“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” – Origins, quotes, counterquotes and variant versions...

ORIGIN OF “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL” “Don’t ask, don’t tell, don’t seek, don’t flaunt.”        Charles Moskos (1934-2008)        U.S. sociologist and advisor to Sen. Sam Nunn        The four-part phrase and policy he suggested in 1993 to Senate Armed Forces Committee Chairman Nunn, as a way to deal with gays in the military. Adopted by the U.S. military in 1994 as “Don’t ask, don’t tell, don’t pursue,” then shortened by the media to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and now often referred to by the acronym DADT.

GLAA COUNTERQUOTE: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell? How about...Don’t Lie.”        Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance website        Post dated March 27, 2010

STRAIGHT GENERAL’S QUOTE: “I believe repealing ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ will weaken the warrior culture at a time when we have a fight on our hands.”        General Merrill A. McPeak        Former Air Force Chief of Staff        In an Op-Ed in the New York Times, March 4, 2010

GAY VETERAN’S QUOTE: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is not a joking matter. It is the only law that enforces shame.”        Lt. Dan Choi        Openly gay Iraq War veteran        Remark about DADT in a protest on March 18, 2010         Choi’s discharge from the military for publicly “telling” he gay is pending

JOKEMEISTER’S QUOTE: “‘Don’t ask and don’t tell.’ Isn’t that Oscar Mayers’ response to the question, ‘What’s in a hot dog?’”        Comedian Jay Leno        In his monologue on The Tonight Show, April 2, 1993        Commenting on the announcement of Sen. Sam Nunn's support for the “DADT” policy — and proving that DADT can sometimes be a joking matter.

BAD PRIEST VARIATION: “It would appear that our ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy is no longer working.”        Political cartoonist Rob Rogers        In his cartoon about the Catholic Church’s growing sexual abuse fiasco         Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, March 28, 2010

BAD COP VARIATION: CLAUDETTE WYMS (CCH POUNDER): “What people want these days is to make it to their cars without getting mugged. Come home from work and see their stereo is still there. Hear about some murder in the barrio, find out the next day the police caught the guy. If having all those things means some cop roughed up some spic or some nigger in the ghetto... well, as far as most people are concerned it’s don’t ask, don’t tell.”        The Shield          Pilot episode, first aired March 12, 2002

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