Daily Caller Op-Ed Links Military Rape To Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal

[DonViejo]

By CAITLIN MACNEAL Published AUGUST 28, 2014, 12:34 PM EDT

The Daily Caller on Wednesday published an op-ed in which the author blamed gay men in the military for the uptick in reported sexual assaults.

"Military Sexual Trauma (MST) is on the rise for both men and women, according to a Pentagon report earlier this year that was widely covered in news outlets such as the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Associated Press, Reuters, and CNN," David Benkof wrote. "But virtually none of that coverage addressed an obvious aspect of the problem: the 2011 introduction of open service by gays and bisexuals undoubtedly has increased the incidence of sexual assault against men in uniform."

Benkof argues that sexual assaults on men in the military started to rise after the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell in 2011, even though he notes that many experts don't attribute the rise to gay service members. "Astonishingly, many experts interviewed in articles on this topic, as well as gay community leaders, argue that the rapists involved are usually heterosexual," he wrote.

As Media Matters noted, researchers have not found evidence that allowing openly gay individuals to serve in the military has led to an increase in sexual assaults. And some argue that the DADT policy discouraged people from reporting incidents of male-on-male rape for fear of being discharged.

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http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/daily-caller-military-sexual-assault-gays

[PDJane]

1. I assume there's some logic in there somewhere........

Don't know where, but somewhere.

[Thinkingabout]

2. Perhaps it should read more assaults has been reported, may not be an increase in assaults.

There has been more awareness at the same time DADT started and more openness resulted in more reports. It did not always end with proper results for the one reporting and the abuser got off Scott free.

[shedevil69taz]

3. There is no PERHAPS about it

Just a few years ago it was estimated only 20% of sexual violence in the military was ever reported to anyone. I am a Victim Advocate (VA) for my unit, so I am in daily contact with people employed by the Army now who's ONLY job is to track reports. We estimate we are still seeing only 35% of MST being reported...its not that the number of assaults are going up, but we have systems in place now where more people will actually come forward, if for no other reason than to get help for themselves.

[Thinkingabout]

4. Do you see any relationship between the number of assaults going up and DADT?

I am thinking reporting increase may have occurred at the same time but resulting from DADT.

Thanks for your service as a VA, I am sure you are appreciated by the victims.

[shedevil69taz]

5. We don't track the proclaimed sexual orientation of our victims

So it would be very hard to make any such connection.

To me anyone trying to make it are the ones that were jumping up and down because GASP gays might be allowed to be happy while serving in the military!

Has there been any assaulted BECAUSE they have come out as homosexual? Probably but I can't say for certain, just because we are in the military doesn't make us any better people...we are really just a microcosm of society as a whole.

[Thinkingabout]

6. I did not read the post as relationship to sexual orientation. I think the reporting aspect is more

Of this issue having light shining on it. DADT also seems to be a stepping stone to acceptance of changes in homophobic attitudes. Changes are good.

[haele]

7. When will these sex-role authoritarians realize rape is not about sex, but abuse of power...

When I was in the military, I was always aware of incidents of "horseplay gone too far" in the purportedly all straight male berthing compartments - where straight guys would rape other straight guys, either directly or with objects where ever I was stationed. But back then, it was just "horseplay" or the few times such a situation would end up under NJP - as in, ending up sending the victim to the hospital for surgery - there was always the excuse that the assault was just "barracks punishment" for someone who wasn't fitting in and going along with the system.
It was always "an accident". Or the victim was a slacker or troublemaker. "If anyone was gay, it was the f** we had to show who was boss..." (Yes, that was the excuse at one captian's mast that I heard about)

They never called it bullying or rape, unless the leader of the assault pissed someone off who was above him in rank and power.
And it happened everywhere - from Coast Guard to Marines or Air force, from reserve or Guard units to deployed units, from boot-camp to West Point to the Naval Post-Graduate School.
It happened whenever there was 1) a group of people stuck together in close living and working quarters for any significant length of time, 2) a "pecking order" within that group, and 3) the leadership within that group turned a blind eye to bullies.

Nothing whatsoever to do with sex. Or gender (women in the military raped women, too...). Rape in the military was always about establishing dominance and/or punishment for differences or perceived disrespect.

Haele