Most troops wouldn't oppose serving with gays, survey finds

Washington Post ^ | 10/28/2010 | Ed O' Keefe

[SeekAndFind]

A majority of active-duty and reserve service members surveyed by the Defense Department would not object to serving and living alongside openly gay troops, according to multiple people familiar with the findings.

The survey's results are expected to be included in a Pentagon report, due to President Obama on Dec. 1, regarding how the military would end enforcement of the "don't ask, don't tell" law that bans openly gay men and lesbians from serving in uniform.

Some troops surveyed - but not a majority - objected strongly to the idea of serving with gays and said they would quit the military if the policy changed, said the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly share details of the survey.

Defense Department officials did not respond to requests for comment.

NBC News first reported Thursday evening on the survey's findings.

In July, the Pentagon sent a survey with dozens of questions to 400,000 active-duty and reserve troops. It asked whether they had ever shared a room or the showers with gay peers, and how they might act if a gay service member lived with a same-sex partner on base.

Military officials did not say how many troops completed the survey, but at least 103,000 had done so just days before it was due, according to the Pentagon. A similar survey was later sent to military spouses.

[Conservative Coulter Fan]

Is there really a gay agenda handbook? Wouldn’t that be self defeating? A secret handshake maybe? Perhaps it’s a way you tie your shoes?

Are you a damn idiot? You act like there isn't an agenda? George Soros gave Human Rights Watch a total of $100 million and when they aren't bashing the military for being vicious murderers...they're trying to destroy traditional marriage, they're working to make sure homosexuality is taught as a virtue in schools, they are pushing laws that'll eventually make it a crime to even say anything against homosexuality...there are plenty of other groups like the LGT....NOW...and a host of other homosexual advocacy groups that are funded with millions of dollars from wealthy progressives like Soros...and the Tides Foundation.

As to other half of your statement, we have deviants that define who they are and everything they do be their sexual perversion...we don't need to do or look for anything that a loud vocal minority of the population that demands representation, acknowledgement, and support because...of their perversion...it's sick and absurd...and I caan't figure out how any reasonable person with moral inetrity could lend any credence to this nonsense!

[central_va]

Stop being an idiot.

Stop pushing the queer agenda on Free Republic.

PS:You like tacos or maybe clams?

[Conservative Coulter Fan]

Fine, get me out of here... I’m frankly bored with this discussion and your accusations are tiring. How you guys can argue fervently about homosexuals day after day is astounding.

Don't let the door hit you on the way out...you have to be a fool to blame the issue on us...when it is a heavily financed effort on the part of progressives....and the Obamunist Administration...they're the ones making it an issue because apparently the compromise in 1993 (that I oppose) allowed homosexuals in the military as long as they could just shut up about it and keep it at home.

[Walts Ice Pick]

Is there really a gay agenda handbook? Wouldn’t that be self defeating? A secret handshake maybe? Perhaps it’s a way you tie your shoes?

Of course there's a homosexual agenda and you shouldn't make light of what they're trying to do.

If the homosexuals could totally brainwash Vice President Cheney, what makes you think you're immune?

Just don't listen to their twisted logic!

[central_va]

Is that you HairoftheDog?

[Know et al]

Everyone has to serve in the IDF, being gay would be the “in” thing to get out of mandatory service if they allowed it for some people. I imagine if Israel was founded in a safer climate and not surrounded by her enemies then it might be a different story////

Thank you AB.

[Conservative Coulter Fan]

Is this the sort of S**T you want to come to characterize our Military! You take a good damn look at yourself and what you're saying when you demand that we destroy one of the few institutions in this country that hasn't been completely destroyed by your insistence that it just drops its standards and allow deviants and perverts into it's ranks:

Exploiting Rank and Using Alcohol and Homosexual Pornography to Manipulate Victim

In some of the reported cases, servicemembers have taken advantage of their relationship with those of lower rank, and also plied their victims with alcohol to make them vulnerable. Such was the case against Marine Sgt. Sean D. Habian:

Lance Corporal (LCpl) L, a 21-year-old radio repairman with less than 2 years experience in the Marine Corps, was sent by his unit to augment Military Police Company as a day-shift clerk at the base pass office. The appellant, a 36-year-old sergeant with over 8 years' experience in the Marine Corps, also worked in the pass office, on the night shift. . . . [T]he appellant . . . asked LCpl L if he would be interested in coming over to the appellant's house to "hang out." LCpl L agreed . . . . LCpl L arrived at the appellant's on-base quarters, and the appellant encouraged him, over LCpl L's initial protest, to drink alcoholic beverages. . . . LCpl L testified that he became extremely intoxicated, and could not recall anything that happened after he sat down on the downstairs sofa around 0300.

