A soldier of the US military has let reporter Michael Hastings in on a huge secret: the reason the government won't allow gays in the military is because it'd ruin their "24-hour gay joke".
Hastings continues, "The homophobia in the military is akin to the homophobia in locker rooms or frat houses. The reason the military won’t allow in gays is the same reason we don’t know what professional athletes are gay. It’s not part of the culture. In this kind of atmosphere, you find the type of language that you get when you isolate a bunch of dudes in testerone scented quarters. Jokingly, I’ve seen soldiers sit on each others laps, pretend to blow kisses and then some, while continually make sexually suggestive comments to one another."
While he insists that he doesn't believe the jokes are malicious, I'd argue that the lack of hurtful intention doesn't negate the actual hurt. In the past, I've been disturbed by some of the talk I've heard from teammates in locker rooms. I imagine I'd be just as put off by hearing the same sort of talk in the barracks, but unfortunately the government won't even give me the opportunity to be upset about it.
To be frank, there are plenty of gay guys I know that are more "macho" than most straight guys. Beyond that, there are plenty of gay guys who would take those jokes and throw them back in someone else's face. Joking around in the locker room is fine when it's all in good spirits, but homophobia should not be considered a "culture" we should just condone and accept. Just sayin'.
– Dewitt
ye, if only all gay guys realized that gay doesn’t mean feminine. that’s pretty much the reason why some people feel averted to gays. stereotypes. but then again, if only all ‘macho’ gay guys were openly gay, maybe the perceptions would change. out and proud, ye!
maybe GLBT community should consider making a National Coming-Out Day. The day when thousands of gay people across the country would come to their parents and friends. That would be pretty nationwide-shocking! yey!
i’m way too much in the clouds… heh..
Zezy, I think there already IS a National Coming Out Day. And yes I agree with you…you ARE too much in the clouds 🙂
It’s really terribly sad that Pres. Clinton and now Obama wouldn’t do anything to help gays in the military. The president is the COmmander-In-Chief of the armed forces as proscribed in the United States Constitution. As such, he can do anything he chooses with the armed forces. Courageously, Pres. Harry Truman integrated the military with one stroke of his pen. Sadly, niether Clinton or Obama have the intestional fortitude to follow suit.
ye? so when is National Coming Out Day?
October 11th. . .you could have just googled it yourself you know.
Has any gay guy been serviced in military and told their true experience?
I have serviced in military in Taiwan for two years, and I have to say that was my happy years.
If you are in Navy and you are in no where ocean for months what will you and your colleague do? Just think about your own safety; not everyone will respect who you are. You don’t want to be a rapping victim unless you are enjoying as me.
I don’t like Mr. Clinton’s idea but I will accept that, that is because I have been there.
I believe that if you have a group of men who are working towards what they believe to be a valiant cause; putting their lives on the line multiple times in the process of doing so. Then they should call the shots. They don’t want gay people in the military FINE. The military shouldn’t be used a platform for rights activism. The military is a TOOL with a very specific job. The duty of the military is to preform. If the men of the military even FEEL that they will be compromised with a gay comrade then they inevitably will.
Now I’m not saying this is correct. And I’m not saying that its okay these men feel this way. What I am saying is that these men have jobs to preform. Dangerous jobs. Just let them do it.
Gay doesn’t always mean feminine but it definitely doesn’t always mean butch either. We’ve all known that kid that had a certain “flair” from the time that they could walk. Do they always turn out to be homosexual, no, but most of the time, yeppers! 😉
I should also say that it doesn’t matter what your personality is as long as you do your job.
Oh and guys the gays are there and have been since the beginning. I’m sure most of us have slept with some of them.
this is making me reconsider joining the military…. straight guys sitting on my lap and blowing me kisses as a joke? where do I sign up? I think the joke is on them.
Truth is, from a former solider, that group orgies happened all the time. I was in the navy and lets just say that once you are in a sub for a few days that men get horny and do all kinds of things. Dont believe me? Oh well!
Many gays enter the military in their teens and are faced with “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, a policy under which the dismissal of gays from the military has increased rather than decreased, with gay young men and women unable to acknowledge their sexuality at the risk of losing their miltary jobs.
If you want someone to blame for this horrible policy, look no further than ex-military people who raised their voices in apparent unison back in 1993, demanding that Clinton not allow gays to participate in the military.
Here’s just one example from back then and it comes from a surprising source: Markos Moulitsas, the owner of the DailyKos blog, who was in the military before he started his DailyKos blog. Here’s what he wrote and published at his college newspaper for other teenaged gays to read:
“Military Right
By MARKOS C.A. MOULITSAS
It’s truly disturbing how much ado has been made over Bill Clinton’s campaign promise to lift the ban on homosexuals from the U.S. military. It’s ironic how it has taken a president who has never served in the military to make a promise that affects the military in such a negative manner.
Those who have served in the military, such as myself, understand the demands and pressures of military life are incompatible with allowing integration with homosexuals. I’m neither socially conservative or prejudiced, and neither is liberal columnist Mike Royko, Gen. Colin Powell, and influential liberal Democrats Sam Nunn and Les Aspin, all who’ve come out against lifting the ban.
Under military circumstances, as much has to be done as possible to focus the unit’s mission and keep disciplinary problems to a minimum. Worrying about whether the known homosexual sleeping next to you is watching as you change your underwear may seem trivial as you read this, but to the soldier who’s short-tempered after three weeks in the field and four hours of daily sleep, it becomes a matter of great importance to his pride and sensibilities. And in any case, there aren’t many people who would change clothes in a group of co-workers if members of the opposite sex were in the same room watching. There is something inherently uncomfortable about it.
Such fears would go a long way in disrupting efficiency and morale in a unit.
MARKOS C.A. MOULITSAS
Undecided
Freshman”
http://www.northernstar.info/article.php?id=16416&old=1
I think this sort of homophobic nonsense creates hysteria and pressure for gays, especially teenagers in the military, to stay closeted. It also helps put our whole society “let’s all fear gays” mood. Here’s a petition to sign demanding that the blogger disavow this letter and the views expressed in it:
http://www.change.org/actions/view/kos_dailykos_must_disavow_letter_opposing_all_gays_in_the_military
I’ve prepared and posted an online petition demanding that Markos Moulitsas publicly disavow the sentiments and policy recommendations he made in this letter.
Please sign the petition and help make it clear that you can’t pretend to be a “progressive”, “liberal”, “leftist” blogger while refusing to disavow crap like the letter posted above. The petition is available at:
http://www.change.org/actions/view/kos_dailykos_must_disavow_letter_opposing_all_gays_in_the_military
http://truth-about-kos.blogspot.com/