I don’t. Unfortunately, it seems the rest of the military doesn’t necessarily feel the same way. In a recent poll, 37% of service members believed homosexuals should not be able to serve openly. I don’t like to generalize, but I’m going to blame that statistic on the input from the Army and Marines. There’s way too much training given in the Navy on equal-opportunity topics for the majority of Sailors to be adamantly anti-homosexual, and the entire Air-Force is already gay. (I’m just kidding, fly-boys!) Seriously though, why is it such a big deal? I could understand if an openly gay Sailor was always sporting a “we’re queer, and we’re here” attitude, but if it’s just Seaman Johnny happening to like other dudes, what business is it of mine or anyone else? There are already gay people in the Navy, and a lot of them don’t try too hard to hide it. The straight shipmates around them don’t seem to mind too much either. You might hear one of two “fags” here and there, but it’s really just another pronoun in the Navy.
A common reason, for the general homophobia in the military, is that dudes just don’t want other dudes checking out their junk. Now, as a straight man, I can understand this. However, we already get our junk stared at by other dudes all the time. See, one of the perks of being in the military is never again being trusted. This leads to many new experiences, like constantly being selected for random urinalysis tests. And because Sailors are well known for carrying bags of clean urine strapped to their legs, just in case they are selected for the “whiz quiz,” there are certain provisions to ensure we don’t cheat. One of these is a regulation that requires a qualified inspector to follow you into the bathroom and, I shit you not, visually confirm the urine leaving the body. In case I’m losing you here, they have to stare at your penis to watch the urine come out and into the little bottle. If your the type of dude that gets pee-shy at a urinal, then you’ll probably pop a kidney trying to push and squeeze out just a little bit of golden relief with some burly dude all breathing on your neck. They should put that shit in a recruitment video!
Gen. Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said homosexuality is “immoral” and should be treated like adultery. That might actually work. Big Navy would tell you it’s wrong, but you’d never be charged with it, unless someone was out to get you, and they had nothing else to hem you up with…just like adultery is treated today. I’m willing to bet the fine General has never been on a Navy port call, or heard of the term “Westpac widows.” Adultery is one of those things that goes on all around us, but only becomes an issue when someone is gunnin’ for you. I have a problem with the word he chose, immoral. When someone says that, I immediately question…immoral by whose standards? Most common answer? The Holy Bible! Now I’m not knocking anyone who is a Christian. On the contrary, I think it’s awesome when people find a purpose through religion, but when they start using that same religion as justification to discriminate and judge other people, then it becomes an issue. Honestly though, I don’t put much weight into what he said. People in any job, as they get higher in the ranks, start losing touch with a lot of things, mostly their people and reality. This is the 21st century. If gays and lesbians have the right to live in this country, exercise freedom of choice, and strive for the American dream, then they should have the right to fight for it. To use an old gay marriage joke, “We should let gays join the Military, so they can be just as miserable as the rest of us!”
On another note, check out this awesomely gay YouTube video by the Village People for, as if you had to ask, “In the Navy.” I’ve watched it about 30 times now, and I don’t care what anyone thinks…the Navy is so fucking badass!
Comments 13
Wasn’t it only in the past few years that they took away the law that stopped gays from serving?
I agree completely with what you’re saying — I have never been able to figure out how being gay makes you any less capable of fighting for your country. Not that the law ever stopped anyone anyway… my Mum’s gay and was in the army for years (although hadn’t actually come out back then so I don’t think it counts.)
Meh, high-up arseholes have got to find someone to discriminate against — and that goes for all areas of life, not just the military.
Posted 10 May 2007 at 12:58 am ¶Didn’t you see the Daily Show segment in which Jason Jones explains why gays can’t be in the military?! Gays are easily distracted by attractive army men!(He illustrates this point by dancing provocatively next to an ex-marine translator who was discharged because he was gay)
Point made.
Posted 10 May 2007 at 3:49 am ¶“There’s way too much training given in the Navy on equal-opportunity topics for the majority of Sailors to be adamantly anti-homosexual, and the entire Air-Force is already gay.”
Navy training truly is the epitome of effective training.
Posted 13 May 2007 at 5:44 am ¶There’s a major difference between the sustainment training that is supposed to be conducted throughout one’s career, and the core training that is drilled into your head in boot camp and following training commands. That’s where the most effective training is given. The type of training that has the ability to shape people’s ideals. I credit that with having the most effective impact on creating an equal opportunity environment.
Posted 13 May 2007 at 11:01 am ¶Well you are correct that we do to much training on equal opportunity for people to be anti-homosexual…but those surveys are seldom open. It’s usually anonymous, so all those that are “Well it doesn’t bother me” will sometimes answer differently on an anonymous survey. that’s where you get the numbers.
Posted 16 May 2007 at 5:59 pm ¶Going on something MC said. Lol. That’s really cute. The reason gays can’t serve is because they’re easily distracted by other men. I served in the Air Force for whatever the minimum time was… I can’t remember now, holy macaroni. I almost had a heart attack, they make you read a WHOLE packet on why homosexuality is not allowed if you’re in the army, navy, etc.
Posted 21 May 2007 at 5:27 pm ¶Anyway, gays not being allowed to serve. Might as well stop girls from serving because they too can get easily distracted by men (*leer*). ^_~ I don’t know if I was trying to make a point, though, probably not.
Jimmy, you’ve watched the village people over 30 times singing “in the navy”? I am concerned..lol
Posted 23 May 2007 at 4:21 am ¶i love you
Nice blog, meatgazer.
Posted 04 Jun 2007 at 6:44 pm ¶u never called when u came in?
Posted 09 Jun 2007 at 3:26 pm ¶hows life?
Nice blog brutal honesty. You like Japan I was in korea! Take care
Posted 27 Jun 2007 at 9:14 am ¶Jim so you are ok with Gays in the Navy what about Submarines? What about the hot racking and such? What about if you are the the ship’s MA and you catch a couple of dudes giving each other a hummer? ewww! I’d feel like I was sexually harassed if I had to view that in bearthing.
Posted 16 Feb 2008 at 9:42 pm ¶It doesn’t matter who it is, sex on a boat is sex on a boat. You don’t realistically believe there are no gay guys on submarines do you? Being that Subase, Bangor was my first duty station and most of my friends were MTs, I know for a fact there are. Allowing gays to openly serve, isn’t giving them a free pass to start banging each other in public. Come on now.
Posted 16 Feb 2008 at 9:46 pm ¶Great post. The Greeks and Romans practicsed homosexuality in thier society–and they were some of the baddest cats on the battlefield; the Spartans, Macdeonians and of course the armies of the Roman Republic. Our current perception of this and many other things are thanks to the good ol’ stodgy bourgeois viewpoint of the Victorians of the late 19th century. Luckily, Oscar Wilde was there to raise hell for them. Hah hah.
Posted 11 Jun 2008 at 2:36 pm ¶Post a Comment
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