Posted on 06/21/2004 2:03:44 AM PDT by Finally_done
SAN FRANCISCO - Even with concerns growing about military troop strength, 770 people were discharged for homosexuality last year under the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, a new study shows.
The figure, however, is significantly lower than the record 1,227 discharges in 2001 — just before the invasions of Afghanistan (news - web sites) and Iraq (news - web sites). Since "don't ask, don't tell" was adopted in 1994, nearly 10,000 military personnel have been discharged — including linguists, nuclear warfare experts and other key specialists.
The statistics, obtained from the Defense Manpower Data Center and analyzed by the Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military at the University of California, Santa Barbara, offers a detailed profile of those discharged, including job specialty, rank and years spent in the service.
"The justification for the policy is that allowing gays and lesbians to serve would undermine military readiness," said Aaron Belkin, author of the study, which will be released Monday. "For the first time, we can see how it has impacted every corner of the military and goes to the heart of the military readiness argument."
Yeah. In the Times. And as you'd expect from the organization's name, the guy could give a damn about the military.
"Except, of course, the vitally-needed "Combat Hairdresser" MOS..."
Bwahahahahaha. . . .
Probably. I have actually several relatives (distant) that have declared their preference. I have numerous neighbors, in conventional marriages that I know the ladies get together with a "thing" often. (One woman was openly kissing and hugging the other openly on the street). Apparently their husbands are unaware of these activities. I just stay out of it and mind my own business.
One of the walk on coaches with the marching band is openly gay. His lover shows up for competitions. The students just laugh about it.
I attended a wedding for an elderly couple, there were more gay and lesbians attending than straight couples. It was weird.
There just seems to be an awful lot of it around. I see it everywhere I go. It is almost if you are not, you are strange.
I would feel left out, but I am quite busy with my own friends
Well, since homosexuality is so lightly spread through throughout humanity, we know they occupy very little of everywhere, even if they were twice the numbers reported.
Of course, if they have increased in a shorter time than a generation, that would argue against genetic determination.
There could be pretenders, kissing in public, or such, because the vast advertisement of that behavior has made it cool. 
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.