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Do Ask and Don’t lie, I for one am excited about the changes in the military and love my Navy man and believe we need to celebrate this long out fight to restored honor for many. At one time I wanted to go into the military for a brief moment, but was concerned I would never make it past the showers and not really into being mentally and physically broken down to make a buck. However, I have a great respect for our sailors, marines, air force and army men and women (oh coast guard, too), for they have taught me a lot about honor, courage, loyalty and discipline. My understanding of the military is from an outside perspective where in some since it is like a cult (a good cult) with lot of rules and one dude in charge that can make you jump to the rules without debate. I understand completely the need for this kind of discipline in my older age to protect soldiers and our community at large. I also understand the military rules prohibit folks from talking and discussing personal stuff at work for all military men and women, within the old saying, leave your personal problems and stuff at home, but wear your wedding ring. I also understand in some since the military kind of promotes the gay lifestyle, like the buddy system, die for you buddy if needed, and long stretches of deployment together in tight quarters. This concept of honor in the Military and civil society is the problem for me in the spirit of being HIV has a stigma of no honor for many, which truly is a lie that seems to try and steal a persons souls and no policy can cure this, for it must come from the hearts of our community and country, but policy can help bring these truths forward. Repealing Don't Ask, Don't tell can only bring forth more truths and honor in my opinion, for again in my older age truth is healing and brings freedom to restore honor and more education concerning HIV the better for all. However one man's truths may be another mans greatest fear of seemly losing one's honor. My hopes and prayers are that civil society and the military will work together to heal the wrongs of the past and forgive our fore fathers for their past mistakes and to embrace this expanded freedoms with hopes to then embrace a life of truth and honor for the many and for many beyond the USA.
Anonymous
First off, a little off of the subject, but Oriol, you're a hottie! Lol. Okay, my thoughts on the DADT repeal consideration: I think it's great! Why should it matter what a person's sexual oreintation is if they are willing to defend their country? This would be another step for us in the LGBT community, and of course we have a long way to go. As a gay man myself, when I graduated in 1997 from high school, I tried to go for the Air Force, but my score wasn't good enough. So I chose the Marines. I had a Marine recruiter to come to visit me, and I just happened to be barefooted that day. Well, he told me right off top that I wouldn't make it in because of my feet-suprisingly, nothing was ever mentioned about my sexuality from this guy. I guess he may have had the same stereotype that alot of heterosexuals do about gay men, that we're all fem acting and would be too scared to defend anything. And then too, I'm not a fem acting type (nothing wrong with it if anybody is), but I'm not also exactly masculine-just right down the middle as my demeanor. If the US would follow the EU's or Canada's example and let openly gay men and women serve without repercussions, then everything would be good. I do believe that the US is slowly trying to be at least tolerant to us LGBT folks, which that's pretty much what we ask for-equal rights in all aspects of life. Nobody should ever be ashamed of who they are, and shame on the US military for trying to make us feel like that.
March 28, 2011