Posted on 04/07/2005 2:31:08 PM PDT by Crackingham
An Army sergeant who was wounded in Iraq wants a chance to remain in the military as an openly gay soldier, a desire that's bringing him into conflict with the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Sgt. Robert Stout, 23, says he has not encountered trouble from fellow soldiers and would like to stay if not for the policy that permits gay men and women to serve only if they keep their sexual orientation a secret.
"I know a ton of gay men that would be more than willing to stay in the Army if they could just be open," Stout said in an interview with The Associated Press. "But if we have to stay here and hide our lives all the time, it's just not worth it."
Stout, of Utica, Ohio, was awarded the Purple Heart after a grenade sent pieces of shrapnel into his arm, face and legs while he was operating a machine gun on an armored Humvee last May.
He is believed to be the first gay soldier wounded in Iraq to publicly discuss his sexuality, said Aaron Belkin, director of the Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military at the University of California-Santa Barbara.
"We can't keep hiding the fact that there's gay people in the military and they aren't causing any harm," said Stout, who says he is openly gay among most of his 26-member platoon, which is part of the 9th Engineer Battalion based in Schweinfurt, Germany. Stout, who served in Iraq for more than a year as a combat engineer, said by acknowledging he is gay, he could be jailed and probably will be discharged before his scheduled release date of May 31.
"The old armchair thought that gay people destroy unit camaraderie and cohesion is just wrong," Stout said. "They said the same things when they tried to integrate African-Americans and women into the military."
Before the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, enacted in 1993 under the Clinton administration, the Pentagon had explicitly barred gays from military service. At least 24 countries, including Great Britain, Germany, France, Australia, Canada and Israel, allow gays to serve openly.
In an e-mail following the AP interview, Stout said he had been ordered not to speak to the media. "I guess they found out somehow that I was talking to the press and now they are having a fit. I will try to get everything straightened out," Stout wrote.
Martha Rudd, a spokeswoman for the Army at the Pentagon, said soldiers who are discharged under "don't ask, don't tell" typically receive honorable discharges, although the timing would be up to the individual's commanding officer. She declined to comment about Stout, saying the Army doesn't comment on specific cases.
The issue of whether gays should be allowed to openly serve in the military has received increased attention in recent months as the Army has struggled to meet its recruiting goals. Twelve gays expelled from the military sued the government in December, citing a Supreme Court ruling that declared unconstitutional state laws against homosexual sex. The Bush administration has asked a federal court to dismiss the lawsuit.
Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey has said he opposes changing the policy, although Pentagon figures show a sharp decline in the number of U.S. military members discharged for making it known they are homosexual, falling from 1,227 in 2001 to 653 last year.
ROTFLMAO!!!!!
Well, to be fair, wherever the US military sets up bases, brothels and strip clubs quickly follow.
As a heterosexual, is it still ok too listen too "Air Supply"
But not necessarily in that order.
I don't get it!
Said with a lisp " Ya beast, savage!!!"...............
Some of the comments here are based in bigotry exclusively.
Other posters, like DTogo, make reasoned and thoughtful arguments.
I work with a guy who's partner of 10 years is a Petty Officer in the Navy.
He should be kicked out, those are the rules. Nothing personal, just the rules.
He hasn't been asked..he hasn't told. Those are the rules. As long as he does his job properly, I should care.
I can just picture what would happen if some Muslim saw two male soldiers going at it out in the open.
I disagree, "Don't ask, don't tell" works fine for me. I would rather it be, "Don't do it," but Clinton overruled me.
Good grief! Did he join the military to defend his country or to have one long gay pride parade shoved in everyone's faces?
The MSM couldn't wait for something like this to happen.
Good grief! Did he join the military to defend his country or to have one long gay pride parade shoved in everyone's faces?
ROFLMAO
SF Republican wrote:
stay in san francisco I guess you have no gays in your city
No, SF has the gays, santa cruz has the lesbians.
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.