Sound Off

Aisha and Danielle Moodie-Mills explain how the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy affects Black women soldiers whether they're gay or straight.

Defense

Black women have taken up arms alongside their male counterparts for decades, dedicating their lives to defending our freedoms even at the expense of their own. Today, however, our sisters in the military are under attack, not just from ominous enemies abroad but by discriminatory practices at home that put them in harm’s way and lead to career-ending discharges.

The military’s "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" (DADT) policy, which bans gays and lesbians from serving openly, threatens all servicewomen regardless of their sexual orientation. But Black women are bearing the brunt. Pentagon data shows that DADT has been used to kick Black women out of the military at a much higher rate than any other group.