# Apparently some people need clarification as to what country they live in **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 6, 2004, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-some-people-need-clarification-as-to-what-country-they-live-in/227802 "2004-02-06T05:53:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-some-people-need-clarification-as-to-what-country-they-live-in/227802/1 "2004-02-06T05:53:25Z")
So the McGill coming out group’s theme is, and I quote, “the army’s don’t ask, don’t tell policy.” The army does not have a don’t ask, don’t tell policy. The army is bound by the same provisions of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that have been read since \Egan\ to prevent discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Openly gay people are free to serve in the Canadian Armed Forces. To review: you live in Canada. CA-NA-DA. You know, that country where you \live\. \Not\ the United States. And your laws are occasionally different from theirs. That is all. ---
**Author:** ![Beagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Beagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beagle)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-some-people-need-clarification-as-to-what-country-they-live-in/227802/2 "2004-02-06T06:00:07Z")
If you would tell them when they ask, they might know what country they live in. Silly white icy creatures, that code with a pencil in their mouths. ---
**Author:** ![AmbushBug](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ambushbug/32/4600_2.png) [@AmbushBug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmbushBug)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-some-people-need-clarification-as-to-what-country-they-live-in/227802/3 "2004-02-06T08:45:31Z")
I would suggest anyone confused about their nationality take [these tests](http://www.zompist.com/amercult.html). ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-some-people-need-clarification-as-to-what-country-they-live-in/227802/4 "2004-02-06T09:19:56Z")
For those of us who are not native to the Americas, d’ya reckon you could fill us in about what the hell you are talking about? A link would be a bonus of course. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-some-people-need-clarification-as-to-what-country-they-live-in/227802/5 "2004-02-06T12:49:03Z")
Under Clinton in the US the American military had a “Don’t ask, Don’t tell policy” on gays. Basically, so long as no one _knew_ you were gay, they couldn’t remove you from duty. Canada doesn’t have any such policy, as far as I know. ---
**Author:** ![Balduran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Balduran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balduran)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-some-people-need-clarification-as-to-what-country-they-live-in/227802/6 "2004-02-06T13:26:46Z")
**Matt** , I was in the army reserves in Calgary about 15 years ago. At the interview by the CO to get into the unit, he only really cared about 2 things. That you weren’t a commie or gay. Especially not gay. He told me about all the nasty things people would do to you if they found out you were gay. Charter of rights or not, you were in for a rough time. I don’t think this was an unusual attitude back then, but I hope things have changed. ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-some-people-need-clarification-as-to-what-country-they-live-in/227802/7 "2004-02-06T14:10:30Z")
Because inside every Canadian is an American trying to get out. Do you understand, Pvt. Joker? ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-some-people-need-clarification-as-to-what-country-they-live-in/227802/8 "2004-02-06T14:24:09Z")
I have no doubt, **Balduran** , that unofficial homophobia could still be rife in the Canadian armed forces. What pissed me off at present was blithely referring to the American army as ‘the army’ by students at a Canadian university. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-some-people-need-clarification-as-to-what-country-they-live-in/227802/9 "2004-02-06T14:26:47Z")
> [@AmbushBug](#): > > I would suggest anyone confused about their nationality take [these tests](http://www.zompist.com/amercult.html). (looking at the Canadian test) Canadians call it “soccer,” too? ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-some-people-need-clarification-as-to-what-country-they-live-in/227802/10 "2004-02-06T14:52:04Z")
Well yeah, but with a long o sound. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-some-people-need-clarification-as-to-what-country-they-live-in/227802/11 "2004-02-07T00:54:27Z")
> [@Grey](#): > > Under Clinton in the US the American military had a “Don’t ask, Don’t tell policy” on gays. Basically, so long as no one _knew_ you were gay, they couldn’t remove you from duty. > > Canada doesn’t have any such policy, as far as I know. More specifically, the armed forces retained the right to kick people out who they knew to be gay, but they weren’t allowed to initiate investigations just to find out if a soldier was gay. If your CO happened to catch you necking with another guy, they could can your ass, but if they didn’t already have any evidence, they couldn’t go looking for some. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-some-people-need-clarification-as-to-what-country-they-live-in/227802/12 "2004-02-07T01:31:53Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > (looking at the Canadian test) > > Canadians call it “soccer,” too? No, they call it “soccer, eh?” ---
