This pic was posted on the Wipeout Homophobia Facebook page. They made me smile. This was reportedly documented in Afghanistan.
There doesn’t seem to be a lot of details as to the exact story. Here’s what accompanied the pics:
Not sure if they’re a straight couple or what, but it sorta doesn’t matter.
– J. Harvey
For a closer look, Follow the JUMP:
As a military member this makes me feel very proud to be in the military especially now a days. Now that I am allowed to express myself around my own peers
Courage and Bravery – that is what the military is all about and and all Americans should honor them. Unfortunately there are still those who feel brave gay men and women are somehow less than their hetero counterparts, who do not deserve equal consideration or rights. Some even feel they are Damned! That is unAmerican and shows there is still a long road ahead. We are still fighting for rights FOR ALL.
I’m going to sound like Agent Mulder in The X Files — “I want to be believe.” Nevertheless, the U.S. Armed Forces are prohibited from publicly displaying any religious symbols that might offend the occupied country. I’m thinking a rainbow flag would offend their very sensitive Islamic sensibilities, especially when, in the past couple of months, American soldiers have burned Qurans and murdered innocent civilians. Again, I REALLY want to believe this is real, but I also looked up that person on Facebook and the only person that came up appeared to be a tween girl with only 22 friends.
If it’s real, it’s completely inappropriate.
this is a wonderful thing to see- but it’s a shame that the person who wrote the FB post can’t express herself better . “THIS IS NOT A PHOTOSHOPED IT ACTUALLY HAPPEN”- “We are planning gettin in contact”. I sometimes wonder if folks automatically lose their language skills when they start using the “social networks”- or is it a continuation of what started as a result of texting and laziness? I have said it many times and will say it once more (and as many times as it is necessary)- just because you are posting to FB, Twitter, Manhunt, Daddy Dater, Bear Central, or wherever, doesn’t mean it’s acceptable to forget what you learned about the English language. I even see Dewitt and others doing it on here and it steams me. Why is it so hard for some folks to proof and correct their own posts? In a few more years the language won’t be recognizable to us “senior citizens” any more. Very sad.
Congrats to Ms. Jodice on her hubby’s safe return, and his part in the flying of the rainbow flag in Afghanistan.
The only flag that needs to be flying over there, is the American flag and possibly military flags. Sorry. Not a popular opinion, but that’s how I feel. It’s an American base. So only the stars and stripes or American military flags should be allowed to fly. This is a war, not a gay pride parade. Put them up in your barracks/rooms, not outside. Nothing wrong with the gay pride flag, an American base in a time of war is no place for it.
“If it’s real, it’s completely inappropriate.”
“The only flag that needs to be flying over there, is the American flag
and possibly military flags. Sorry. Not a popular opinion, but that’s
how I feel.”
________________
To comment on the above, why is it inappropriate? Did you know the rainbow flag, in a slightly different form, is also the Peace flag? For both of those meanings, I say “right on” to the people who raised the flag. Peace and gayness for all!
narrow minds make such comments. and one thing gay folk can’t afford to have are narrow minds. Yes, there should be Old Glory flying there, and there probably is, just not visible in this pic. That being said, as long as those in command do not object, why shouldn’t there be a Gay Pride/Peace flag flying? It is better than a Boston Bruins flag or a New York Giants flag!
I agree here 100%. Thanks!
I agree with Gwarshow. The only flag that needs to fly is the sovereign flag of the United States of America. Having served in the military under the old “No f’ing way” and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policies, just because the ban has been lifted, it does not mean that all military and diplomatic protocol needs to get flushed down the toilet.
I am ex Military and personally I am glad that Gays and Lesbians do not have to worry about being kicked out just because of their sexual orientation but I do not think it is necessary nor appropriate flying a gay flag on a base.
Old Glory and military flags only and not just because I am old school Army either our personal life is our own and has nothing to do with our Job or purpose in the military. I would rather be known as a good soldier that happens to be gay than seen as a gay man who is a soldier.
Funny…Here I was thinking this base pictured was located in a SOVEREIGN country and not America…the only flag being flown should be OFF the military base and should be the flag of whatever country it is. Flying an American flag in the middle of a military base would be like drawing just another large target mark on the base for more attacks…
Where, on bases, are you seeing Boston Bruins or other sport team flags? They don’t allow that. And I never said that the gay pride flag was the only one flying. I said it is not the place to fly it. Just because you’re gay does not mean that you have to make EVERYTHING a statement. The pride flag is NOT a flag of a soveriegn nation. It has no place being flown on base. There’s a lot of Philipinos in the US navy. They don’t demand to fly their flag on base or on ship.
