When it comes to issues like “don’t ask, don’t tell,” part of the problem is missing context. As Robert Knight notes, the moral case against homosexuality is part of a broader sexual ethic. But upholding that traditional sexual morality implicates the behavior of a lot of heterosexuals, so it is easier to single out homosexuals. By singling out gays, however, it offends a lot of people’s sense of fairness.
Consider don’t ask, don’t tell. I believe the strongest argument against allowing homosexuals to serve in the military is it is simply a bad idea to introduce sexual tension into the armed forces (John Guardiano goes through some of the reasons why this is a bad idea). But we already let women serve, though we don’t yet let them bunk with men. The ban on gays in the military makes sense as part of a broader effort to uphold a martial culture. But if that culture is already being undermined, is there still value in singling gays out?
