LESSON PLAN: On 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell': Debating a Proposed Repeal
On ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’: Debating a Proposed Repeal
By SARAH KAVANAGH AND HOLLY EPSTEIN OJALVO
Stephen Crowley/The New York Times
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, testified before a Senate panel.
Overview | Should gays and lesbians be allowed to serve openly in the military? What issues are at stake in this issue? In this lesson, students consider the law and the arguments for and against repealing it, then engage in a “structured academic controversy” about whether or not the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy should be repealed.
Materials | Handouts, student journals, research resources
Warm-up | Note: As this lesson focuses on a sensitive topic, you may wish to spend a few minutes establishing guidelines for a respectful and open dialogue in the classroom with students. The Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN) has helpful tips for teachers preparing to raise issues related to gays....
Begin by asking students whether they have heard the term “don’t ask, don’t tell,” what they think it refers to, and whether they have heard anything about it in the news recently. If needed, explain that it is a shorthand term referring to a U.S. law designed to prevent gays and lesbians from openly serving in the armed forces, and that a repeal of the law is seriously being considered by top military leaders and lawmakers.
Provide students with the following excerpts from the current “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Have them read the text and respond to the following prompt in their journals: “The text you have in front of you is current U.S. law, now under review by the U.S. government. Some are arguing for this law to be repealed, others believe it should stay on the books. After reading the text of the law, do you believe that this law should be repealed? Why or why not?”
The presence in the armed forces of persons who demonstrate a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability. […]
A member of the armed forces shall be separated from the armed forces under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense if one or more of the following findings is made and approved in accordance with procedures set forth in such regulations:
(1) That the member has engaged in, attempted to engage in, or solicited another to engage in a homosexual act or acts. […]
(2) That the member has stated that he or she is a homosexual or bisexual, or words to that effect. […]
(3) That the member has married or attempted to marry a person known to be of the same biological sex.
Full text of the code can be found here.
After students have written their responses in their journals, invite volunteers to share their thoughts with the class.
An alternative Warm-Up can be found in this Learning Network lesson plan about race, which asks students to think about what it would be like to hide an aspect of their identity in order to gain admittance into an institution or group. If you choose to use this warm-up, it can be easily adapted to fit the topic of gays, lesbians and bisexuals in the military.
Related | The article “Top Defense Officials Seek an End to ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’” covers the recent debates in the Senate Armed Services Committee over the policy:
Check out the full lesson here.Views: 5
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