In your opinion, should the Army allow "allow out and proud" gay people in the service?

Question

I know the Army has a "Don't ask, Don't tell policy", but what I am asking is In your opinion, should the Army except all soldier no matter what their sexual orinitation in.

Answer 1

Here is the problem and I am in the military so I know. People in the Military live in very close situations. Sometimes in open showers, sometimes in communal living. Right now, they only have to segregate by sex and they do that so that no one will have to put up with sexual advances, leering, etc. This would disrupt unit morale and when teamwork is sometimes needed to save lives or to funtion in life or death situations, this can be a problem. If we are to allow "out and proud" in such a situation, then why segregate living areas at all, even by sex. If gay men and women are living with their sexual or even relationship targets, then why shouldn't heterosexuals. In todays military, if someone is found out to be gay, he is usually alienated and shunned. That is why most that are in, just prefer to be quiet about it.

Answer 2

well it is not the Army that has that policy. It is the DOD, Department of Defense. As for the rest of it...I think that it would be a bad idea. Now all through out history there have been gay members of the armed forces from all over the world. That is not the problem. The problem arises when, and all of us have them, urges that may strike from time to time and you have no outlet to get what you need then there is a problem. You also have to remember that there are times, Infantry, that you could be out for a long time and there is a good deal of bashing that goes on and if someone were out and proud, then they would be harassed for a long time and I doubt that the leaders could do anything about it. Me personally I could have served with gay people and I do not care. They have a job to do and as long as they do it what they do on their free time means nothing to me.

Answer 3

It would appear by the "no" answers given that personnel feel that an openly gay person would break down the cohesion and functionality of the unit. My question to that is, what about the closet gays that are currently serving? Would it affect you that strongly to know that your roommate is gay? The problem with the US is still moralistic. We are so "Bible belt" oriented that we can't live and let live.

I retired from the US Army, and served with people that I believe were gay. They never came out of the closet, and I didn't ask. (Don't ask, don't tell) As a civilian, I know homosexuals, and they do their jobs well, and there are no issues. Personally, I can't stand seeing two guys kiss, but as long as they perform their jobs in a professional manner, there is nothing wrong. In my opinion, there is no reason not to allow openly homosexual people to serve in the military. They would be treated badly for the first couple of years, simply because there are homophobic people in the world.

Various militaries throughout the world have openly homosexual personnel serving in various positions (get your minds out of the gutters). Their service has not detracted from their jobs, nor has it been detrimental to their countries.

Answer 4

A good case can be made that gays can serve in the military, after all, they do now. I'm not sure about the "out and proud" part. Proud of what? Isn't pride normally attached to an accomplishment? Isn't pride for pride's sake nothing more than false pride?

During the 22 years I spent in the navy I knew quite a few sailors whom I strongly suspected were gay and I knew a few I was sure were gay. The only ones that ever had a problem were the ones who wore their sexuality on their sleeves.

Answer 5

Nope to the out & proud gay person because the military thrives on being a cohesive unit. You have to trust that person in the bunker next to you because they may save your life. The "don't ask, don't tell" policy has worked for all these years. A person's sexuality, if kept in its proper boundaries, is a wonderful thing

Answer 6

I do not have any hatred toward gays or lesbians. However, I was in the military. I know from being in the military that there are some pretty unhealthy people who are in the military. at least two every shop I ever worked in, (psychotics). They would make life a living HELL for those who act 'gay'. The harassment would be unbearable for them and there would be no stopping it. The leaders wouldn't do anything about it. My advice to gays is don't even think about going into the military.
(alright, psychotic, is a bit strong, but I still stand by my comment!)

Answer 7

i don't be conscious of it a guy or woman has lots selection in the event that they fall in love. reason is going out the window. despite if there is an extreme distinction afterward, there is desire for happiness. various study have been finished on could-December romances, and found that distinction afterward had much less consequence on marriage than different issues. It would not make sense to me, yet study is study; and age distinction does not have lots to do with marriages. for my section, i don't think of i might decide to have a relation deliver with a youthful female or an previous woman. 5 or ten years distinction might generally be ok. If one human beings is 30, and the different 20, it would in all threat be comfortable with me. yet, i might shun any relation deliver with a sixteen 3 hundred and sixty 5 days previous female if I have been 26. yet, like I suggested in the beginning up, one would not have lots selection in the event that they fall in love.

Answer 8

Provided that you keep it to yourself, the military doesn't have anything against gays serving. But having someone who open and flamboyant about it is bad for two big reasons--it's a huge detriment to the focus on the mission in that it's a distraction, since truthfully not everyone is comfortable around openly flamboyant gays, and that in being openly flamboyant about it you would only be inviting a lot of trouble, since many in the military are mildly to highly hostile against gays, depending on their background--to be fair, many could care less about gays, but those who dislike them are reason enough for it to be wiser to keep it to yourself. Besides, what purpose would be served in bringing all that unwelcome attention to yourself? Do you think you're accomplishing something by declaring yourself openly gay and subsequently inviting yourself to be ostracized from your own unit, not to mention have action taken against you for openly violating military regulations? I don't have anything against gay folks--I've known quite a few who were superb people. There just isn't any place for additional trouble in the closeknit military bubble, and life in that bubble is strenuous enough without the added turmoil from outside lobbyists thinking it's better to stir things up just to prove some political point of theirs. Leave the military alone and let them focus on their jobs, whether they be gay or straight, so they can accomplish those jobs. Distractions that erode unit cohesion can cause deaths in a combat environment, and anyone who is in the military or has been, and has BEEN in a combat environment, would tell you that exact same sentence in the blink of an eye.

Answer 9

Since you are female maybe you should look at the issue this way.

If you are going to force males to take showers with homosexuals - wouldn't it be fair to also force females to take showers with the males?

Answer 10

Based on your rationale then men and women should share barracks and showers in the military as well.

Hmm, I wonder what would happen then...