Don’t Ask Too Fast

There should not be any judgement in regards to this situation, homosexual have been in the military but was not allowed to confess it because of the regualtion of the UMCJ which is chapter 8. But you have gays, you have racism also in the military and this racism is not always towards gays. So in saying, yes when you have a tradition such as the military this will be very controversial because you have military personnel that live together in barracks. Many people feel uncomfortable of actually seeing certain actions of conduct that are not of the natural form conducted by a man and a woman. Also if the policy to allow homosexuals into the military then they should not get special treatment. In other words the same laws such sexual harrassment and public display action and adultery whether in uniform or not should be obey by homosexuals. No there should not be any form of discrimination towards them because when they take that oath to uphold to the Constitution of The United States then I would expect the same from them also. If I am out in the field and my life is on the line I wouldn't care if you gay, straight we're both there to protect these shores of these United States and I bet you that there will be no slacking off. I would get better service from a homosexual then a racist person that the only reason why they would join the military was to gain experience so that he or she would use it against other race to cause great harm. Or to do harm to this country, case in point is Timothy McVeigh. This always be a controversial subject just like abortion. We as a country need to get a grip and stop fussing with each other and come my closer together as a whole, when we have terrorist watching things like this and feeding off situations like this in order for them to act like infidels on us.

This is the most disgusting conversation I have read in a long time. Gays, lesbions, transgendered, intersex, etc. citizens are entitled to every right gauranteed to them by the constitution of the United States of America. No citizen or organization has the right without commiting a crime to discriminate against them. The military is the most agregious offender in my opinion and are commiting a crime. For the military to commit an organized violation of the rights of a certain group of people borders on treason. Right wing christions have every right to their beliefs for their own guidence but absolutely NO right to force their beliefs on anyone else. It they continue to force their beliefs upon other, citizens, they have NO right to tax exempt status.

The homosexuals in the military should have the choice if they want to tell anyone about their sexual preference, but why would most think that there are only "gay guys"??? I am a straight female in the Navy for twelve years and I have met many lesbian women, they don't look at everyone like they are lunch! They are not the ones I am worried about. It's the straight guys that are some of the perverts, I know not all of them are, but most are. And for those people commenting and saying that it would be dangerous because of "hidden relationships" and stress would lead to possible rape! Meaning a gay guy would rape another guy. I would like to know how much they think that happens, even in civilian life. Now for the "Straight" service members out there, I have been to my share of commands and let me tell you this, there is more fraternization going on, than anyone could possibly imagine. Adultry, Adultry, and more Adultry!!!! It's all over. Disgusting! So come on people get over it!
We are the ones fighting for you freedom so that you can sleep peaceful at night!!!

is it really a great need to worry about what someones sexual preferences are? why is this something that has to be public information? as a hetro woman, I really don't care what anyone else does in their bed as long as both parties are agreeable to what is happening. I come from a military family and I am very proud of any one regardless of sexuality that is willing to serve to keep us safe and "free". so i guess my point is that if they don't broadcast it there shouldn't be any problems, don't ask, don't tell, just be a person proud to serve your country. why do they have to be "gays in the military"?

It truly amazes me that in this day and age in a society that has made so many advancements in every discipline and advancements in the understanding of social and psychological processes of individuals. that we still are having the discussion of gays in the military. Gay men and lesbian women should be able to serve open and honestly in the United States Armed Forces. A gay or lesbian American who is law abiding citizen and who pays their taxes should be able to serve in the miliitary. IT IS THEIR FUNDAMENTAL AMERICAN RIGHT AND CHOICE. To prohibit someone from serving our country and putting their life at risk is simply wrong on multiple levels. To the gentleman who wrote EMPHATICALLY NO about gays in the military and not allowing your children to serve if gays are allowed to serve - WAKE UP! What will you do when your children meet someone in school who is gay or lesbian? What about in their workplace? What about in their social settings? What about in college? Are you going to remove them from those situations because someone is known to be gay or lesbian? Our society is changing and moving in the direction of accepting and understanding that everyone is different, wonderful and perfect in God's eyes. Ignorance comes from lack of education and the fear to let yourself become a better person. Ignorance only teaches hate and our children are not born to hate....it is learned from their parents. Teach them to see people for who they are and not what they are. Our COUNTRY will be in a much better place if we all come together - white, black, latino, asian, gay,lesbian, etc, - and unify. My vote - GAY AND LESBIANS IN THE MILITARY!

Would you demand that straight women shower and sleep in open bays with men? (open bays are lines of beds with wall lockers and no privacy.) Think of 60 guys with 10 minutes to shower when they have one big open room with shower heads along the wall. It's called the "twig and berry shuffle" as you try not to bump your genitals into another person. I think all gender restrictions should be removed but, soldiers are given NO privacy. Privacy is expensive and doesn't build a "team". Soldiers don't get a choice about who they have to change clothes, shower and sleep next to. Saying that gay males won't be attracted to straight males when they are nakid is a fantasy. Imagine 10 lesbian women showering with 50 straight males. Sounds more like a porno than military. Ask yourself, would you do that? Now wonder if the soldier next to you is watching your back or watching your back side... When males and females can be mixed, gay and lesbian can be mixed openly.

