Danger Lines

Dan Crewe, a retired military officer in Maine, calls for repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in this op-ed in Sunday's Maine Sunday Telegram. This is what he had to say about serving under the military's gay ban:

During the nearly 20 years I served in the armed forces, however, I was always aware of a different kind of danger line. I am a gay man, and each day I faced the possibility of being discharged simply because of who I am...

One revelation about my sexual orientation, however, would have made all those years irrelevant. In an instant, my dedication to our country would have taken a back seat to my sexual orientation.

That's not right, and it is time our armed forces welcome lesbian and gay Americans, rather than turn them away at the door. It is time to repeal the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ban on lesbian, gay and bisexual patriots.

-Rebecca Sawyer