Subscribe to Breaking NewsDuffy: Military ban is an incentive to lie
Not only does DADT harm families, soldier’s morale, recruitment, retention, and ruin careers – it creates a culture of liars and cowards willing to sell their battle buddy to avoid stigma.
I was eating dinner chow and noticed a soldier a few tables ahead of me reading a Stars and Stripes newspaper. When I saw the word ‘gay’ – on the front page no less – I knew I had to grab my own copy on my way out the door.
The title of the article, written by Stars and Stripes columnist Seth Robson, read “To avoid punishment, gay troops often claim assault.” I don’t like the idea of gay service members ruining one another’s careers so they don’t get kicked out, but I did like the points made about how Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) supports this type of dishonesty.
A digital version of the article can be downloaded from the Stars and Stripes website.
The article focused on a specialist who is being accused of sexual assault by a private, and the legal experts claiming that the “‘Don’t ask’ threat is an incentive to lie.” Various professionals, including professors and lawyers both civilian and military, comment that many consensual sexual acts result in a claim of assault “from one party’s fear of the potential consequences if their homosexual conduct were known to others.”
The Army has a set of seven values that form the acronym LDRSHIP. The values are: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. Being a homosexual and being in the military already stretches the “integrity” value by forcing us to lie and be covert in discussions of our personal lives. Lying about consensual sexual acts, however, not only touches on the value of integrity, but also on honor and personal courage. DADT forces some of us to be dishonest – sometimes to the point it hurts others.
I admit being worried enough about DADT to not make it a practice to hook-up. I believe it’s the fear of getting caught and not the fear that my would-be partner might accuse me of assaulting him. The penalty for all the charges against the specialist in the article might be life in prison. I can’t imagine that a passionate, yet consensual, tryst would result in the forfeiture of my freedom for life – but apparently for some it does come to that.
The article also exposes the cowardice of some gay service members. If they are going to send someone to jail for life just to save face and their job – what might they do in other stressful situations?
The private is said to have written a letter asking that the specialist – his “assaulter” not be prosecuted.
Battle buddies indeed. I prefer f*ck buddies instead. LOL!
…“To avoid punishment, gay troops often claim assault.”
…”specialist who is being accused of sexual assault by a private,”
I would think the private is either paranoid, or a dicHead.
RJ there is no passive aggressive personality disorder… it was removed from the DSM and is now a behavior or trait. The passive aggressive behavior is one way people chose to avoid direct confrontation and unless it’s your only response- it is a normal response that shouldn’t be considered pathological.
Also, to say that ALL of one group of people suffers from histrionic personality disorder- or anything for that matter- is asinine. If you know anything about the actual disorder you would see that any activist might display some histrionic qualities especially if their cause reflects their own needs.
I have met 2 gay men in my life that fit within the histrionic personality disorder completely. One of them is probably going to read this comment- and I will hear about it.
I agree that people should read on these subjects- but perhaps you shouldn’t take others words for granted and look up the criteria and information yourself. Ask yourself do ALL of this group- or that group- fall under these criteria?
ALL = stereotyping (combined with intolerance) = bigotry
And when lesbians get assaulted they can’t tell anyone because if they do… the gay thing comes out.
Meanwhile, Duffy, you are a liar and a coward you realize. You have no integrity.
Menstruator
Insofar as I have to be- to stay where I am- yes i admit I am a liar and a coward. I think I have been saying that in my posts. Thanks for restating it. I invite you to continue to cast your aspersions as often as you wish.
I believe I have had lesbians comment on previous posts about being discharged for being gay. If they requested to post articles I opine that 365gay would consider there stories very worthwhile. I am not a lesbian so I cannot write on their behalf.
If nothing else I thank you for reading some of my articles.
When using the link given in the article to the Stars & Stripes article, I ended up on the main page of the Stars & Stripe viewer (not at the article itself). After awhile I found the actual article (and would like to save others the time and frustration it took me). The article mentioned is at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=62762
As for the topic, I easily understand why many gays & lesbians want to serve our country and I fully support their desire to do so.
The 365gay article makes a great case for allowing gays to serve openly using the military own facts, directions, and ethics.
As someone who worked with, around, and in secured locations, being open about ones situations is completely necessary to security. It doesn’t matter what the situation is for an individual, as long as everyone knows about it. Case in point, I had a friend whose clearance renewal didn’t go through because people didn’t know his Father was in prison. Once he told everyone the clearance renewal came through in a matter of days.
