ASOC 220 Albany State University Introduction to Social Research Paper Need answer the question.This answer need you know how to use Rstudio.Thank you very much! Running head: SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN THE MILITARY
Sexual Orientation in the Military
Britnee Gaulden
Central Michigan University
MSA 698 Directed Administrative Portfolio
Dr. Steven Englehart
15 February 2020
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SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN THE MILITARY
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Table of Contents
Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3
Laws Passed by the US Concerning LGBT in Military ………………………………………………………… 4
Dont Ask Dont Tell …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4
American Psychological Association (APA) on Sexual Orientation …………………………………… 4
Equality Act of 2010 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 5
Ethical Issues on Sexual Orientation in the Military ……………………………………………………………. 5
Solutions Towards the Problem ………………………………………………………………………………………… 6
Results of the Policies ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7
Improved Mental Health of Militants……………………………………………………………………………… 7
High-Quality Service……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 8
Protection of Other Minority Groups ……………………………………………………………………………… 9
Transgender in the Military ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 10
SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN THE MILITARY
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Introduction
Every organization is obligated with the responsibility of fairness to employees and
provide an enabling environment for everyone to develop a career. Diversity is a crucial issue
when it comes to organizational culture, and it comes with a lot of benefits to all parties
involved. The aspect of sexual orientation introduces a controversial discussion in society and
especially in the workplace. Regulations put in place in most countries, including the US,
emphasizes the need to end discrimination on individuals based on their sexual orientations.
Similar to the cases of gender, race, and religion, sexuality is something affecting many
individuals as everyone is free to choose who to love. The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
(LGBT) communities have fought for their rights over the years to have this regulation
implemented. It is ethically wrong to treat people differently because of their identities according
to the Equality Act of 2010, which the Military had to put into consideration.
The US Military, just like any other institution, is expected to abide by the social laws
governing operations in the workplace. Over the years, regulations put in place showed concern
when it comes to the LGBT people in the military and their rights as US citizens. Performance in
the military depends on individual training, experience, dedication, and the ability to deliver
quality services. Such factors have nothing to do with the sexual orientation of the person, which
made it necessary to abandon the outdated perspectives (Kamarck, 2017). The US constitution
has been under the progress of coming up with laws that include everyone in the military to
reduce social controversies and promote efficiency.
SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN THE MILITARY
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Laws Passed by the U.S. Concerning LGBT in the Military
Most individuals were tired of hiding their identities in the workplace and began to come
clean on these matters. The army was not well receptive to this idea, which meant that other
organizations were on the same page. Different laws have been passed concerning discrimination
in the workplace based on social orientations, which have contributed to the current state of
events in the military.
Dont ask, dont tell
Dont ask, dont tell (DADT) is a law that was officially signed into place by Bill Clinton
in February 1994. Its significant concern was that the LGBT communities represented
controversial positions in the military service, which made it necessary to ban them from openly
claiming their identities. It was okay for individuals to serve in the US Department of Defense,
but remain secret about their sexuality if they were not straight as expected by society (Belkin &
Bateman, 2003). The law allowed discrimination towards homosexuals, bisexuals, and
transgenders as they had to hide their sexuality to keep their jobs. These relationships were
publicly forbidden in any social aspect, including marriage and families, which made it worse for
military people under this group. Although, there were some restrictions preventing superiors
from investigating the orientation of the officers unless they seen some signs, it was still unfair to
these individuals (Belkin & Bateman, 2003).
American Psychological Association (APA) on Sexual Orientation
Following many complaints and quitting the military by members of the LGTB, the APA
Policy on Sexual Orientation in this institution opposed the DADT laws in place. The primary
aim of APA was to establish a safe space for these minority groups by ensuring that they
SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN THE MILITARY
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received equal rights while serving in the military (APA, 2020). The law that was currently in
place had a negative impact on the performance of gay and lesbians in the military as they were
unable to freely display their emotions or even disclose their relationships at the workplace. The
legislation would work towards preventing charges on military personnel when they engaged in
any form of homosexual or bisexual relationships as long as they do not affect the quality of their
service. APA was passed in July 2004 and managed to reduce the kind of issues that LGBT was
facing. The law was unfair to these individuals due to their sexual orientations, and the fight was
to achieve a position whereby every individual would be free to disclose everything about their
relationships and sexuality without discrimination. The military is a crucial department that calls
for people to be themselves for higher performance (APA, 2020).
Equality Act of 2010
The law was passed in 2010 to officially put it into perspective that discrimination based
on sexual orientation was illegal in all places of work. Military was one of the institutions
targeted by this regulation to ensure that the officers could provide quality services due to the
comfortable environment. They were also free to publicly display their love, relationships and
marriages without fear of discrimination or threat to their work. The law also included the
transgender people who fall under this minority group as well.
