How to Debate the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy?

The 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy of the U.S. military dictates that no homosexual or bisexual military officer can reveal details of their sexuality while serving. By that same policy, as long as military officers hide their sexual orientation their superior officers are not allowed to investigate it. This policy has caused some military officers to get discharged from their posts. Debating the don't ask, don't tell policy can often be emotional, but armed with the proper information you can effectively debate.
So what can i do?

Step1Research the history of the policy. Don't ask, don't tell was approved by Bill Clinton despite his promise to allow all military officers to serve openly regardless of their sexual orientation. Knowing the history of the policy will allow you to debate with greater detail and prove your points with facts instead of emotion.
Step2Point out the fact that the rationale for the don't ask don't tell policy was the same given to prevent African-Americans from serving in the military. The rationale was always that it would undermine morale and put soldiers in harm's way. Decades later, African-Americans and Whites have fought side by side in many American wars.
Step3Cite the numbers. The strain on the military is apparent even to a lay person, and that strain would be greatly diminished by allowing soldiers to serve openly in the military. More than 9,000 military officers were discharged from 1994 to 2003 simply because their sexuality had become public.
Step4Consider the issue of patriotism. Denying any man or woman the right to defend their country based on sexual orientation, as the don't ask don't tell policy does, encourages disenfranchisement of minority groups deemed unpopular by an otherwise conservative military. Denying soldiers the right to defend their country and speak of loved ones left behind denies them of their freedom as an American.
Step5Discuss history. In the United States there have always been disenfranchised groups that are prevented from participating in activities that they have right to participate in because they are too Black, too Korean and currently too gay. As years have passed the rationale against Blacks and Koreans has dissipated and proven false and led to a more diverse and efficient military.

Tips & Warnings
Some proponents of don't ask don't tell claim that homosexual soldiers must keep their orientation secret for their own safety. This point should be countered by arguing that those who disagree with homosexuality should then be discharged.

I dont know if that policy is the right policy but I do believe they need something in place. Personally, I dont like homosexuality but I dont mind it either. The fact that you have homosexuals in the military surrounded by myriads of the same sex will inherently cause problems, especially because most people are not homosexual.

Its a tough problem to solve...

the military is stretched so thin " they should drop the don't ask don't tell policy and allow gays to enlist.. hell when i was in I'd say 15% of the armed forces were homosexual.. and its probably more now.. You can't be too choosy in a all volunteer military along with a war going on

It depends on which side of it you're on.

Either way, you win debates by controlling the definition of terms.

On this particular one, that may be a matter of whether you want to talk about homosexuality, or whether the policy is one of having rules to satisfy one group, and not enforcing them to satisfy another, and if so, does that make the rule itself total BS?

in my opinion there should be no debate...sex isn't a proper topic for the work place and there have always been gays in the military...they never bothered me and i served for over 20 years...if someone does their job and does it well nobody really cares

In any debate you first need to have a question posed so you can pick a side....

what is your question?

What is your side?