11 Facts About Military Discrimination

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1. In 2011, the US lifted the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which restricted gay, lesbian, and bisexuals from openly serving in the military. For the first time in American history, people of every sexual orientation could serve openly and proudly.^[Keyes, Charley, and Tom Cohen. "End of 'don't ask, don't tell' brings relief, celebration." CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/20/us/dadt-end-reaction/ (accessed August 4, 2014).]
2. Under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” between 1993 and 2011, over 14,000 military men and women were discharged due to their sexual preference. Each discharge cost the US roughly $50,000.^[Glantz, Aaron. "Veterans Battle to Regain ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Losses.” The New York Times, April 30, 2011. Web Accessed November 12, 2014. .]
3. There have been 150,000 people who are transgender who have served in the US armed forces.^[Broadus, Kyle Arielle Schwartz.“Lift the Transgender Military Ban Now.” National LGBTQ Task Force, 2014. Web Accessed November 12, 2014. .]
4. People who are transgender are not issued the same freedom gay, lesbian, and bisexual servicemembers are because of discriminatory medical regulations that label them as mentally unstable.^[The New York Times. "Discrimination in the Military." The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/15/opinion/discrimination-in-the-military.html (accessed August 4, 2014).]
5. In 2010, roughly 19,000 sexual assaults occurred in the military, and a little less than 14% of these were reported by survivors.^["QUICK FACTS APRIL 2012." Service Women’s Action Network. http://servicewomen.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/RSASH-Quick-Facts_April-2012-FINAL.pdf (accessed August 4, 2014).]
6. MST (Military Sexual Trauma) is the leading cause of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) in women, while combat trauma is the leading cause for men.^["QUICK FACTS APRIL 2012." Service Women’s Action Network. http://servicewomen.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/RSASH-Quick-Facts_April-2012-FINAL.pdf (accessed August 4, 2014).]
7. Mental health issues like depression and stress that occur after sexual harassment make veterans highly subject to substance abuse and unemployment.^["QUICK FACTS APRIL 2012." Service Women’s Action Network. http://servicewomen.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/RSASH-Quick-Facts_April-2012-FINAL.pdf (accessed August 4, 2014).]
8. Only 3% of white officers report racial discrimination in the military, compared to 27% of both black and Hispanic officers.^[ABC News Network. "Racial Discrimination: An Army Survey." ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2009/01/racial-relation/ (accessed August 4, 2014).]
9. 22% of white soldiers, 19% of Hispanic soldiers, and 24% of black soldiers report experiencing racial discrimination within their current unit.^[ABC News Network. "Racial Discrimination: An Army Survey." ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2009/01/racial-relation/ (accessed August 4, 2014).]
10. Black people could serve in the military as early as the 18th century, but it wasn’t until 1948 that the troops were racially integrated.^[PBS. "Feature African-Americans In Combat." PBS. http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/african-americans-in-combat/ (accessed August 4, 2014).]
11. Genetic discrimination is banned in most American workplaces, but the military is allowed to discriminate based on congenital or hereditary conditions.^[Los Angeles Times. "U.S. military practices genetic discrimination in denying benefits." Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2007/aug/18/science/sci-genes18 (accessed August 4, 2014).]