One More Reason To End DADT....As If We Needed One

Edie Disler, a former Air Force Academy instructor, announced last week that she was disciplined and barred from teaching after inviting three gay academy graduates to speak to one of her classes about Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Disler was given a "letter of counseling" stating she should have gotten her department head's approval beforehand, although there was no such requirement in place at the time. Edie Disler believe the actual message being sent is that no one in uniform should be discussing this topic.

Censorship. Alive and well in the good old US of A.

Still, academy spokesman John Van Winkle said the policy to get approval was in place at the time Disler invited the graduates and that Disler was disciplined for not following that rule. He also pointed out that the Air Force Academy regularly invites speakers on controversial topics.

"We don't shy away from controversial topics or speakers, but we are going to make sure individuals who are coming in are coming in for the right reason at the right time," he said.

Of course, this begs the question: who decided what is the right reason at the right time?

Edie Disler retired from the Air Force in June, although she said her retirement was planned before this issue came up last November.

It was back then that Disler invited the three people, members of the Blue Alliance, an organization of gay and lesbian academy graduates, to speak to her class on the subject of "Language, Literature and Leadership." She had checked with another lieutenant colonel who designed the course, and that officer approved the appearance.

But Van Winkle said it was also Disler's responsibility to check with the department head. He said the school began an investigation after some cadets in the class complained, and that Disler was removed from the classroom during the probe.

The semester ended before the investigation was complete and Disler was not scheduled to teach the next semester because of her impending retirement.

And Edie Disler agrees that the order to stay out of the classroom was routine for those being investigated, but believes the investigation itself was an unusually harsh reaction. "My guess was part of them deciding to do an investigation was to get me pulled from the classroom. It is in effect punitive."

The letter of counseling she received was a form of lo-level discipline, though it was unusual for an officer of her rank and experience. The letter, signed by Brigadier General Dana Born, the academy's faculty dean, said the appearance by the Blue Alliance members "complied with the course objectives and the standards of classroom activities."

However, it also stated Disler "failed to meet the standards of professional conduct" by not getting approval and Disler was personally criticized for "not recognizing that negative publicity could follow" the appearance and for creating a perception that the academy had taken a position that contradicted the official DADT.

So, I guess that you can't be openly gay in the military and you can't fraternize with openly gay military members, nor can you have a discussion regarding being gay in the military.

The march goes on.