Nate, first off, let me say how sorry I am that something so terrible happened to you. I can understand why this is such a painful subject for you and why you are so personally invested in it. I in no way excuse what happened to you or exonerate the scumbag[s] who did it. I respect your feelings about this issue, but I don't share your opinions.
Unfortunately, every civil rights movement has its radical fringe elements. The largely peaceful African-American civil rights movement of the 1960s had its Black Panthers. Apparently, the Gay Rights movement also has such elements.
I really don't think that this means that DA-DT should stand. Neither do I think that it's fair to condemn or punish an entire class of people for the heinous acts of a few. I know quite a few people with racist beliefs/feelings/thoughts based on their personal or second-hand experience with one or a couple or a few members of a certain minority group (ag. "My cousin got murdered by a black man."). These poor folks are basing their entire world view on a tiny, tiny, tiny sample size. They are quick to point out examples of bad things done by people belonging to said minorities, while ignoring anything good or noble done by others. And these poor folks ignore the benign nature of the vast majority of the minorities they villify. It's a logical fallicy.
I also don't quite understand that argument that the repeal of DA-DT will somehow encourage radical gay military men and women to disrupt military operations by conducting mass acts of moral terpitude or whatever. Even if a couple of instances of such behavior by gay members of the military occurs (which I seriously doubt), does that mean that all gays should be closeted or even banned in the U.S. armed forces. If a couple of white supremisists in the U.S. military commit a violent crime, should all white people be banned? If a straight a few straight military men commit a sexual assault on a female military woman, should all straight men be banned? It's just not logical or rational.
Also, the article you posted seems to describe an event that took place 18 years before DA-DT was repealed. I'm not sure how it's germaine to the debate here.
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