Gays in the Military - why a problem?

Factual Questions
21

Got news for you HAIRY, given enough time in the field, those two men sharing a pup tent stand a very good chance of getting physically intimate even though they are both straight at every other moment of their lives. It’s called situational homosexuality. It happens in the military all the time, especially on long assignments where there are no women around, not even the enemy’s woman (such as on ships, which is why the Navy has a bit of a reputation). It is also well known and happens in fact in prisons.

The ancient Greek armies were not full of homosexuals, but were full of heterosexuals where situational homosexuality was not closeted. In fact, it was encouraged, which provided unit cohesion (I will now show great restraint by not making one of the many off color coments on that phrasing that I’m thinking of right now).

Two other points need to be made:

  1. Officers who are against gays serving in the military make the point that politicians should not be enforcing political policies on the military – only military considerations should ever be used as criteria for military policy.

My response: BULLSHIT. Forcing the military to accept Blacks as equal members in all regards was a political consideration. Forcing the military to abide by due process and other issues of human rights is a political consideration forced on our military which could be even more efficient if it wasn’t under such constraints. Political considerations do affect the military – always has, always will, and that’s a good thing.
2. Officers against gays in the military say that heterosexual soldiers can’t work with gay soldiers in combat.

My response: BULLSHIT. They do already. Some in ignorance, some knowingly (and they don’t care). If these straight soldiers can work with gay soldiers, how come the rest can’t?

And if our ‘straight’ soldiers can’t work with gay soldiers, then we better stop being hypocrites and leave NATO, since (except for England, and only for a little while longer), all other NATO countries allow gay men to serve in combat. What are our boys gonna do if they have to go into combat with NATO forces? Will they be given the wink from our officers to ‘beat up the fags’ in the NATO forces?

The ban on gays in the military is pure bigotry based on irrational fears. Period.

Peace.

22

You guys should know my stance on this by now. I would like to add “The Army of Thieves” into the mix. For those that don’t know, it was an exclusively gay mercenary army around in Roman times.

HUGS!
Sqrl

Gasoline: As an accompaniement to cereal it made a refreshing change. Glen Baxter

23

I can’t help but think that knee-jerk reaction of homophobia when gays in the military are discussed is due more to the inability to separate sexual orientation from sexual mores.

If sexual relationships are inappropriate in a military unit, by all means, ban sexual relationships. If two members of a unit have sex, punish them. Whether they are heterosexual or homosexual makes no difference.

If a gay soldier cannot abide by the “no sex in the unit” rules, then they have no place in the organization. The same applies, of course, to straight soldiers.

Like segregation, this situation won’t be resolved until the armed forced are made to accept gay men and women serving in their ranks. Once, that’s happened (if that happens), the point will be as moot as desegregation.

24

Wow, I didn’t know the Armed Forces wre taking fourth graders now. How enlightening.

“It’s my considered opinion you’re all a bunch of sissies!”–Paul’s Grandfather

25

The problem isn’t “gays in the military.” There have always been gays in the military. The problem comes from homophobic straights who are terrified of gays.

Rather than throwing out gays, we should be throwing out homophobes. Of course, that would leave us with a military the size of a high school glee club . . .