As everyone knows, the issue of gays serving in the military has become quite the hot button. The current policy is “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” but in light of the recent Supreme Court decision striking down laws against sodomy, some are preparing to argue that the policy is not only wrong, but unconstitutional, and that even “out” gays must be fully integrated into the military. Others claim that the goals of high morale and unit cohesion so essential to an efficient force are incompatible with the possibility of some soldiers being attracted to each other. Who is right? Do the principles of justice and equality under the law trump the current preferences of the military leadership? Or are those principles only secured and guaranteed by a defense force whose efficacy would suffer were they applied to its own internal workings? I shall offer a personal anecdote from my own experience to kick off the discussion and explain my own position.
I am currently enlisted in the United States Army. Last night, as I was attempting to sleep, a fellow soldier climbed into my bunk and planted a wet one right on my lips! So I’m like, “Dude, what the fuck was that all about?” And he just goes, “shut your fat piehole, you hettie pussy!” Then he proceeds to start fondling me! I’m all “dude, what the hell are you doing? I’m not gay.” And he’s all “you are now, bitch!” By now, he’s got my shirt off. I’m thinking, oh shit, this is not good. Before I know what’s happening, I feel my boxers sliding down my legs. I scream “listen punk, I’ll turn your pansy ass in right now, and they won’t even wait until morning to discharge you!” So he says, “Too late! I’ll definitely be discharged for this, so I might as well go out with a bang and enjoy myself.” Then he starts fucking my ass! I couldn’t believe it. How, I thought, am I ever going to be able to get it up with a woman again, after suffering this humiliation? He must have been pretty horny, because fortunately, it didn’t take him long to blow his load. After doing so, he immediately hopped down from my bunk and disappeared. I reported him this morning, and his ass is already outta here. It’s not much consolation, though, considering how traumatized I feel by this experience.
Now, before last night, I was open to the possibility of having some gay fellow soldiers. I assumed that if they were trained properly, they’d be able to do their jobs without letting sexual feelings get in the way. After what happened to me, though, I have changed my mind. What if a guy like that had tried to pull that stunt while we were engaged in combat? What if we’re making good time on the road to Basra, and suddenly a few soldiers decide it’s time for a circle jerk? What if he and I had been in a foxhole together, doing all we could to hold our position against heavy mortar fire from the enemy, and all he could think of was busting out a tube of KY?
For this reason, I believe there should indeed be discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the military. I understand that some people, like my ex-fellow soldier, will feel hurt by this policy. But my morale is certainly pretty low right now, and I can’t imagine what troop morale in general would be like if such an occurrence were common. There are many ways for homosexuals to serve their country–as civilian employees of the military, defense contractors, even volunteer emergency interior decorators and hairdressers. I believe that an all-straight military is better for our country, and for gays too.