Gay barracks? Military faces thorny questions

Originally posted by OzWeatherman
I personally find sex between two men repulsive, but I dont see the need to segregate society even more by rooming people with the same sexual orientation in the same areas. Thats simply homophobia gone backwards.

If this gets passed completely by congress and implemented, they will have to allow for 'same-orientation' rooms. When I was in, I would not share a room alone with a homosexual. I'm an average size guy. If the homo was larger, I may be concerned about a drunk homo raping me or at least bringing in another and engaging in homo sex.

The military may try to force mixed rooms, but that will only lead to a loss of servicemen upwards of 23% of the active duty force (323,000), and likely impact recruitment efforts.

[edit on 29-5-2010 by Wolf321]

reply to post by OzWeatherman


I was using reverse discrimination in a playful way. I really did have to endure that and found it disgusting. Never would I have brought my sexuality to the barracks. Sex should always be privately held between two people in a very private way. Straight or gay. I don't care who you sleep with, just keep it out of my face.

reply to post by brilab45


Ah I see

I get what you mean now

reply to post by Wolf321


Well, if you recall your barracks situation, you were given the opportunity to have a roomie you felt you could get along with. There is no difference in asking if a gay dude wants to share a room with another gay dude. Its not like all gay men want to sleep with any male that moves. We have our tastes and discriminatory sexual proclivities as well. Gay men do not want sex with the average Joe. We seek others like ourselves. What is the point in having sex with someone not of your own lifestyle? If your straight......your straight. Done deal. Not going to hurl myself at you. Rape? Come on, really. Rape is detestable and very few homo's try to subdue a straight. Yes rape happens, but primarily by straight people. The facts show that statistics. After all, gays only make up 3 to 5% of the population.

I was a big guy and only liked other big guy gay men. I assure you, a non-worked out male straight body is more disgusting to me than a female.

Originally posted by brilab45
Well, if you recall your barracks situation, you were given the opportunity to have a roomie you felt you could get along with.

I wasn't given an option on who I roomed with.

Originally posted by brilab45Rape? Come on, really. Rape is detestable and very few homo's try to subdue a straight. Yes rape happens, but primarily by straight people.

The fact that straight military men have raped women, provides logic enough that gay men will rape men. In both bases, alcohol is usually involved. Your right, the odds are small, but still higher than two straight men sharing a room. I wouldn't want to take that chance.

reply to post by Wolf321


I understand your concerns. I really do. Meet and talk with the average gay man and they will tell you........if your not gay, they are not interested. Any gay man that pushes himself on a straight man, should be punished by the same means a women is harassed sexually. And I mean harshly.

We don't need separate barracks, we need good pairing of roomies. Our 1st Sgt.'s are in charge in of that. I just simply did not have any problems in the barracks being gay. Except of course my whore male room mate that had sex with random women every weekend. I assure you I did not like that.

reply to post by Wolf321


Guess I have to ask you why you feel so threatened? Have you been accosted before? Sorry if you did. But if a gay guy says something.........like you a are cute, hot or whatever.....take it as a compliment. Move on.

I've never understood "Don't ask, don't tell". Of course throughout the history of the US armed forces, you didn't tell if you wanted to stay in. And as far as don't ask, they don't have to ask. They just have to follow you around. Send a plainclothes mp to follow you, and the first time you go into a gay bar you are done. They don't have to admit they were following you. They "were on the way to the 7-11 to buy a hotdog and what oh what did they see". Or if someone sends an anonymous email to your c.o., he can have you investigated. He can even ask you if it's true. That's what happened with lots of the arabic translators. Someone sent anonymous emails denouncing them. So they all got kicked out and the armed forces ended up with no arabic translators.

reply to post by brilab45


I agree it might not require a separate barracks, depending on whether or not there are communal showers, but they will need to consider preference for pairing purposes.

Then, what about pair people IN relationships. If two gay roommates get involved in a relationship together, will male-female rooms be allowed if they are in a relationship for the same convenience?

DADT is just a simpler policy.

Originally posted by christianpatrick
So they all got kicked out and the armed forces ended up with no arabic translators.

Solution: assign married troops to translator positions.

