# So what's happening now that gays can serve openly in the US military? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 9, 2012, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-happening-now-that-gays-can-serve-openly-in-the-us-military/608898 "2012-01-09T06:33:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-happening-now-that-gays-can-serve-openly-in-the-us-military/608898/1 "2012-01-09T06:33:17Z")
I’m not the biggest follower of news, but I’ve not heard a peep about any impacts as a result of the elimination of DADT in the US military. I know it’s been a short time since it’s been lifted, but how has it been received? Have a lot of soldiers come out? Have there been discipline issues? ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-happening-now-that-gays-can-serve-openly-in-the-us-military/608898/2 "2012-01-09T09:29:50Z")
There was [this item](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/8972431/Women-sailors-share-first-gay-kiss-in-US-Navy.html), but other than that, no waves seem to have been aroused. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-happening-now-that-gays-can-serve-openly-in-the-us-military/608898/3 "2012-01-09T09:56:36Z")
Basically, nothing much changed, except that gay & lesbian service members could be honest. Just like when gays & lesbians were allowed to marry in several countries and some US states. Just like when gays & lesbians were no longer threatened by unconstitutional sodomy laws. Etc. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-happening-now-that-gays-can-serve-openly-in-the-us-military/608898/4 "2012-01-09T11:30:02Z")
Remember that just because they’re allowed to come out, it doesn’t mean that everyone is comfortable coming out. They changed military law, but they didn’t necessarily change military culture. That takes much longer. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-happening-now-that-gays-can-serve-openly-in-the-us-military/608898/5 "2012-01-09T12:33:56Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Remember that just because they’re allowed to come out, it doesn’t mean that everyone is comfortable coming out. They changed military law, but they didn’t necessarily change military culture. That takes much longer. The culture among enlisted military seems to be generally tolerant/accepting of gay & lesbian fellow service members. Similar to the public at large, basically. The intolerance culture rises as you rise in rank into officers (also rising in age). the officer corps is much less accepting of gays & lesbians. The same thing is true in the general public (older people are less accepting), but that trend is more severe in military officers. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-happening-now-that-gays-can-serve-openly-in-the-us-military/608898/6 "2012-01-09T12:55:01Z")
The Commandant of the Marine Corps was the most outspomen military leader against the repeal of DADT. Last year, when it was debated in Congress, he went so far as to insinuate that repeal could cost troops’ lives. After repeal, he has called the issue a “non-event.” > **[HuffPost - Breaking News, U.S. and World News](https://www.huffpost.com/?err_code=404&err_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fmobileweb%2F2011%2F11%2F28%2Fdont-ask-dont-tell-marines_n_1115778.html)** > > Read the latest headlines, news stories, and opinion from Politics, Entertainment, Life, Perspectives, and more. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-happening-now-that-gays-can-serve-openly-in-the-us-military/608898/7 "2012-01-09T13:10:16Z")
Also, from the link provided by **dtilque** : > [@](#): > > David Bauer, the commanding officer of the USS Oak Hill, said that Gaeta and Snell’s kiss would largely be a non-event and the crew’s reaction upon learning who was selected to have the first kiss was positive. > > “It’s going to happen and the crew’s going to enjoy it. We’re going to move on and it won’t overshadow the great things that this crew has accomplished over the past three months,” Bauer said. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-happening-now-that-gays-can-serve-openly-in-the-us-military/608898/8 "2012-01-09T13:27:13Z")
I had no idea that Navy people were _selected_ to get the “first kiss” once ashore. I thought it was more of a first come, first served kind of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-happening-now-that-gays-can-serve-openly-in-the-us-military/608898/9 "2012-01-09T14:10:06Z")
