Comments on: Duffy: The military is ready for gays and lesbians to serve openly http://www.365gay.com/blog/duffy-the-military-is-ready-for-gays-and-lesbians-to-serve-openly/ The daily news source for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community Sun, 29 Jan 2012 17:11:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 By: montrealbren http://www.365gay.com/blog/duffy-the-military-is-ready-for-gays-and-lesbians-to-serve-openly/comment-page-2/#comment-53821 montrealbren Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:46:31 +0000 http://www.365gay.com/?p=6896#comment-53821 Dear pseudonym: Thank you for pointing out something that everyone seems to forget: the US armed forces are trained to OBEY rules. DADT never made sense, and neither does the claim that the issue of gays in the military would destroy our ability to fight. If our forces are so feeble-minded that they can't integrate a few gays and lesbians, they really shouldn't be trained to kill. Is Gates saying that our armed forces are uncontrollable? That they won't obey rules? If that's true, they should be decommissioned immediately. If the military refuses gays today, what if they decide to refuse deployment in the future? War might make them uncomfortable one day - even more uncomfortable than dropping the soap in the shower. Thanks for your reports and your service. You are admired and loved. Dear pseudonym:
Thank you for pointing out something that everyone seems to forget: the US armed forces are trained to OBEY rules. DADT never made sense, and neither does the claim that the issue of gays in the military would destroy our ability to fight. If our forces are so feeble-minded that they can’t integrate a few gays and lesbians, they really shouldn’t be trained to kill. Is Gates saying that our armed forces are uncontrollable? That they won’t obey rules? If that’s true, they should be decommissioned immediately. If the military refuses gays today, what if they decide to refuse deployment in the future? War might make them uncomfortable one day – even more uncomfortable than dropping the soap in the shower.
Thanks for your reports and your service. You are admired and loved.

]]> By: Karen http://www.365gay.com/blog/duffy-the-military-is-ready-for-gays-and-lesbians-to-serve-openly/comment-page-2/#comment-53796 Karen Sun, 26 Apr 2009 19:42:57 +0000 http://www.365gay.com/?p=6896#comment-53796 Maya, I echo what others have said. You seem to have a serious problem that you are projecting onto other people. Also, you need to do some basic research to find out where female urine comes out. Maya, I echo what others have said. You seem to have a serious problem that you are projecting onto other people. Also, you need to do some basic research to find out where female urine comes out.

]]> By: Keori http://www.365gay.com/blog/duffy-the-military-is-ready-for-gays-and-lesbians-to-serve-openly/comment-page-2/#comment-53794 Keori Sun, 26 Apr 2009 19:13:05 +0000 http://www.365gay.com/?p=6896#comment-53794 Maya, your comment was really insulting. I went through basic training as a lesbian with a bunch of women, straight and other lesbians, and no one was fucking in the shower, or checking each other out. No one cared. We were too damn tired. I watched women urinate into a cup for years for drug testing and never once was told I was harassing someone. Your comment insinuates that gay men and lesbians can't help but be ruled by a constant need to get off, that we're inevitably going to be all over our straight counterparts, and so we should all be segregated. That's disgusting, and untrue. Do we really want to consider a military with segregated barracks and shower facilities again? Didn't we go through this under Truman? My 82nd Airborne brother, as homophobic and dumb as any 19 year old christian boy can be, understands the dangerous precedent that sets. Also, "bi sometimes"? Seriously? Get a grip. Maya, your comment was really insulting. I went through basic training as a lesbian with a bunch of women, straight and other lesbians, and no one was fucking in the shower, or checking each other out. No one cared. We were too damn tired. I watched women urinate into a cup for years for drug testing and never once was told I was harassing someone. Your comment insinuates that gay men and lesbians can’t help but be ruled by a constant need to get off, that we’re inevitably going to be all over our straight counterparts, and so we should all be segregated. That’s disgusting, and untrue. Do we really want to consider a military with segregated barracks and shower facilities again? Didn’t we go through this under Truman? My 82nd Airborne brother, as homophobic and dumb as any 19 year old christian boy can be, understands the dangerous precedent that sets.