Ethical Issues on Sexual Orientation in the Military
People spend more than half of their time at work, which makes it a significant part of
their daily routine. Staying in uncomfortable environments is, therefore, emotionally draining
especially if it deals with identity issues. The LGBT group was facing a lot of challenges,
especially those working with the military as they have to endure the work-related problems with
SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN THE MILITARY
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the career as well as other personal issues (Zogby et al., 2007). Many soldiers were forced to
hide their identity to keep a job they are passionate about or that which pays their bills. Some of
them were affected to the extent that they could not perform their responsibilities as effectively
as they should. The laws in place did not consider the ethical factor of diverse inclusion at the
workplace, which meant that individuals were uncomfortable in their jobs.
Ethical dilemmas kept manifesting themselves as statistics state that approximately
12,000 LGBT people got discharged involuntarily from the military since the endorsement of the
DADT act (Herek & Belkin, 2005). These are individuals who had the required training to
protect the country, live their passions, and provide for their families. Their careers were,
however, compromised due to personal orientations that are difficult to change. Other individuals
could not handle the situation any longer and left their jobs for peace of mind and identities. All
these instances are an indication that unethical occurrence at the military affected how different
individuals dealt with their careers and life choices.
Solution Towards the Problem
President Barack Obama signed into law the Equality Act of 2010, which made it
unlawful to discriminate job seekers, trainees, and employees at the place of work due to their
sexual orientation. The regulation applied to all the industries with the military on the first line as
discrimination cases were many in this institution (Kamarck, 2017). It was officiated in congress
and signed to the existence, allowing military members to disclose any information and publicly
show affection to their partners without fear of job loss or summoning. More individuals from
the LGBT accepted their identity and showed improvement both at personal and career
development.
SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN THE MILITARY
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Although, it is already in place, there are still some awkward situations concerned with
the LGBT community in the military that makes it difficult for people to be themselves. There
are judgments from some colleagues about personal preferences that result in uncomfortable
situations. Most of these cases go unaddressed as they do not involve formal or legal procedures.
Some individuals are still unable to disclose their identities due to the fear of the unspoken
judgment and stereotypes. All individuals need to be socially aware and approach all operations
with diversity in mind. Instead of showing some particular concern to homosexuals or bisexuals,
it would make sense to just treat them usually like everyone else (Zogby et al., 2007). Although
the military has attained fair treatment for all, they have a lot of work in their social systems that
leave these individuals uncomfortable.
Results of the Policies
The fight towards equality in the military resulted in a lot of benefits for the institutions
quality delivery. The ethical concerns were addressed in the process, and all parties felt part of
the system with the following accomplishments made.
Improved Mental Health of Militants
The military is already a stressful environment with a lot of factors that interrupt the
emotional and mental health of individuals. It becomes worse when individuals have to hide their
identities due to the elements of sexual identities. The situation was previously difficult for
LGBT people as they had to deal with a lot of unknown factors in the workplace. Allowing them
to display their affection publicly provides a better chance of promoting the mental health of the
involved professionals. Homosexual veterans have reported reduced suicide rates by 4% since
the DADT policy was rebuked from controlling workplace practices (Knickerbocker, 2007).
SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN THE MILITARY
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Their environments are now supportive of their actions and allow for sharing of personal issues
with colleagues, which in the long run, facilitates improved mental health. Depression levels
have significantly reduced for military individuals, and they can now promote enhanced
performance.
High-Quality Service
Comfort and diversity are key factors when it comes to increased quality of performance
in service industries. The military, in particular, requires individuals to be in their right physical,
mental, and emotional health to successfully conduct their duties. The Equality act of 2010
ensured that LGBT individuals could freely express themselves in the military and even receive
promotions. Such allowance resulted in high-quality services from these individuals as they were
in the right positions to give the best. The previous laws were limited to the LGBT communities
to the extent that they affected their efficiency at the workplace (Herek & Belkin, 2005). An
individual hiding his or her identity would have a challenging time trying to perform well as a
military officer.
The new laws concerning diversity in the workplace promoted a better chance for LGBT
individuals to seek jobs in the military. They had no more fears concerning the king of treatment
they will receive at the military due to their sexual orientation. People were able to live their
passions as the institution was more inclusive. The results were not only experienced in the army
but in the community as well. Thanks to the rules passed, society could receive more diverse
services that favored people from all sexuality identifications. Lesbians, trans-genders could
freely protest about their different rights and social institutions. Their unions and relationships
were legal, and they, therefore, had an opportunity to fight for their reasons. The department of
SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN THE MILITARY
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justice found better ways of handling these cases because there is a considerable number of
LGBT officers on full duties.
Protection of Other Minority Groups
It was a tough situation for the rest of minority groups like young officers, people of
color, and women in the army. There were already negative speculations about these groups, and
now they had to suffer more for their sexual orientation. As statistics describe, more than 80% of
the individuals dismissed for the charges of sexuality were young and women (Kamarck, 2017).