When LCpl L awoke, he was in the appellant's upstairs bedroom, and could feel a hand rubbing his a--s and digitally penetrating it. He felt a second hand reaching for his genital area. He still felt intoxicated, but attempted to push his elbow back to stop the person touching him. The touching was repeated, with a hand rubbing his a--s and a finger penetrating it "every once in awhile." He heard the person saying "one more time. One more time." After LCpl L again pushed back with his elbows, the appellant got off the bed, slapped LCpl L on the buttocks and yelled at him to get out of bed and leave the house. LCpl L was groggy, and the appellant slapped him two more times, a few minutes apart, before LCpl finally got up off the bed. Realizing he was naked, LCpl L had a heated conversation with the appellant, asking the latter what had taken place and the location of his clothes. . . .

While discussing the incident [later] with [Special Agent] Ryan, LCpl L vaguely recalled an additional incident in which he woke up during the night and saw gay pornography on the television. He remembered waking up yet again due to a lack of air, with the appellant's groin area in his face and neck area. He could also feel the appellant s---ing on his p---s. LCpl L did not remember having any clothing on at this time, although he had been fully clothed when he sat down on the couch at approximately 0300. As LCpl L attempted to move his head to catch his breath, he opened his eyes and saw the television screen, on which he saw a man performing oral sex on another man. . . . The day before he invited LCpl L to his house, the appellant went to an adult store and purchased a transsexual inflatable doll kit. The doll had both an a--l and oral orifice, but no v-----l orifice. The appellant also purchased a videotape, entitled "Transsexual Streetwalkers," depicting homosexual sexual activity. After the incident, agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service found the doll, inflated, in the appellant's closet. . . . A homosexual video was found in the appellant's VCR, attached to his television set.

. . . He was . . . convicted of fraternization with LCpl L, and with an indecent acts offense for rubbing LCpl L's a--s, fondling LCpl L's p---s and t-------s, and penetrating LCpl L's a--s with his fingers. . . . [T]he appellant argues that the appellant's acts in rubbing LCpl L's private parts and digitally penetrating his a--s were simply "homosexual foreplay" and cannot be found indecent . . . . We disagree. . . . [T]he indecent acts of which the appellant was convicted involved actions . . . as LCpl L was just awakening and trying to shake off an intoxicated stupor. . . . LCpl L's vulnerable condition and the lack of any express consent render the indecent acts of which the appellant was convicted coercive in nature.32

Is this what you want? Evil prevails when good men do nothing! The military has been a great institution and we hold our soldiers....especially our officers...to a high standard. To hell with both of you if you condone that!

[HairOfTheDog]

What the hell is the matter with you?

Look buddy, I’m a conservative voter on every single issue. Every single time. I assure you it’s based on logic and reason and not because I want you for company.

I don’t even know what your prior post means. And I think that says something good about me, not you. You’re obnoxious.

[HairOfTheDog]

Just lovely.

[meadsjn]

This ol’ Vet says the headline is Leftist BullShit.

Same here; leftist BS, lying POSs.

[Jim Robinson]

Reply 92 removed per poster’s request. Thanks!

[Jim Robinson]

Same here. No homos in the military. Period!!

[RetSignman]

{What part of this is not clear to you?}

You misunderstood my post, I’m NOT in favor of openly homosexuals serving. I served in the Navy and am well aware of the disruption it can cause in the ranks.

I probably should have added sarc. somewhere in my post.

[RetSignman]

{What part of this is not clear to you?}

You misunderstood my post, I’m NOT in favor of openly homosexuals serving. I served in the Navy and am well aware of the disruption it can cause in the ranks.

I probably should have added sarc. somewhere in my post.

[central_va]

Look buddy, I’m a conservative voter on every single issue. Every single time.

Well not really, you dropped the ball big time.

[DBeers]

When you think about, if it is this bad on Free Republic then it is depressingly bad.

Some issues separate the wheat from the chaff -this is one of those issues. What we see here on FR we see nationwide. There are pseudo conservative progressives among us. Some are but ignorant, while some are truly malcontents co-opted by either ego premised elitism and imagined superiority or by sheer ignorance as a result of leftist propaganda...

Look at the Florida senate race with Crist NOW showing his true colors. You can chalk up Romney to this crowd as well as Schwarzenegger...

When push comes to shove these spineless and morally devoid progressive pseudo conservatives will sacrifice liberty and freedom for their delusional concepts of "progress" because they just do not get "it" -our country is founded upon the unalienable endowed by God -that which is above man.

They that wish to be God, if left unchecked will enslave us all and usher in tyranny... The path is clear, the destination is always the same, history shows it time and time again --YET some just do not get "it" and they allow steps in this direction to go unchallenged...

[little jeremiah]

Sorry, there are so many trolls/liberaltarians or whatever they are pushing the “gay” agenda I didn’t realize you were being sarcastic!

[little jeremiah]

I guess you think elimination of the freedoms of religion, association and speech are just fine and dandy.

Conservatives see the grave danger of the homosexual agenda and don’t pretend it doesn’t exist.

I’m concerned about it becuase it is a totalitarian agenda that ruins lives and is aiming for elimination of all opposition. I think you are a liar and it’s not that you don’t know this, it’s that you agree with it.