Gays and generals / Top brass torpedo 'don't ask, don't tell'

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | Tuesday, December 16, 2003 | editorial

[Willie Green]

It should come as a shock to no one that three retired military officers, two generals and one admiral, revealed last week that they are gay. What should be surprising is that, despite these and other stellar records, the Pentagon adheres to a policy that prevents known homosexuals from staying in the service.

[tbird5]

If gays and women want to fight, let them.

[11th Earl of Mar]

Rear Adm. Alan M. Steinman

A REAR Admiral is gay? I wonder how he earned that title.

And "Gays in the military are torpedoed"

So many jokes. So little time.

[little jeremiah]

Pinging the list. It's getting hotter. I am sick of the media being enablers and promoters of the homosexual agenda. I don't like the slant of this article. I want to hear what experienced military people say about homosexuals in the military. Meaning military people who are not homosexuals themselves or Clintoon appointees.

[King Black Robe]

If they can't donate blood to the sick because of health risks, why should soldiers be put at risk with potentially infected blood on the battlefield?

[antiRepublicrat]

I knew many gays and lesbians in my units during my time in the Army, both before and after this stupid policy. At no time did their personal sexual preferences in any way interfere with good order and discipline, nor did they hinder us in wartime. In the standard range of people in the Army from "shouldn't be in the Army" to "super soldier" I never met any who were in the lowest class.

[little jeremiah]

Why not listen to what experienced military personnel and leaders have to say about the topic? This article just quotes the few who have a vested interest in allowing homosexuals in.

before being forced to exit the military because of their true identity.

P.S. Being "homosexual" is not a true identity. It is merely a particular way of sexual gratification, often due to being molested or seduced as a child or adolescent by an older homosexual. It can be cured or changed through therapy and other means. There are many ex-homosexuals.

[John O]

Said Admiral Steinman: "I was denied the opportunity to share my life with a loved one, to have a family, to do all the things that heterosexual Americans take for granted. That's the sacrifice I made to serve my country.

Absolute horse hockey! He could have shared his life with any woman that would have had him. There is no right to perversion in this country, nor should there ever be.

[arthurus]

A homosexual soldier who stays in the closet for his whole career is not a problem to the military. He has no effect on morale. So soon as he is known that all changes.A homosexual can be a good soldier so long as he is the only one who knows.

[little jeremiah]

You sure are promoting the "gay" agenda. Not only (according to you) the Army stuffed full of homosexuals, but they are better soldiers than others! All at the top! Wow. Maybe the Army should be open ONLY to homosexuals.

[SJSAMPLE]

Imagine that.
These officers reached higher ranks, while nobody knew that they were gay. Sounds like nobody asked and they didn't tell. And this is supposed to be a condemnation of that policy? Sounds like the policy worked.

Now, contrast it with the Colonel who was dismissed eight days before retirement, with no benefits, because he was corn-holeing a subordinate "soldier" under his command and was taking pictures of the whole, sordid deal.

[Rokke]

"If gays and women want to fight, let them. "

I agree. But make sure they are told there will be no biting or scratching before you let them bitch slap each other silly.

[MEGoody]

"If gays and women want to fight, let them."

I have no problem with this. But I do have a problem housing them in the same barracks, etc.

[narby]

I think that women as well as gays should not be in units that will be anywhere near combat, or on close deployment situations like ships and submarines. Even driving trucks in Iraq, as whats-her-name was.

It's nothing discrimanatory, it's just that around such situations, sex just gets in the way. Doesn't matter with who, or what. Sex with unit members is just too much distraction, and costs too much in unit cohesion, to be tolerated.

[LN2Campy]

you asked for a military response and you got one you didn't like, so you flame the guy?

Due to "don't ask, don't tell", everything is hush-hush, but they're out there and serving. I'm pretty sure I've run across a few and I've never had any problems with them.

The British, Israelis and virtually every other NATO ally has revoked their ban on gays, BTW, all reportedly with little or no adverse consequences.

[GovernmentShrinker]

Then you should probably give some credence to the opinions of the high ranking military officers who were necessarily involved in promoting these 3 to their lofty ranks, after evaluating many years of their service.

[King Black Robe]

Given the bloody nature of warefare, it seems only right to ban them from serving. Our soldiers face enough risk. I don't think IV drug users should serve either. High risk lifestyles (those that taint blood) should at least be forced off the battlefield. If they service in non-combat areas then the issues are different.

Heck, there are zillions of medical reasons persons can't serve on the battlefield. This is just one more.

For example, should a visually impared person be banned from the Air Force? Is it discrimination to exclude them.

Then there is the issue of bunking & showering with those who find you sexually attractive. What a violation that is of the rights of non-gays. They should at least get separate facilities like the women. But then, would they end up having sex with each other and compromising other military rules?

There are just so many issues that really have nothing to do with equality (and equating the physically natural with the physically unnatural is itself absurd, but no one cares about plain logic and the obvious truths of nature these days).

[GovernmentShrinker]

Are you suggesting that this Colonel should have been dealt with differently, depending on the gender of the object of his "sordid deal"?

[Chief_Joe]

If gays and women want to fight, let them.

Because building and cohesive and powerful fighting force is NOT about what gays and women want.

[antiRepublicrat]

They asked for experiences, I gave experiences, period.