“sharing a tent or other close living arrangements with an openly gay man?”
I put in 20 years, so my opinion should have at least as much consideration as a guy who never put on the uniform of his country.
At best, I’d want to study the issue in a controlled, scientific research experiment and not use the military as the experiment, nor taking the word of “gay science” if that’s what you’d call it. Certainly, I’m not suggesting we take the word of the usual gay-bashing groups, either.
At it’s most fundamental, the issue here is not a gay issue for me. It’s an issue of sex in the foxhole. There’s a reason we don’t want men and women and subordinates and superiors engaged in sex in military units. Or even the office at work. Sex diverts attention from the mission. Jealousy, distraction, competition. All wrong for the mission.
Add to that the revulsion of many straight men for the very idea of homosexuality. Now you add direct aggression, either from the gays or the (literal) gay bashers. And suspicion.
There is a certain tension in military units, which may not be a perfect solution, but it works for the most part. Gays can find each other and be safe in their privacy off base or after duty. Just like heteros can find each other and do the adultery deed or whatever.
But when one sex is aggressive toward the other, unwanted advances, create a whole series of problems. Add gays hitting on straights and sexual harassment takes on a whole new dimension.
Perhaps the one thing Pat Buchanan ever said worth repeating is: The love whose name cannot be spoken is now the love that can’t shut up about itself, or words to that effect.
For certain, the openly gay battalion commander, platoon leader, squad leader, company commander won’t find a lot of hard-core soldier types wanting to follow him or her into battle.
If this issue goes the way of mortgage lending, which has created a world in which it’s seemingly dumb to save up money for a down payment, qualify for a mortgage and keep up your payments because you’ll be bailed out for being a loser . . .
Why would you want to do that to the most professional fighting force in the history of the world? If you must experiment, do it in a study setting, for heaven’s sake. Hey, if the results can be duplicated in studies and found to be valid, go ahead, open the doors. Otherwise . . .
The military as we know it will cease to exist, if you experiment.
That’s my opinion. What about the opinions of those in uniform?
No one can know the outcome of this. But I can tell you that there absolutely has to be research out there already. Soldiers, Marines, Airmen, Sailors. They’ve been surveyed. If they were clamoring for closer quarters with openly gay folks, you’d already know about it.
I’d bet that they do NOT want openly gay commanders and bunkmates. If a gay lieutenant is effective but not always broadcasting, either overtly or quietly his gaiety, no problem. But not matter how effective, once the gay goggles go on, there will be trouble. Our professionals will leave because they will refuse to serve. Alternatively, and I say this sadly, there will be blood.
Good Lord! As I say, why do we even have to have this conversation?
Great well thought out post. And I agree, let’s not experiment on our military, it’s way too important. They are the best, and I’m glad of it and I want it to stay that way.