Problem solved.

reply to post by Wolf321


Usually, people (gay or straight) move off base in a relationship. Regardless of BAQ. People like their privacy.

reply to post by brilab45


Some bases only allow off base living privileges to married or certain ranks.

I'm just bringing up issues that will have to be addressed, and the solutions aren't very good.

reply to post by Wolf321


I'll admit that I don't know current protocols regarding living off base. However, in general...........I believe no one should get in a serious relationship until 30 or so. Most relationships end if failure prior to that age anyways.

Originally posted by MikeboydUS
reply to post by tothetenthpower

 

I could probably reverse your argument about worrying about trivial things.

The military's existence is devoted to war. Thats it. Anything else beyond that like sexuality, religion, politics, speech, or identity is all trivial.

Actually to maintian an effective fighting force a military leader down to a inlisted private needs to assess ALL probable hindrances to a untis success. That includes the "trivial" as you call it. Only those in higher authority can only change that.

In order for the military to function as effeciently as possible, each service member has to function as part of the machine. "I" becomes irrelevant. Only "We", the team, the mission, and the objective are relevant.

I agree with this and it works this way for the most part so whats the issue? As far as I can recall when I was in the Army we knew who was gay and noone cared. Maybe there was some talking trash behind their back but thats to be expected in a "gang mentality". Beyond that however we worked and trained together fine.

I personally have no problem with gays in the military. Just like religion, politics, or any other identity it needs to be kept at home and off duty. The only identity while on duty and deployed that needs to be maintained is the identity as a soldier, marine, airmen or sailor in the service of the United States. Anything else is really trivial and unnecessary.

This would work if the fictional military you speak of were consisting of cyberdynes latest T-800 series. Unfortunatly for you the military consists of imperfect human beings who are governed by emotions and desires which are amplified by the constant threat of war and possible death. So yes No need to remind a soldier of their duty, Thank you.

Anyone who does not understand that really should not be in the military.

What a bold claim,

gays have been in the military for years.

I am a veteran and know a number if vets that are gay.
The VA even asks vets if they are gay so they can screen for disorders found among gays. these gay vets are treated the same as all other vets.

I also know of a number of active duty military that are gay and i run into them all the time at nude beaches. They don't hit on str8s because they know who is gay in there units. and most military bases have gay bars a safe but convenient distance away.
I have seen groups of gay marines that hang out at the same nude beaches or hot springs.

Some of these gays in the military have web sites so they know who is gay in what units.

As far as I can see don't ask don't tell is the best policy.
When your in the fight you don't give a damn who is what religion or what sexuality all you think is will that dude cover my backside when a nutcase is discharging 30 rounds in 3 seconds at my head?

The BIG PICTURE however is that people in charge of the military need to consider how certain human peculiarities will effect the over all effectivness of a fighting force. that includes, weather, human emotion, physical fitness and a plethora of seemingly nonsensical minutia. This is the way it has allways been done and will allways be done.

Sounds like our military isn't doing so well at brainwashing the recruits into cold blooded loveless killing machines. Or is that only the marines?

I once read this:

You can't assume that because someone is same sex as you and gay that they're attracted to you.
You can't assume that because someone is same sex as you and gay they are NOT attracted to you.

You can't assume because someone is the opposite sex as you and straight they're attracted to you
You can't assume because someone is the opposite sex as you and straight they are NOT attracted to you.

I guarantee if you went to high school or college and took group showers you were unknowingly next to some person who was gay - get over it. Stop making assumptions about people and treat everyone as a person.

The whole idea of "gay barracks" is ONLY the American media making things worse in its typical separate the masses BS.

There are dozens of other countries that have openly gay people in their militaries and it's no problem at all.

This whole discussion is ridiculous.

Solution? Grow up.

America has long been a bastion of sexually repressive nutters who are entirely too concerned with the sexual exploits of others even when they are such small things as kissing.

What a joke.

Stop treating the military as if a) civilians know anything about it b) the military is filled with bigots who have not changed with the American landscape (ie more tolerant) and c) that we should care what the soldiers think about proposed changes.

So your job and shut up about it was always the code when I was in the Corps and it seems likely to be the same now, or should be.

The media is muckraking for the dinosaurs. We need equality and we need to grow up.