies!

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September 20, 2011 marks the official appeal of the Clinton-era “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy for members of America’s Armed Forces. Under this oppressive law, thousands of proud men & women have faithfully served, sacrificed, and even died for our FREEDOM—they also happen to be lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and trans-gender (LGBT) in sexual orientation. 

They were FREE to die protecting our American Dream, but were not free to raise a family, buy a home together, or gently hold each other’s hand on the way into the emergency, heaven forbid.

Today marks an important step towards true EQUALITY among our defenders of FREEDOM—but we still have a long way to go as a nation!