The military has long been used to enforce social equality because they can't say no. What will a 20% loss in enlistments do to the military though? Instead I would use this as an opportunity to revise the policy completely and remove all sex in the workplace. Sex has no role on duty. If an orientation, any orientation, interferes with their job then it's a problem and needs punished.

Why can't our military make signs, "Gay" or "Straight" signs for our bathroom/showers, kidding.!
This is sad for what i call a REAL man /woman, "someone that doesn't want to deal w/ gays". Same sex proposals.
Yes, I said real man! Cause to me as a woman, a man who loves a woman is a real man.
A gay man to me is not what i call a real man. Yes, A gay that fights are wars is a Real gay man, I am proud of him to. but understand a real mans reasons for not wanting gays in our military, thus is why its sad. Its called testostrone. Do gays lack this? I am not sure, I mean there is supposebly so many types of gay guys, I mean you have them come in all shapes n sizes w/ some seeming manely, hmmmm, this is where i get fooled, makes me sick! I say if your gay act like it and don't hide it to confuse all us woman that want a real man. I personally don't care who joins our military as long as the mission gets done. I say, you don't do a manely job you should be discharged! I wouldn't want some weak ass gay/ straight man/woman fighting a battle that may conflict another ones mission because he has his feminine attack on the field. I can say this cause i have worked around gays in the hair industry and bitch fits ain't going to work on our battlefields. So I say if you can pass the test so be it! Thanks to all our Real men/women , gays, Lesbians, bis that have went into the military fr the right reasons, to better our world! Praise all!! when all else fails, delegate to God he is the answer.
This is also sad for what i call gay, they can't help it, or can rhey? well there isn't a pill for them so it only should be fair for them to join to.
N God Bless the real men in our military that disagree, I understand your reasonings we all do so just don't waste precious time worrying about this because we all know w/ a lil proof your all man :) So enjoy this precious time doing something than worrying about his you have done enough already for us! No need to voice unless your just bored like me at the moment.

Wow, people, the issue is not whether gays should be allowed in the military. They are already in the military. The issue is whether they should be open. The answer is no. No one's sexuality should be paraded out in front of everyone else and if they choose that, they are choosing to be hazed. Stop making it an issue about BEING GAY. That isn't what it is.

I am a straight man. I have served in the USMC.. I have a fascination, for redheaded girls with freckles, and round butts. Should my Sexual preference be even considered by the Military? NO.. because it is an Institution, that shouldnt have any bearing on what my preferences are. Therefore, I shouldnt say my preferences in open, (nor act on them), and neither should homosexuals. Can you go to a business in the civilian world and ask them to give Gays special bathrooms? Or special accomadations for them because they are gay? NO.. because your sexual preference SHOULD have NO bearing, in the work place. Gays, be gay.. serve if you feel you are compelled too, just dont act on it in open, on duty, in uniform, or on Base. I will continue to NOT chase redheads, in uniform, in open, on duty, NOR on base. I will save that for when I am off base, on leave, when I am NOT being associated with the Military. I dont want my actions reflecting of on the MIlitary. Niether should you. It is all about civic responsibility. The military has an image to uphold, and the current law, allows gays to be in the military. Just not act on it. Every Servicemember, shouldnt act on their sexual preferences while in the context, and association, with the Military. DO NOT change the current law, it gives them the right to be gay. It doesnt take their rights away. Just says they cant be sexually open in the military, just like the UCMJ, doesnt allow us straight people to be open sexually in the military either. What goes on behind closed doors, shoudl stay that way.

This is for hvill90! Yes, people do choose to be gay, your not born gay!!! You absolutely choose this lifestyle, say whatever you like to justify your lifestyle choice, but you as well as I know that no one is born gay! Do I believe that there are men out there who are a little more feminine than some or woman who are a little more masculine than others or maybe even grew up a tomboy like I did? Yes, absolutely but to say your born gay is your way of putting the responsibility for your decision for your lifestyle on something or someone else! And that's not how it work's, we are solely responsible for ourselves and our actions. I believe the word of "God" and the"Bible" is a wonderful book!! And I firmly believe that when each one of us was conceived "God" did not say okay this half is gay and this half is straight! Despite what some people would like to believe if your gay its not because you were born that way or because your born with or without some gene or chromosome!! If you do use this excuse and believe it, it shows me and other christians alike, that you and other homosexual men and woman have found one more thing to blame your lifestyle on! You choose to live this way, just like people who live in nudest colonies, people who are cross dressers, people who want to change their gender or people who choose to live a swinger lifestyle, so take responsibility for your choice.. I will include you in my prayers.. And if you have a Bible somewhere close, you could look up the book of Genesis. (Genesis 1:26 - 2:25) Back to the subject at hand, I agree with mollyannk "don't ask don't tell" keep your business private.