Why the hell would an American base fly another country’s flag? That is stupid. You think that the locals don’t know it’s an American base?
Well, then. Let’s all raise a swastika flag! Did you know that the swastika, also in a slightly different form, meant peace and was a symbol for white magic? Just because you’re gay, does not give you the right to break rules and regulations. Just because the DADT ban is lifted does not give you carte blanche to gay up the military. Just because you can does not mean you should. Think a little, people.
sorry, but since DADT WAS a statement by the armed forces which singled out gay men and women as not being allowed to discuss who they were, what their home life was like, what their relationships with their significant others were, it is NOT the same as a Filipino- (note corrected spelling) who COULD discuss all these things, as could a African-American or Hispanic-American. The Pride flag is a symbol of something that was wrong being corrected, and I can think of no better place to fly it, along side the American flag, preferably. In addition, since many countries where we are involved are strongly against gays and lesbians even being part of their societies, there is even more reason to do so. As I said, if the commander of that particular unit had no problem with the flag being flown, and his/her superiors weren’t opposed to it, what you say carries no weight.
As I said in my reply earlier, IF the commander of this base permitted it to be done, and IF his commanding officers had no problem with it, then what you say carries no weight at all. No one is trying to “gay up” the military- no need, as it has had a good percentage of gays in it all along, and the repeal of DADT isn’t going to cause a flood of drag queens to hit the local recruiting stations. However, being allowed to be who they are and talk about it puts them on a more equal footing with those who have been able to do so all along. There really is no “gay agenda”, other than to be allowed the rights and freedoms guaranteed to all American citizens, and someday soon that WILL become reality. Civil rights are not voted on, they are granted- such has always been the case in the U.S., and it shall continue to be. If the civil rights legislation of the 60’s had been put to a vote nationwide, it is likely certain groups would still be forced to sit in the back of buses. That is why it WASN’T allowed to be put to a vote– because the situation that existed was wrong and it needed to be corrected by a government mandate. DOMA will fall soon enough as well.
It’s great the commander had no issues with it but I just see it as another way to push others into dealing with us when they are not ready to do it yet. Sometimes pushing the issue is more harmful than just knowing.
I was in before don’t ask don’t tell was around but I had a Provo-Martial who knew about me and all he said is he wished he had 100 more like me. But also made it a point to say keep it on the down low because when push comes to shove I would loose the battle. And I agreed with him.
I upheld the Uniform Code of Military Justice that was my primary job when war time conditions were not going on. And unless an amendment was made to it since I was in sodomy was illegal. I signed up knowing this and had to enforce this as well. So I did my best to make sure my personal life and my job did not effect each other.
My sexual preference should not be what makes me a good soldier it is my actions that matter most. I am not and was not looking to openly hit on guys on a base or visa versa I was more concerned with keeping us all safe and alive.
Even in my life outside of the Army I never mixed business with pleasure but had no issues joking around about it or sexual things just never would mix the 2 action wise.
Although I would normally just comment on something this indented for the sake of trolling, both sides have good points, I think.
It makes me happy that (if this is true) we have overcome barriers and this can actually happen. It seems kind of unreal.
But at the same time, it is a military base. One major point of the army is uniformity. Stand together as one for America. That kind of jazz. This kind of refutes that.
Regardless of which side of the opinion is taken I just wish they’d all come home so they can all raise either flag they want here, not there 🙂
Now I’m trolling.
I normally support less government intrusion into people’s personal lives, but your next to last two sentences can’t be stated loud enough. To paraphrase Newark, New Jersey mayor Cory Booker, no one group of people should be allowed to dictate the rights of another group of people. Eventually, the U.S. Supreme Court is going to have to defend the part of the Constitution that states “all men are created equal”.
Its called reading comprehension….I said OFF the military base…K thanks for playing…
This is still a young country and we have allowed religion to control a lot of our laws and beliefs.
As much as we are progressing it will still take time and the right influences to make the changes we all hope for as well as attitudes to change.
Even though I find it a bit hard to swallow seeing that Flag on a base I am happy to see things are changing more and more.
I just do not want to see anyone flipping out over it and sending us backward instead of forward progress wise in change.