Subtle acts reshape military society amid [DADT] repeal

Yahoooooo!... ^ | 09-17-2011 | By JULIE WATSON

[Red Badger]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Night-long celebrations will mark the final countdown to the historic end of the U.S. military's ban on openly gay troops, and even more partying will take place once it is lifted Tuesday. But in many ways change is already here.

Countless subtle acts over the past months have been reshaping the military's staunchly traditional society in preparation for the U.S. armed forces' biggest policy shift in decades. Supporters of repeal compare it to the racial de-segregation of troops more than 60 years ago.

For some gay service members, the fear of discovery and reprisals dissipated months ago when a federal court halted all investigations and discharge proceedings under "don't ask, don't tell," while military leaders prepared the armed services for its end.

Several have come out to their peers and commanders.

A few have since placed photographs of their same-sex partners on their desks and attended military barbecues and softball games with their significant others. In San Diego, about 200 active-duty personnel — both gay and heterosexual — made up the nation's first military contingency to participate in a Gay Pride march this summer, carrying banners identifying their branches of service. An Army soldier had tears, saying she was touched by the thousands cheering them on, after hiding her identity for so long.

[Albion Wilde]

Now we have homosexual parties on base and men walking around in bleeding dresses.

How ironic your comment. I realize you meant "bleeding" in the Brit slang sense; but I couldn't help thinking that if male-to-female trannies actually had to have menstrual periods, not even to mention childbirth labor, there would be a lot fewer of them.

[manc]

LOL very good point