Sure, things look OK now, but the Nazis have already saddled up their dinosaurs waiting for gay marriage. A couple more lesbo kisses or god forbid two gay dudes, and look out! ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-happening-now-that-gays-can-serve-openly-in-the-us-military/608898/10 "2012-01-09T14:37:29Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Remember that just because they’re allowed to come out, it doesn’t mean that everyone is comfortable coming out. They changed military law, but they didn’t necessarily change military culture. That takes much longer. But has there been any news, even in the military press, on how many have come out? Given the conservatives attitude towards not lifting DADT, I’d have expected more negative press, but is the absence of news really just an indicator that it really was one big non-event? ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-happening-now-that-gays-can-serve-openly-in-the-us-military/608898/11 "2012-01-09T16:18:11Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I had no idea that Navy people were _selected_ to get the “first kiss” once ashore. I thought it was more of a first come, first served kind of thing. The vessels Morale Welfare and Recreation committee tends to run contests and sales for morale boosting during a cruise - my husband got to pay to grow a beard one cruise, a moustache on a different cruise, and extra liberty days at liberty ports [um, once in Holyloch if memory serves back on the USS Spadefish, and once in Tromso Norway on one of his newer boats, I think the USS San Juan] The MWR committee uses the money to fund stuff like the boats 4th of July picnic or the holiday party in December, the entry in Sub Fest’s Chili Cookoff or other stuff like that. Once the boat paid for a family to go and stay with their kid in an oncology clinic out of state for a Christmas visit. there is a difference between boat and ship, and I make no pretense of knowing exactly what other than a sub is a boat not a ship:dubious:] ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-happening-now-that-gays-can-serve-openly-in-the-us-military/608898/12 "2012-01-09T16:47:17Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > The culture among enlisted military seems to be generally tolerant/accepting of gay & lesbian fellow service members. Similar to the public at large, basically. > > The intolerance culture rises as you rise in rank into officers (also rising in age). the officer corps is much less accepting of gays & lesbians. The same thing is true in the general public (older people are less accepting), but that trend is more severe in military officers. Do you have cites for those claims? Not saying I don’t believe you, I’d just like to see it documented. One thing that comes to mind is that the enlisted class of the military is not reflective of “the general public” these days. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-happening-now-that-gays-can-serve-openly-in-the-us-military/608898/13 "2012-01-09T16:56:37Z")
Wait, the gay guy in the navy who got the official First Kiss was named Gaeta? Kind of makes the _Battlestar Galactica_ folks look prescient. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-happening-now-that-gays-can-serve-openly-in-the-us-military/608898/14 "2012-01-09T17:01:24Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Wait, the gay guy in the navy who got the official First Kiss was named Gaeta? Kind of makes the _Battlestar Galactica_ folks look prescient. Gay girl. 😉 And **dtilque** , I see what you did there. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-happening-now-that-gays-can-serve-openly-in-the-us-military/608898/15 "2012-01-09T17:21:09Z")
Film at 11. ---
**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:** [January 9, 2012, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-happening-now-that-gays-can-serve-openly-in-the-us-military/608898/16 "2012-01-09T17:34:44Z")
Can those who were discharged under the old policy petition for reinstatement or something? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-happening-now-that-gays-can-serve-openly-in-the-us-military/608898/17 "2012-01-09T17:59:13Z")
> [@](#): > > Gay girl. Serves me right for not following the links. Mea culpa. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-happening-now-that-gays-can-serve-openly-in-the-us-military/608898/18 "2012-01-09T21:02:01Z")
> [@John\_Bredin](#): > > And **dtilque** , I see what you did there. 😃 I’m glad someone got my joke. > [@Really Not All That Bright](#): > > Can those who were discharged under the old policy petition for reinstatement or something? They can but the reinstatement is not automatic. The service in question has to need the person, i.e. have an opening for someone with the training they have. Unfortunately this is a time of high unemployment, which means the services have few problems with recruitment and retention. So lots of them are not getting back in. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-happening-now-that-gays-can-serve-openly-in-the-us-military/608898/19 "2012-01-09T22:49:29Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > One thing that comes to mind is that the enlisted class of the military is not reflective of “the general public” these days. What do you mean? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-happening-now-that-gays-can-serve-openly-in-the-us-military/608898/20 "2012-01-09T23:00:01Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > There was [this item](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/8972431/Women-sailors-share-first-gay-kiss-in-US-Navy.html), but other than that, no waves seem to have been aroused. Oh, surely there must have been one or two aroused Waves. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-happening-now-that-gays-can-serve-openly-in-the-us-military/608898.md?page=2)