This is one of many reasons why being gay, being into BDSM, multiple partners, etc no longer is grounds for rejecting someone’s clearance. The key to a secure USA is being open.
On a related point: Facts do NOT matter to many of those who oppose gays in the military. On Countdown with Keith Olbermann this situation came out during the discussion on water boarding. Keith was talking about how the Right will process & handle Eric “mad-cow” Muller saying not only was his water boarding torture, but it was drowning. Bottom line is simple: While facts are important to many they do NOT matter to many others – especially members of the GOP.
RJ “Ligier” is a religious right wing plant. Plain and simple. An agent provocateur. If we simply ignore this little troll he will scurry back into his den.
“WE are the inheritor of human society”. there will be no more such thing as inheriting anything if there is noone left to inherit DUE TO LACK OF HUMAN BREEDING, Breeding is what put us LGBTs here. It’s called biology 101, applies to plants, bacteria, viruses, animals and humans. BREED OR PERISH AS A SPECIES.
Message to GLBTs don’t like hetero breeders? then please do you own breeding or do without the beauty of handsome young men and beautiful young women walking the streets.
Want a society one day made up of the last generation ever with the elderly pushing other elderly in wheelchairs, etc?
If you don’t want that, then create some new human life.
I prefer a committed and long term relationship with another man. Until then, the sex can wait.
Perhaps if DADT has not been ended within the year, every GLB person in the armed services should resign! Perhaps they should have a “Kiss In” to tell this nation to “Kiss Off” for its inability to grow up as a democratic society that includes all its citizens when it declares “freedom and justice for all.” When Mr. Obama invited Rick What’s-his-face to lead the inaugural prayer, I said that was a strong indicator of Mr. Obama’s true character: He would NOT keep his commitments to bring full equality to all Americans. Gay, lesbian, and bi-sexual soldiers need to leave the military, stop enlisting, and leave the fighting and dying to heterosexuals. Let them have the consequences of their persistent stupidity.
What is sickening that straight men and women (some married) are saying they are gay/lesbian so they can be dishcharged and get the h**** out of the wars. What a slap in the face to our community. We get used every way possible.
It’s an immoral policy as it demands immoral behavior from all involved. You can’t follow a moral code and participate.
Its amazing that DADT suppresses freedom of speech on the part of military leaders who are prohibited from asking about one’s sexual orientation. Nobody has addressed that either. What if a fellow soldier, sailor or airforce man or woman were to ask a colleague about his or her sexual orientation, are they too subject to the same prohibition asking that very question?
DADT also gives license to gay citizens to commit perjury in any court if they were asked that question. If you have to lie under DADT, then you should also be allowed to lie under oath based on DADT rules.
I have been reading these posts and I am wondering how many of the writers have any kind of military experience. I am in the service now, have been for over a decade. I have met plenty of gay and lesbian servicemembers. DADT does present problems for not only homosexual members but their families as well. As far as using the policy to get out of the service, it isn’t nearly as easy as most civilians think. You don’t just walk in to your commander’s office and say “I’m gay” then sign some papers and go home. Likewise, I have known some members who have told their commands and they were NOT kicked out. There will always be hatred in the military because there are all types of people in the military. But, homo or hetero, all of us are prepared to serve and all of us should be allowed to serve equally and openly. I don’t hate my hetero counterparts, I would give my life for them just as they would for me. It’s far too easy to stand outside and criticize. How many of you have been to a war zone and experienced the stress and hardships servicemembers endure over and over again? Some of you say we should have more “integrity” and not worry about losing our “job”. This isn’t a job. You don’t just quit. There are no resignations or protests allowed. I don’t think a lot of you understand the military lifestyle at all.
RJLigier, the day the ex-gay ministries can prove with documented scientific evidence accepted by the legitimate scientific and medical literature that heterosexuals can be converted to “homosexuality”, then maybe your statement might lend some credence in regard to being born gay. Can you prove your were born straight and how? I was the second born of three brothers, I was raised the same way as the other two, yet they are straight and I’m not. Explain, and please, none of that nonsense about overbearing mothers, absentee fathers…..neither of which applied to my parents and no, I didn’t play with dolls either. You’re an idiot and you know absolutely zero about sexual orientation. As soon as you get back to your bible…..you might want to check out http://www.fallwell.com.