The downright truth to the matter is our military can't handle this change. With this change you'll lose the stigma of a tough military..... no one associates tough and gay. Now you think you get some gung ho high school senior to sign up???? Not anymore, he'll look elsewhere. I'll admit, I wouldn't have joined... and I definately wouldn't have re-uped. So with a military that's already having issues retaining and enlisting.... letting in the gay is not the answer. Leave the don't ask policy alone.

A poster mentioned that if gays were allowed to be open about it in our military, some would end up dead as a consequence. Are you implying they should stay mum as injustice occurs? With that same logic African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement should not have stood up for their rights because they were faced with violence. And women shouldn???t have fought for suffrage and our forefathers should not have signed the Declaration of Independence because of the risk of death???just because something is doesn't mean it should be, and it certainly doesn???t make it acceptable. As for those who hate other servicemen or women because of their sexual orientation, well it says more about them than it does a gay service member.

The question is should the homosexual men and women serving in our military be able to be openly gay. Although I have never served in the military, I say yes. If straights can be openly straight then gays should be able to be openly gay. There is discretion involved no matter your sexual orientation- a gay person who conducts himself or herself inappropriately should be judged just a straight person who does the same.

We are not the United Straights of America nor the United Gays of America.
We are the UNITED STATES of America. We do not chastise our citizens for being different, we embrace it. As the most ethnically diverse country in the world, it is our duty to represent who we are.

Our country was founded on liberty; the ???freedom to act or believe without being stopped by unnecessary force.??? America should be proud to utilize that concept within our military- to demonstrate to other countries who we are as a nation. America is quintessential symbol freedom. What better country to show the world one of acceptance? ???For our troops to go into countries suffering from oppression side by side, color by color, creed by creed, sexual orientation by sexual orientation-fellow human by fellow human, showing what it means to be an American.

SLAMDUNKT- WOW !!! 5 kids.... let's hope none of them "CHOOSE" to be homosexual...with words like yours, it would be terrifying to be your child. I'd like to know how people like you KNOW and are soooo convinced that being gay is a "CHOICE". Did you once try being gay and didn't like it? Is that how you chose to be heterosexual? Oh- yes and of course let's not forget all the heterosexual sex that goes on already along with pregnancies, rapes and so forth in the military. Why don't you give us a BREAK... It's ALL about sex with you people when bringing up the topic of being gay... How about the real issue like fighting, dying and sacrificing for the country as you did (EQUAL- sacfrifices). Your red blood is no better that another's. Oh and the lifestyle goes against "mainstream" America?? yes that's right wonder if you were one of the ones that went against blacks, jews, native americans and so much more that went against mainstream America in the past. By the way isn't religion a choice? NO to PROP 8

If the only issue were sexual preference, gays in the military probably wouldn't be discussed. The underlying issues are far more pervasive. An often flamboyant lifestyle, allegiance to only other gays or lesbians, a far more promiscuous attitude toward sexual behavior, the need to be an individual, femininity in gay men are all stereotypes but still pose very real difficulties in a military setting. The "atmosphere" of the military life is very different than that of the civilian life and is of it's own design for a specific purpose. The setting is one of machismo, lack of individuality, strong team effort, and comradeship. I'm not saying that a gay or lesbian can't prosper in the military. I'm saying that if they're open about their sexual orientation and exhibit the behaviors that most gays and lesbians I've known, they likely won't prosper. Obama couldn't know this because he never served so perhaps he shouldn't be slighted for his need to include everyone that qualifies to serve in our great military. I think it's widely accepted enough for open gay and lesbians to be part of our everyday civilian life. I assert, however, that the U.S. military stick to that which works- keep it in the closet or go home.

I have read some of these comments. And the reocurring theme is the bible or religion. Havent we separated religion and state? All the attacks are not on what the substance of the matter is, but the misinterpretation of religions. Any religion is based on love and respect. I am one to never really criticize the belief structure of any other person. Anything that denies a couple to openly express the love they share causes repression within them and their immediate society.

Judgement day will come when we die. Why is it that religious conservatives feel that they have the power of God to judge us and condemn us to hell. We are all living a life and will come to that judgement before God. If God created all things on this world. And God is all good and created us in his image, why is there hate between us?

The Y generation is the generation of change. I personally am part of it and all my peers are ok with homosexuality. I am not saying that I should generalize the whole generation. But we have been raised in a society where information has been readily available to us via the tv, internet, books, and our parents that have endured different eras of rights movements.

Sexuality and the military will have a hard transition, due to the conservative foundation. We are the leading country, but yet we are the country that will deny basic rights to a human being. Studies can be done on the military personnel that will leave. But studies should also be done on how sexuality holds back a person from enrolling. I personally thought about it a lot, coming from a low income background and it being one of my only ways to really further myself. But the thought of how hate will take people to hurt and kill them is something that I was not willing to endure. I am an American and was willing to stand up to that. But not willing to suffer unnecessary hurt for a silenced battle.

I hope that human rights are excercised towards all, being white, black, hispanic, straight, gay, or any other quality that characterizes our nation of diversity.

Love all, hate none, and this country will continue evolving from what it was founded. Independece, Freedom, and Rights.