Ask and tell: Senior unfairly discharged from ROTC; UNC should take a stand against discriminatory Army policy

The antiquated “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” policy that prohibits openly gay individuals from serving in the U.S. military has reached an all-time low. Now it has extended its deleterious effects to the University.

Senior Sara Isaacson identified herself as a lesbian to the Army ROTC earlier this semester. The response that followed was nothing short of egregious.

Isaacson was kicked out of the ROTC program and asked to pay the nearly $80,000 she received in scholarship money for the four years she has been at the University. All this because she came out as a lesbian.

Defenders of the “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” policy say it allows gays and lesbians to serve in the military as long as they are not open about their sexual orientation.

This guise of “neutrality” is nothing more than a superficial façade that serves to cover the blatant discrimination that this policy espouses.

If the Army ROTC does not make amends for its actions, then the University itself must step in. While the real issue is the policy, UNC can at least do something in the short term.

There is no reason why this student should have to give back this exorbitant amount of money simply because she is lesbian.

If the ROTC does not repeal its decision to force Isaacson to pay back the debt, then the University should pay it for her.

A stand needs to be made against this awful policy, and there is no better time than now.

More than 50 students from universities across the state gathered Friday in Washington, D.C. to protest the abhorrent policy.

The University needs to take a stand against the Army’s action and reassert its opposition to discriminatory policies.