Also, “bi sometimes”? Seriously? Get a grip.

]]> By: Meg http://www.365gay.com/blog/duffy-the-military-is-ready-for-gays-and-lesbians-to-serve-openly/comment-page-2/#comment-53793 Meg Sun, 26 Apr 2009 18:50:06 +0000 http://www.365gay.com/?p=6896#comment-53793 Maya: so what? Is anyone really going to be comfortable with a relative stranger looking at their genitals while they urinate? I wouldn't want anyone doing that, straight or gay. People need to grow the hell up. Maya: so what? Is anyone really going to be comfortable with a relative stranger looking at their genitals while they urinate? I wouldn’t want anyone doing that, straight or gay. People need to grow the hell up.

]]> By: Max Powers http://www.365gay.com/blog/duffy-the-military-is-ready-for-gays-and-lesbians-to-serve-openly/comment-page-2/#comment-53792 Max Powers Sun, 26 Apr 2009 18:43:01 +0000 http://www.365gay.com/?p=6896#comment-53792 I agree with this article but I can't believe the author and 365gay.com missed the blatant typo in the first sentence, "intergrat". Even as I type the word out in this comment box I get a red line under the word. Gay journalism needs to stand far above mainstream media if true attention and respect is to be given to it. Blatant typos are not the way to achieve this. I agree with this article but I can’t believe the author and 365gay.com missed the blatant typo in the first sentence, “intergrat”. Even as I type the word out in this comment box I get a red line under the word.

Gay journalism needs to stand far above mainstream media if true attention and respect is to be given to it. Blatant typos are not the way to achieve this.

]]> By: Michael Duffy http://www.365gay.com/blog/duffy-the-military-is-ready-for-gays-and-lesbians-to-serve-openly/comment-page-1/#comment-53784 Michael Duffy Sun, 26 Apr 2009 14:04:18 +0000 http://www.365gay.com/?p=6896#comment-53784 @ censoredagain: Yes, the military policy is all about perception. You don't even have to be involved. You can witness something you perceive to be sexual harassment of another and file a complaint. In cases where there is a misunderstanding the situation is corrected and the accused will be more mindful of his actions. @ Maya: Gays are permitted to be in the miltiary. They are already in the showers and working as medics or doing other jobs that entail witnessing a naked body of the same sex. Nothing will change if DADT is repealed in that respect. I do believe that the miliary should be unisex and if you can't behave yourself in a professional manner then that is your problem and may harm your career. I understand some female and male soldiers might be uncomfortable with this idea- and even fearful... so by all means have a unisex latrine/shower in addition to the men/women only ones. In a profession where discipline and self control are required it shouldn't be too much to ask soldiers to avert their eyes, get their business done, and drive on with the mission. @ censoredagain: Yes, the military policy is all about perception. You don’t even have to be involved. You can witness something you perceive to be sexual harassment of another and file a complaint. In cases where there is a misunderstanding the situation is corrected and the accused will be more mindful of his actions.
@ Maya: Gays are permitted to be in the miltiary. They are already in the showers and working as medics or doing other jobs that entail witnessing a naked body of the same sex. Nothing will change if DADT is repealed in that respect. I do believe that the miliary should be unisex and if you can’t behave yourself in a professional manner then that is your problem and may harm your career. I understand some female and male soldiers might be uncomfortable with this idea- and even fearful… so by all means have a unisex latrine/shower in addition to the men/women only ones. In a profession where discipline and self control are required it shouldn’t be too much to ask soldiers to avert their eyes, get their business done, and drive on with the mission.

