Although some military officials claim the Dec. 22 repeal of the federal government's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy may affect recruitment and morale, the University Reserve Officers' Training Corps maintains that their relationships with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer communities on Grounds have been unaffected by the change. The repeal ended a seventeen-year period during which gay and lesbian American soldiers were prohibited from serving openly in the Armed Forces.
The ROTC program at the University is not anticipating any impact from the repeal of the policy, said Lt. Colonel Timothy P. Leroux, a military science professor at the University.
"We're receptive to anyone who wants to be an officer as long as they meet the program requirements and the requirements laid down by federal law," Leroux said.
Similarly, Cornell University, one of the only Ivy League schools which allows ROTC activity on campus, also maintains that the repeal of DADT has not affected their relationship with the LGBTQ community.
"There is no difference between the relationship that we have with the LGBT [community] and any other community at Cornell," said Lt. Colonel Stephen Alexander, head of the Cornell Army ROTC program.
Alexander emphasized that the ROTC program at Cornell has no plan to specifically reach out to the LGBTQ community. He added that he will aim to develop this relationship only if the ROTC goals of "leadership and team building for small units and organizations" align with the goals of the Cornell LGBTQ community.
The repeal also has led other Ivy League schools, including Brown University, to reconsider their ban on ROTC programs.
"The repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' is stimulating additional conversation about ROTC on the Brown campus," Brown spokesperson Sarah Kidwell said in an e-mail. Brown plans to form a committee charged with deciding how to respond to the changed policy, Kidwell said.
Members of the LGBT community on Grounds hope that the recent debate will expedite LGBT youth empowerment within the military. Seth Kaye, President of Queer and Allied Activism, said the group "may consider reaching out to have some kind of forum if the repeal certification process does not go smoothly," At the very least, the repeal of DADT has inspired optimism within the LGBT community.
"The benefits will be for those soldiers that don't have to live in fear trapped in the closet and those young LGBTQ kids still struggling to figure out their identities that realize they can succeed in life," Kaye said.
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