The number involved either individual below the age of 25 or females serving in the military. It
was easier to find out about their sexual orientation as these groups find it easier to express
emotions. Despite going through discrimination because of their age and gender, sexuality
became a factor as well. Getting rid of the DADT laws was, therefore, a great way of reducing
the challenges faced by these individuals (Kamarck, 2017).
More young individuals have shown their interest in military activities since the signing
of the Equality Act in 2010. They do not feel intimidated any more as the military is more
inclusive as it was some years back. The act is even more convenient for people who belong to
both the young and LGBT communities as they can enjoy all the opportunities given to
minorities (Knickerbocker, 2007). The talent pool is more diverse today than it was two decades
ago when the situation of sexuality was still a problem for most people. Women are also
increasing in numbers, as there are no discrimination factors in place due to the individuals
identity. Their performance is even more useful with an enabling environment around the
workforce. The number of female senior officers is recommendable and shows the improvement
that has taken place in the department of justice (Knickerbocker, 2007). A noticeable result to the
SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN THE MILITARY
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Equality Act is that it encourages more diversity at the work place and the military is in a better
position of performing with all individuals included in operations.
Transgender in the Military
The primary focus when it comes to sexual orientation is on lesbians and gays but forgets
about transgenders, whose aspect is more physical. Unlike the rest who have different
preferences on sexual intimacy and love, transgender deviates the societal norms put in place at
birth. An individual born a man has feminine traits and decides to change to their preferred
gender. Such occurrences affect their presentation in the military, and that changes the kind of
treatment they receive from other parties (Dietert & Dentice, 2015). The responsibilities tasked
to an individual as a woman might differ from those given to a male counterpart. When they
undergo the transition, it will be challenging to change duties without offending the person and
they end up showing emotional breakdowns after the procedure. Some of these individuals might
also end up making unreasonable demands to meet their needs as individuals which are
inconveniencing to the department or their colleagues. The situation completely becomes
different when the person goes through the trans procedures while still part of the military and all
these introduce the discriminatory aspect that they receive at work.
Although transgender individuals receive equal rights according to the Equality Act, they
still face intimidation in the workplace as it is difficult for other individuals to accept this new
form of life. They end up embarrassed about their situation and might consider avoiding
particular responsibilities. It is essential to provide training and counseling for the people going
through the transgender process while still in the military as they need to accept their identity.
They should understand that other people will react in a certain way, and it is up to themselves to
remain confident in whichever gender they are. The seniors and colleagues also need to treat
SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN THE MILITARY
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these individuals in such a way that they feel part of the team and increase their comfort in the
workplace (Dietert & Dentice, 2015).
Conclusively, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace promotes ethical conduct from
both the organization and the other parties involved. It has been a struggle in the military as
individuals with a different sexual orientation once faced discrimination. They had to hide their
identities according to the DADT policy that prohibited disclosure of sexual orientation for the
LGBT communities. Such perceptions reduced their enrollment to the military, performance and
led to a lot of dismissals. Equality Act of 2010 established the need to treat all equality despite
their identities. The LGBT groups were now free to display their affection in all sectors of the
economy publicly, and that helped improve the law implementation in the military.
SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN THE MILITARY
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References
American Psychological Association (APA). (2020). Sexual Orientation and Military Service
Briefing Sheet. Retrieved on 11th February, 2020 from,
https://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/resources/military-sexual-orientation
Belkin, A., & Bateman, G. (Eds.). (2003). Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: debating the gay ban in the
military. Lynne Rienner Publishers.
Dietert, M., & Dentice, D. (2015). The transgender military experience: Their battle for
workplace rights. SAGE Open, 5(2), 2158244015584231.
Herek, G.M., & Belkin, A. (2005). Sexual orientation and military service: Prospects for
organizational and individual change in the United States. In T.W. Britt, A.B. Adler, &
C.A. Castro (Eds.), Military life: The psychology of serving in peace and combat (pp.
119-142). Westport: Praeger.
Kamarck, K. N. (2017). Diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity in the armed services:
background and issues for congress.
Knickerbocker, B. (2007, December 4). U.S. Military more open to Gays serving openly.
Retrieved on 11th Feb, 2020 from http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1204/p03s01usmi.html?page=1.
Zogby, J., Bruce, J., Wittman, R., & Rodgers, S. (2006). Opinions of military personnel on
sexual minorities in the military. Zogby International, retrieved 11th Feb, 2020
from http://www.palmcenter.org/publications/dadt/dont_ask_dont_tell_isnt_working_sur
vey_reveals_shift_in_military_attitudes
Running Head: UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT OF TIME VALUE OF MONEY (TVM)
UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT OF TIME VALUE OF MONEY (TVM)
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