**Author:** ![county](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@county](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/county)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-some-people-need-clarification-as-to-what-country-they-live-in/227802/13 "2004-02-07T03:31:48Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > but if they didn’t already have any evidence, they couldn’t go looking for some. Soooo, the policy is they don’t ask and you better not tell - sounds pretty similar to me, including the attitudes. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-some-people-need-clarification-as-to-what-country-they-live-in/227802/14 "2004-02-07T03:46:03Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > (looking at the Canadian test) > > Canadians call it “soccer,” too? Canadians call Soccer, soccer. Football, like the NFL? That’s football. Only it’s CFL. Eh. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-some-people-need-clarification-as-to-what-country-they-live-in/227802/15 "2004-02-07T04:23:26Z")
> [@GingerOfTheNorth](#): > > Football, like the NFL? That’s football. Only it’s CFL. > > Eh. But you had to go throw in that 55 yard line, didn’t you? You thought that extra 2% of alcohol in your beer would divert our attention. And could your endzones be any bigger? What is it? Like a quarter mile? Oops I mean a half a kilometer? And what in the name of Bronco Nagurski is an Allouette? I keed, I keed. ---
**Author:** ![Beagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Beagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beagle)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-some-people-need-clarification-as-to-what-country-they-live-in/227802/16 "2004-02-07T06:30:35Z")
Hey, I get really pissed off when I get some Canadian quarter or penny that has been passed off by some Canadian agent as real money. Obviously it’s a plot to destabilize the Florida economy. What, you think that’s legal tender down here? If so, join the army. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-some-people-need-clarification-as-to-what-country-they-live-in/227802/17 "2004-02-07T06:34:16Z")
> [@Balduran](#): > > **Matt** , I was in the army reserves in Calgary about 15 years ago. At the interview by the CO to get into the unit, he only really cared about 2 things. That you weren’t a commie or gay. Especially not gay. He told me about all the nasty things people would do to you if they found out you were gay. Charter of rights or not, you were in for a rough time. I don’t think this was an unusual attitude back then, but I hope things have changed. Fifteen years ago, in 1989, the Army still prohibited gays from serving. That changed around 1992-1993. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-some-people-need-clarification-as-to-what-country-they-live-in/227802/18 "2004-02-07T06:49:12Z")
The only thing about the CFL that’s kind of cool is the single point, the rouge. It’s amusing to think that a game could end 1-0. ---
**Author:** ![kung\_fu\_lola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f4b2a3/32.png) [@kung\_fu\_lola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kung_fu_lola)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-some-people-need-clarification-as-to-what-country-they-live-in/227802/19 "2004-02-07T07:00:38Z")
> [@county](#): > > Soooo, the policy is they don’t ask and you better not tell - sounds pretty similar to me, including the attitudes. He’s talking about the US, not Canada. ---
**Author:** ![wolfstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d6d6ee/32.png) [@wolfstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfstu)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-some-people-need-clarification-as-to-what-country-they-live-in/227802/20 "2004-02-08T06:54:34Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Fifteen years ago, in 1989, the Army still prohibited gays from serving. > > That changed around 1992-1993. Right on. I had an interview in the fall of 2002 to join the CF as a reserve officer. In the interview, one of the questions asked was whether I’d have a problem working with people of differing sexual orientations. (Actually, I’m not sure exactly what phrase they used anymore, but the question was fairly long, in which the interviewer made very clear the Forces’ policy of equality for everyone. They also asked about racism, and working with women, etc.) Even so, I know people in the military who think there’s a no-gays policy. Or thought there was, until I explained otherwise. I had one friend warn me to hush-up when I came out, lest military kick me out. Nowadays, the Canadian Forces not only has the [Queen’s Own Rifles](http://www.qor.com/); we have queens with rifles! 😃 What the American policy is supposed to achieve, I don’t know. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-some-people-need-clarification-as-to-what-country-they-live-in/227802.md?page=2)