The Daily Vent: Don't Ask, Don't Tell- Being Gay in the Military

"Don't ask, don't tell"- for some reason, this phrase about the military's view on gays in the military has been known to me since i was a very little girl. before i even really understood what being gay actually meant, i knew that if you were, you're not supposed to say so if you want to be a soldier. I don't see anything really wrong with being gay, but i know others do. i've dealt with the feelings myself of even wondering if i was, but later just boiled it down to being bi-curious. either way, plenty of people are very much gay. some stay in the "closet" and others have come out. i'm very sure it's a scary time for anyone who has come out or is still afraid to do. you are worried about ridicule, acceptance, and so forth. --- very understandable. that's why i always thought the military's stance on the topic was a very good one. they don't exclude gays for any reason, unless they break the rule. So no one is denied rights to serve their country or what have you. The only right that is sort of in question is freedom of speech, but when you're in the military, you are the government's property and you are expected to behave as such and obey what they tell you.

however, today, i was speaking with my manager who served as a marine for six years. we got into talking about the gay marriage thing going on in california when he tells me that the military is in an on going debate of whether or not to basically cancel that policy of "don't ask, don't tell." WTF?!?!? Are you kidding me?

That has got to be the stupidest idea i've ever heard. period.

are they out of their freaking minds?!!? like i said, i have nothing against gay people. i have nothing against them being in the military, and as it stands now, neither does the military- they just don't want to know about it. the military is a job. at a job, you keep your personal life to yourself. when we apply for a job, we don't go in saying "i like to f--- women"/"i like to f--- men". so why should it come up in the military? that's just ludacris in my opinion.

besides it being none of anyone's business.... can you imagine what this would turn into??? in the military, [i will be using guys for my example, but same goes for women] guys shower together, sleep in the same barracks, change together...etc. first of all, even men who have gay friends back home don't want one of them staring them down while they lather up in the shower! i don't care who you are, you don't want to feel like someone is fantasizing about you or whatever while you bathe if that's not how you see that person. automatically, that makes every other man who isn't gay uncomfortable to take those community showers or change or whatever, whether he's a complete homophobe or not. it's just uncomfortable. sure, they might already be showering with a few gay guys, but knowing makes all the difference.

secondly, if it openly known this guy likes guys and sleeps with them or whatever, and if it is openly known this other guy is into women, why should a gay guy be allowed to shower, etc. with other men, if straight men aren't allowed to watch the women shower??? [not at all saying that THIS should be a common practice either. they are both wrong] its the same thing. watching a hot dude lather up is going to turn on a gay guy JUST like watching a hot girl to a straight guy. the only way to solve this would be to set up stalls and not change in front of eachother. why should everyone else be uncomfortable just because one guy chooses to live his life a different way than the rest of them?? its a personal choice, and it should STAY personal.

also, we all know, particularly with military men, that they tend to be quite manly and a lot of them are very much homophobes. you bring in some dude who's proclaimed he's gay to the world and military and you have a recipe for disaster. this poor gay guy will get picked on, teased, possibly even beat up. some people hate gays so much they physically hurt them. i'm not saying this is ok AT ALL, but why would you want a guy to go through that? the military is hard enough without having everyone hating on you. what if a guy you've been teamed up with out in battle really hates gay guys, in a violent way. gay guy needs back up or help from the homophobe freak and the homophobe freak CHOOSES not to help, knowing the other kid could easily die or get hurt- for the soul reason he believes being gay is this inforgivable sin and he needs to die for it. IT COULD HAPPEN. people are crazy sometimes, and definitely hateful. all this could have been prevented if they just didn't ever know the guy was gay. "don't ask, dont tell."

be gay if you're gay, join the military if you want to join the military, but the two don't mix. if you're gay and want to join the military, keep your personal life personal.

does anyone else see a big problem with being openly gay in the military? why or why not?