You’re gay, and that’s okay.

The notion of discharging someone from the army simply because they decided to finally come out of the closet is ridiculous. If we are to be the land of equal opportunity, we should allow openly gay and lesbian citizens to join the military.

Since the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT), America has taken a huge stride away from being a nation full of prejudice.

Of course, many argue that the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy protected gays and lesbians from a forced disclosure or an invasive investigation of their sexual orientation, but more importantly, the policy banned them from the military service.

Who has the power to determine who can and cannot serve their country? We’re talking about patriotic and faithful Americans who want nothing more than to offer their service to protect what they love.  According to “The Boston Globe,” more than 13,000 troops have been sent home since 1993 for this trivial reason.

To the ultra-conservative, old-fashioned folks who are biting their nails from thinking about what damage may be done to our military from the repeal of this blatantly discriminatory policy, I’ve got a fact that may surprise you.

There is really no harm done to a person when they’re serving alongside openly gay or lesbian men and women.  Go ahead, do a Google search for “statistics on those murdered by gays.”  I’m certain that being gay does not heighten your chances of having violent tendencies or being inclined to evil, unspeakable acts, which seems to be the popular take on homosexuality nowadays.

Bottom line: Get over it!  Some people are born attracted to the same sex.  Many people fear what they perceive to be as “different.”  Hundreds of years ago, we feared those of different skin colors and stripped them of their rights until people learned that they were just like anyone else.  It’s essentially the same concept, which is why the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was needed.

If you were gay, I’d love you anyway.  And so should the U.S.A.