Why do people get so upset about homosexuals in the military?

Question

Since we are in a "War Against Terror," why would we deny someone who /wants/ to serve that right? I just don't understand the reasoning behind it.

Answer 1

>Just wait until they start drafting hairdressers and interior decorators...then you'll be upset.

Actually it shouldn't get anyone upset as long as the gay soldier can do their job. When you're in a firefight not many participants are thinking about such mundane crap.<

Answer 2

The reasoning behind it is actually quite old.

Homosexuality wasn't as reviled in past societies as they are in monotheistic ones. That isn't to say that it was rampant. The Spartans forbade it. The Thebans, on the other hand, had an elite unit composed entirely of lovers. In the Roman Legions, it was forbidden on pain of death. But even in that harsh environment, the "Greek disease" as it was sometimes disparagingly called, was still practiced by some, albeit discreetly. The Roman model is what the United States follows today (not much of a coincidence since the entire political system of the United States is modeled on the Roman Republic).

The rationale is that relationships of any sort, hetrosexual or homosexual, that are detrimental to good order and military discipline are verboten. All four military service branches take a fairly harsh line on this. Homosexuality is considered especially suspect not because of innate repugnancy per se, but because the sort of social tolerance that exists, say, in the Netherlands simply does not permit a member of the military to be openly homosexual, whether male or female.

Thus, given the choice of ceding rights to a few individuals and turning them into lightning rods for open and serious abuse, the choice is to drive the whole thing underground. The shrill cries of religious purists just adds to the incentive, as the underpinnings of American society are Judeo-Christian, after all. It wasn't Atheists and hippies that sailed on the 'Mayflower', after all. Nowhere in the Constitution or the Bill of Rights is there explicit language protecting the rights of homosexuals. Thus, their status in legal limbo.

Thus, a compromise is born between the need to permit citizens who wish to serve their country, and the need of other citizens to maintain some notions of moral purity. The two are irreconcilable and thus we fall back to the age-old solution of the Roman Legions, namely ... "don't ask, don't tell".

I have a body of resources somewhere on my shelves on this and other subjects, so feel free to email me if the need arises. Dewa mata, have a good day, Questioner.

Answer 3

There really is no "great" reason. One would think that if someone wants to join that is better than convincing people to join.

Since when does it matter who you have sex with? If this is a concern shouldn't people who have premarital sex be of the same concern?

People just want to believe in something and to stand behind it so much its ridiculous. They dont have laws forbidding people who participate in premarital sex from getting married, do they?

Isn't that also an abomination against God? Oh yeah that can be forgiven since its heterosexual(come on people take a look at the whole picture.) People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw the stones.

Answer 4

Well, you have to look at the environment.
A lot of straight men for some reason believe that gay men find them irresistable.
Quite a few manly-men feel threatened by gay men and want to beat them up.
Not even a studly straight man would admit he out-loud that he cried during Yentl.
Add to the intensity of boot camp, the complete breaking down of an individual (brain washing, if you wish) the forcing of unity within a group and learning to take an order with a salute and a goose step.
Trust me, some gay men are kick-*** wicked fkrs who'd scare the daylights out of any enemy.
So, since they can't join the military....they play football and sing hip hop instead.

Answer 5

They can serve but not practice homosexuality on duty. The
troops live in close proximity & some do feel uncomfortable
in sleeping situations, Distractions are not needed in battlefield. Life is not always fair but the good of many always outweighs the good of one.
That is the reasoning - right or wrong.

Answer 6

Well,it would kinda give me the cripes knowing that while I'm taking a shower I had some guy checking me out.
Now,the ones I want to see in action in the military is some of the Bush family.They should be on the front lines right along with our boys,since the war was their idea in the first place.

Answer 7

Why do they get upset with gays in any walk of life? It's called homophobia. Back in the day counterintelligence spent a lot of time ferreting out homosexuals. They were felt to be security risks.A study of the history of intelligence operatives reveals that no homosexual ever betrayed his or her country because of financial or sexual matters. Even when caught in a honey trap they would go to their handler or superior even knowing that such a report would end their careers and end in dishonourable discharge.

Answer 8

No one in the army cares about what you do and with whom you do in the bed.
It is more of a hype,
however no one would accept public display of affection no matter what sex due to disciplinary reasons.
Like it or not Homosexuality has and will exist in the army without any hoopla

Answer 9

you have to serve in very close quarters with member of the military, and it is just asking for problems.

Answer 10

Because we still need a group of people to hate on . Look at the US history it full of hate and anger . Gays can join, look at the Navy its all been full of homosexuals as long as you don't say you are gay you can join and die for country . Another thing the big army allways calls the little army terrorist . If someone kills my family I think I would be a terrorist to .