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Dissidents: Veterans Speak Out for Justice Main Menu Racism in the US Military Veterans Against War Women, Gender, and Sexuality in the US Military Dissidents Veterans Speak Out

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" on Trial

Sexual assault, specifically within the U.S. military, is rampant despite the military's "zero tolerance" policies. The persistence of sexual assault and harassment is due to a variety of factors, but is best understood as a pattern of violence not authorized, nor ordered, but tolerated by officers, and often driven by the social dynamics among service members. Tolerance of sexual assault and harassment in the military presents itself in many forms, including low conviction rates of abusers, the dominant hazing culture, retaliation and ostracization against those that report incidents, all promoted by a sense of hierarchy.

While in intel school shortly after enlisting, Jennifer Dane had her own experience with sexual assault. While reporting the incident she was met with retaliation, isolation, and had to deal with people not believing that the assault occurred. When her trial came, she truly felt the impact of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy as she felt that she was on trial herself.

“I think having to be questioned about my sexual orientation and having to go out and get an attorney to represent me in the process of potentially discharging me was probably more traumatic than anything else that I experienced. I think there is a lot that I could heal for sexual violence, but with a sexual assault, but not so much from just being who I was.”

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Jennifer Dane Jason Higgins
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Jennifer Dane

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Jennifer Dane: "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Policy Impact on Trial Jennifer Dane, "Crossing the Military Civilian Divide," interviewed by Dr. Jason A. Higgins, Jan. 20, 2023, Washington D.C.. "Crossing the Military-Civilian Divide" project is part of a 4-VA Collaborative research project by Dr. Jason A. Higgins, postdoctoral fellow in digital humanities, and Andre Taylor, oral historian at the College of William and Mary. Special thanks to our three research assistants Leena Alsayab, Madison Cholewa, and Gabrielle Wells, who are undergraduate students and recent graduates of Virginia Tech.