]]> By: David M. Gibson http://www.365gay.com/blog/duffy-the-military-is-ready-for-gays-and-lesbians-to-serve-openly/comment-page-1/#comment-53782 David M. Gibson Sun, 26 Apr 2009 13:20:27 +0000 http://www.365gay.com/?p=6896#comment-53782 The United States is so far behind the times, it's scary. So very many countries around the world has gays serving totally successfully in their military with no problems at all. Give the American men and women the chance to act like intelligent adults by allowing gays in the military. Remember when blacks didn't serve with whites? Not so long ago, was it? Get with the program; this is not the middle ages. It's 2009. We need the homosexual element in the armed forces, like everywhere else in the world. The United States is so far behind the times, it’s scary. So very many countries around the world has gays serving totally successfully in their military with no problems at all. Give the American men and women the chance to act like intelligent adults by allowing gays in the military. Remember when blacks didn’t serve with whites? Not so long ago, was it? Get with the program; this is not the middle ages. It’s 2009. We need the homosexual element in the armed forces, like everywhere else in the world.

]]> By: rodney cruise http://www.365gay.com/blog/duffy-the-military-is-ready-for-gays-and-lesbians-to-serve-openly/comment-page-1/#comment-53779 rodney cruise Sun, 26 Apr 2009 11:30:27 +0000 http://www.365gay.com/?p=6896#comment-53779 I don't understand the reluctance to repeal DADT. Why is the most powerful military in the world unable to handle gays and lesbian serving openly when virtually all their western democratic allies do and have done for, in many cases, decades. What makes Americans so different to the rest of the worlds military? It makes no sense and from the outside world (ie not in the US) it make the US look incredibly silly and backward. I don’t understand the reluctance to repeal DADT. Why is the most powerful military in the world unable to handle gays and lesbian serving openly when virtually all their western democratic allies do and have done for, in many cases, decades. What makes Americans so different to the rest of the worlds military? It makes no sense and from the outside world (ie not in the US) it make the US look incredibly silly and backward.

]]> By: Jessi http://www.365gay.com/blog/duffy-the-military-is-ready-for-gays-and-lesbians-to-serve-openly/comment-page-1/#comment-53778 Jessi Sun, 26 Apr 2009 11:04:18 +0000 http://www.365gay.com/?p=6896#comment-53778 so much of what is learned while in the service of our country, is carried over to civilian life. I see it every day when at work with former service persons. from work ethics to manner of deportment. "They will be able to hold their tongues about gays and lesbians as well, if they’re told to." the training received in service will end up helping all tgbl citizens of the country. for often the former service persons are looked upon as authority figures in work and daily lives so much of what is learned while in the service of our country, is carried over to civilian life. I see it every day when at work with former service persons. from work ethics to manner of deportment.

“They will be able to hold their tongues about gays and lesbians as well, if they’re told to.”
the training received in service will end up helping all tgbl citizens of the country.
for often the former service persons are looked upon as authority figures in work and daily lives

]]> By: censoredagain http://www.365gay.com/blog/duffy-the-military-is-ready-for-gays-and-lesbians-to-serve-openly/comment-page-1/#comment-53759 censoredagain Sun, 26 Apr 2009 03:07:12 +0000 http://www.365gay.com/?p=6896#comment-53759 "...harassment based on sexual orientation is sexual harassment and gays should have the ability to bring complaints against real or perceived harassment. " This victim mentality is one the many problems with our community and country. Above is just one quote of several in the article that are applicable. Take out the word "perceived" and I am in full agreement. Government policies and laws should punish action not perceived action. Disciplining or punishing an individual for perceived harassment is punishing innocent people and violating their 1st amendment rights (in government environment). It is now known that eyewitness testimony is one of the least reliable evidence presented in criminal proceedings and now we have to deal with "perceived" harassment. For those that think they are being harassed, OMG people get a grip. Stop being so vein and thinking everything revolves around you. “…harassment based on sexual orientation is sexual harassment and gays should have the ability to bring complaints against real or perceived harassment. ”

This victim mentality is one the many problems with our community and country. Above is just one quote of several in the article that are applicable. Take out the word “perceived” and I am in full agreement. Government policies and laws should punish action not perceived action. Disciplining or punishing an individual for perceived harassment is punishing innocent people and violating their 1st amendment rights (in government environment). It is now known that eyewitness testimony is one of the least reliable evidence presented in criminal proceedings and now we have to deal with “perceived” harassment. For those that think they are being harassed, OMG people get a grip. Stop being so vein and thinking everything revolves around you.

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