# Gays OK in military but not homosexuals? WTF? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 12, 2010, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gays-ok-in-military-but-not-homosexuals-wtf/528718 "2010-02-12T15:59:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2010, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gays-ok-in-military-but-not-homosexuals-wtf/528718/41 "2010-02-14T08:33:49Z")
I take issue to the results of these polls! As a non-homosexual lesbian, I have to say that people need to be more accepting of my homosexual sisters. This kind of one-sided behavior is unbecoming to a civilized society and I want no part of any perceived or actual privilege of being one of the folks who are actively accep— ahh never mind, I can’t do it. Too much self contradiction. 😃 > [@Markxxx](#): > > Gay means your a man who likes a man. Homosexual means your a man who likes a man and is doing something about it. 🙂 I thought it was the other way around. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2010, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gays-ok-in-military-but-not-homosexuals-wtf/528718/42 "2010-02-14T17:21:45Z")
Gay does seem a “friendlier” term, as it’s like on a continuum. You can be a little bit gay for someone, or you can be really gay- but it’s along a sliding scale. Homosexual seems a bit more militant, you’re drawing the line. Either you’re homosexual or you’re heterosexual. It seems to want to draw the line and dare you to cross it. People might be more biased against the homosexual term for that reason- they immediately jump to heterosexual vs. homosexual, and perhaps feel threatened? But when you hear about someone being gay, well that’s just a common enough term and it’s not really bringing to mind the idea of “heterosexuality”, but rather straight another colloquial term. Gays and Straights, sure let them serve along side each other- but you gotta keep the “homos” away from the “heteros”. That’s the only real difference I can think of for why people might dislike the terms. One’s more formal and forwards, while the other seems inviting and less dogmatic of a term. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Poster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Happy\_Poster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Poster)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2010, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gays-ok-in-military-but-not-homosexuals-wtf/528718/43 "2010-02-14T18:37:41Z")
The author of the OP is clearly rather naive. Let’s ignore politics. This is prospect theory, ladies and gentlemen. The framing of precisely the same question has **myriad** effects upon how it is answered, but the main point is that most of these effects are simply not logical in any way, shape or form. Take a look at the works of Daniel Kahneman and work from there, if you really care, but I suspect you want another partisan bitchfest instead 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2010, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gays-ok-in-military-but-not-homosexuals-wtf/528718/44 "2010-02-14T22:53:10Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > People who masticate openly in public should not be allowed to serve in the military or anywhere. Maybe we could get a “basic manners” course added to basic training? Excellent suggestion. Manners are often considered gay, but not so often homosexual. ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gays-ok-in-military-but-not-homosexuals-wtf/528718/45 "2010-02-15T14:11:07Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Ah… BUT: the article identifies the poll respondents’ (presumably self-declared) political alignments NOT as “liberals” v. “conservatives” (ideology) but rather as _Democrats_ v. _Republicans_ (electoral voting pattern). What that then suggests to **me** about that difference is that the Dems’ pattern of coalition building, as opposed to the Reps’ harder-edged line, ends up with the set of self-identified “Democrats” containing a comparatively larger subset of those who are just barely leaning to this side of the fence, and who have to be nuanced into staying on the same page. Which as a lifelong Democrat stopped surprising me long ago. Anyone want to take bets on Rand Rover ignoring this post despite having posted twice since you posted it? By the by, as a moderate who’s only been a Democrat for a few years, I couldn’t agree more with your assessment. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gays-ok-in-military-but-not-homosexuals-wtf/528718/46 "2010-02-19T04:17:55Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > And I’d add: > Do you think that heterosexuals should be allowed to serve openly in the military? Gay is a smal word, easy to say, and sounds kinda cheerful and happy. Homosexual is a big word and big scary sounding words scare people. Heterosexual is an even BIGGER word. Hell no, I don’t want no big word heterosexuals in “my” army. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gays-ok-in-military-but-not-homosexuals-wtf/528718/47 "2010-02-19T15:06:42Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Most Republicans would hate me if they knew me (hint: I’m an atheist). Republicans, _people_, potato, _potahto_. > [@Cat\_Fight](#): > > While I think there’s something to be said about the ‘sex’ in homosexual, I also think it’s worth pointing out that only one of the categories explicitly includes women (whereas I’ve read a number of op eds about homosexuals that seems to exclude them completely form the category of ‘homosexual’ i.e. rants about high instances of AIDS). It’s odd though that they didn’t just write ‘gay men and women.’ Maybe some people think ‘lesbians’ and think ‘lesbian porn? I like that!’? That’s actually a pretty good point, although if they said, “gay men and women”, people might interpret as “gay men, and women” and assume that if they exclude gay men they exclude _all_ women too. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gays-ok-in-military-but-not-homosexuals-wtf/528718/48 "2010-02-19T16:18:52Z")
That’s because it’s the homosexuals, not the gays, who put dihydrogen monoxide into our water supply. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gays-ok-in-military-but-not-homosexuals-wtf/528718/49 "2010-02-20T03:01:07Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > That’s because it’s the homosexuals, not the gays, who put dihydrogen monoxide into our water supply. Nooooooooooooooo! We’re all DOOOOOOOOOOOMED! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gays-ok-in-military-but-not-homosexuals-wtf/528718/50 "2010-02-20T03:10:08Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Republicans, _people_, potato, _potahto_. Liberal douche says what? ---
**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 20, 2010, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gays-ok-in-military-but-not-homosexuals-wtf/528718/51 "2010-02-20T03:51:34Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Interesting how there was a bigger disparity among Democrats. I bet this aspect of this thread gets very little discussion here on the SDLDMB. What’s to discuss? The poll shows two things: the Democratic party is deeply homophobic, and that they’re still less homophobic than Republicans. Is there any controversy over this? What needs to be debated about it? ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gays-ok-in-military-but-not-homosexuals-wtf/528718/52 "2010-02-20T19:20:22Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Liberal douche says what? Well, well, if it isn’t Ignoring Points Jones himself. Really, it’s not insulting or funny if it’s just tiring. Bland Rover, I think we’ll call you. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gays-ok-in-military-but-not-homosexuals-wtf/528718/53 "2010-02-20T20:23:55Z")
I read a recent poll that asked: \*“Which of the following groups of people do you believe would make acceptable members of the U.S. Military?” \* Here are the groups included, followed by the percentage of respondents who said they were OK with that group serving: Gays / Lesbians: 43% Homosexuals: 17% Homosecksurals: 4% Faggots: 8% That fabulous boy who frosts my hair: 94% ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gays-ok-in-military-but-not-homosexuals-wtf/528718/54 "2010-02-20T20:32:52Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Liberal douche says what? Liberal douche = organic vinegar and Evian? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gays-ok-in-military-but-not-homosexuals-wtf/528718.md?page=2)