New DADT Instructions Protect Service Members Seeking Medical Help
As reported in Huffington Post recently, an extensive 350-page Army document on suicide prevention examines the many factors that have led to the highest suicide rate in the Army (and the rest of the military) since Vietnam.
Of course, lesbian, gay, and bisexual service members face the same issues as their straight counterparts and need the support of psychotherapists and other medical professionals more than ever.
The good news? It’s now safer for lesbian, gay, and bisexual service members to talk to psychotherapists and medical doctors freely, because information revealed to these medical professionals can no longer be used to investigate or discharge a service member under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Under the new Instructions issued in March of this year, LGB service members can now safely talk to psychotherapists and clergy, in their professional capacities; safely talk to a medical professional in furtherance of medical treatment or a public health official in the course of a public health inquiry; and safely seek professional assistance for domestic or physical abuse. It is important for trans service members to know that they are not protected under these new Instructions.
While lesbian, gay, and bisexual military personnel seeking help from medical professionals now have a little less to fear, DADT hasn’t gone away and service members remain at risk of being fired under this law on the basis of sexual orientation.
08-17-10 By Aaron Tax, SLDN Legal Director |
1 Comments
Comments for this entry are closed.gayinmilitary on August 17, 2010 at 08.40 pm
While the recent modifications to the DADT policy allow for disclosures to medical professionals and clergy, I’m not sure it’s 100% safe for gay and lesbian servicemembers to disclose their sexual orientation in military health facilities. I just spoke to a friend of mine who is a uniformed physician at a military treatment center. Although the DOD policy changed several months ago, there has been no training or updated guidance issued locally at this military treatment center. A good number of the medical staff are completely unaware of the policy change and still under the impression that they are required to report gays and lesbians who disclose their sexual orientation during treatment.
Until the DOD actually follows through and implements their new policy through communication to military treatment facilities and training of medical professionals, servicemembers should probably use caution in disclosing their sexual orientation.