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the US is so far behind regarding other nations when it comes to gays in the military. I may be mistaken but I heard something like 800 plus Arabic translators were fired for being gay.
Can somebody explain what the fear is? Are they expecting a gay soldier to not be able to contain himself sexually? It's just absurd.
No its not about job performance. Most accept that gays can do the job as well as their hetero counter parts. Its about privacy. There is very little privacy on a Naval ship, very little in the field. How would most people feel about sharing a common bathroom with no dividers between toilets with both sexes? Sleeping next to the opposite sex so close that you touch? Thats what it is about. Easy to say no problem when you aren't the one that has to do it. I could care less what gay people do behind closed doors. I could care less what anyone does in private. But I dont want to watch it, see it or be exposed to it. I don't force my sexual orientation on others and I demand the same from others. Our troops serve and die for their country. The least we can do is allow them their dignity and what little privacy they have.
No its not about job performance. Most accept that gays can do the job as well as their hetero counter parts. Its about privacy. There is very little privacy on a Naval ship, very little in the field. How would most people feel about sharing a common bathroom with no dividers between toilets with both sexes? Sleeping next to the opposite sex so close that you touch? Thats what it is about. Easy to say no problem when you aren't the one that has to do it. I could care less what gay people do behind closed doors. I could care less what anyone does in private. But I dont want to watch it, see it or be exposed to it. I don't force my sexual orientation on others and I demand the same from others. Our troops serve and die for their country. The least we can do is allow them their dignity and what little privacy they have.
That is enough said for me right there! I have not served on an aircraft carrier, but I have toured them and seen how close the quarters are! Not a good Idea to start lettin the cats outta the bag if you know what I mean!
Without going into details, I have contact with a whole bunch of those frontline troops - and their commanders
They don't want it - their commanders do not want it. Within the last 2 weeks, I spoke with a 2 Star - the conversation included this very issue. The phrase he used is "over my dead body" - and "it will ruin the military"
But there's already thousands of gays in the military. IF they are such a true threat to the military then why isn't something being figured out on how to detect gays and root them out of the military? Or is it simply as far as the military is concerned there can not be such a thing as any homosexuals in the military so long as they achieve success in keeping it a closely guarded secret as to who they are.
You know, it looks like the ones who are most opposed to gay rights would be one of the strongest supporters. If more gays could feel free to come out due to anti discrimination laws, then those who don't like gays and believe myths about them would know who exactly to keep their eyes on for problems.
There are already women and men on these ships and in Iraq together - for months at a time together, under stressful conditions. And while some hankypanky does go on, it is pretty discrete and not widespread. It is not like there are orgies going on. Our troops do understand how to act as professionals. And when you are worried about getting blown up it is amazing what that does to keep everyone's libidos under wraps. It is not like there are not gays and lesbians on those ships and in Iraq right now, and like other troops are not aware who some of them are.
If more gays could feel free to come out due to anti discrimination laws, then those who don't like gays and believe myths about them would know who exactly to keep their eyes on for problems.
I think our military should keep their eyes on their mission, on the enemy and on threats to their lives -- like IEDs.
Gay soldiers need to be discreet and understand that there are consequences (including separation from service) when they are not. Any other policy is detrimental to morale and to unit cohesion.
I think our military should keep their eyes on their mission, on the enemy and on threats to their lives -- like IEDs.
Gay soldiers need to be discreet and understand that there are consequences (including separation from service) when they are not. Any other policy is detrimental to morale and to unit cohesion.
The military is not a social service agency.
Irrelevant. Military people are a bit more mature about gays then they were back in the 1960s and 1970s, reflective of the changes in society in general since those times. There are still some prejudice rednecks, and will be some incidents, but with time it would not be much of an issue.
How exactly would the generals be able to point out there are tens of thousands of gays active military today and over a million gay vets? Somebody must know they are gay, I suppose...
It is much more disruptive to have women serving with men than gays. The women attract the attention of the heterosexuals, the women cause more emotional distress when they are severely wounded or killed, and the women have a good chance of getting physically assaulted or raped by their fellow soldiers when stationed overseas for long periods of time.
Yet there they are in Iraq and have been since the start. If the military is waiving requirements for criminal records and high school graduates and entrance aptitude tests and age limits becuase they need warm bodies, it is just silly that they continue this charade of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".
The gays are in the military anyway, it is just a matter of admitting it and ending the hypocrisy and giving those people risking their lives for us the
decency and honor to stand up in the open as who they are. If people are worried this will open a floodgates of "***** parties" and that soldiers will start to wear dresses or something that is immature and silly.
A couple interesting polls, reflecting the more prgressive attitudes of America and the military towards gays and lesbians.
CNN
May 4-6, 2007
• 79% of Americans think people who are openly gay or homosexual should be allowed to serve in the U.S. military
• 18% of Americans think people who are openly gay or homosexual should not be allowed to serve in the U.S. military
• 3% of Americans had no opinion
Zogby
December 18, 2006
• 73% of military personnel are comfortable with lesbians and gays
• 23% of service members know for sure that someone in their unit is gay, including 21% of those in combat units
• 45% of military personnel suspect a member of their unit is gay
National Annenberg Election Survey
October 26, 2004
• 50% of junior enlist personnel say that gays and lesbians should be allowed to serve openly in the military, up from 16% in 1992
• 29% of military personnel believe open service is an issue of equal rights.
• Service members surveyed “believe sexual orientation is unrelated to job performance,” Annenberg reported.
• Only 16% of believed lesbian and gay service members were “bad for morale,” while just 12% thought allowing gays to serve openly would be “bad for teamwork
Irrelevant. Military people are a bit more mature about gays then they were back in the 1960s and 1970s, reflective of the changes in society in general since those times. There are still some prejudice rednecks, and will be some incidents, but with time it would not be much of an issue.
The problem is not "prejudice rednecks" -it's unit cohesion. We're talking about life and death here, not lifestyle choices.
How exactly would the generals be able to point out there are tens of thousands of gays active military today and over a million gay vets? Somebody must know they are gay, I suppose...
It is much more disruptive to have women serving with men than gays. The women attract the attention of the heterosexuals, the women cause more emotional distress when they are severely wounded or killed, and the women have a good chance of getting physically assaulted or raped by their fellow soldiers when stationed overseas for long periods of time.
Agree 100%.
Yet there they are in Iraq and have been since the start. If the military is waiving requirements for criminal records and high school graduates and entrance aptitude tests and age limits becuase they need warm bodies, it is just silly that they continue this charade of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".
I don't think it's silly at all. Review my post.
The gays are in the military anyway, it is just a matter of admitting it and ending the hypocrisy and giving those people risking their lives for us the
decency and honor to stand up in the open as who they are. If people are worried this will open a floodgates of "***** parties" and that soldiers will start to wear dresses or something that is immature and silly.
I never said they weren't. I only said that it was their responsibility to be discreet in their behavior, and that acting otherwise was detrimental to morale and to unit cohesion. That all I said. Everything else in your comment consists of your exaggerations..
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