Gay Military Magazine Coming to US Bases

Newsmax ^ | 02 Sep 2011 | N/A

[Publius804]

WASHINGTON — US officials have approved the distribution of a gay-themed magazine at Army and Air Force bases for the first time, coinciding with the end of a ban on openly gay troops, according to activists.

OutServe Magazine, which caters to gay members of the armed forces, said it would deliver a special "repeal issue" on September 20, the day the prohibition against openly gay US service members is due to officially end.

The upcoming edition will feature photos and biographies of nearly 100 service members who will be openly acknowledging their sexual orientation, the magazine said on its website on Friday.

"This marks an incredible time in the history of our military. Gay, lesbian, and bisexual servicemembers once had to conceal their true identities," said a OutServe co-director on the website, who withheld his or her identity while the ban remains in effect.

"By featuring their pictures and their stories, we are signaling that time has passed. It is time for these military members to be honored for their extraordinary commitment and sacrifice in defense of our country," the co-director said.

The US Army and Air Force Exchange Service, which oversees merchandise and restaurants permitted to operate on military bases, approved the distribution of the magazine on publication racks, defense officials said.

"The Army Air Force Exchange Service centrally contracts for the distribution of free publications," a defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.

Former soldiers and gay rights groups have fought for years to overturn the ban, introduced in 1993 as a compromise after military chiefs rejected a bid by former president Bill Clinton to open the doors to gay soldiers.

[JSDude1]

I would hope so, but in an immmoral world..

[little jeremiah]

I’m down playing it.

[hosepipe]

This is NOT fabulous..

[robowombat]

The armed forces since the end of the Cold War have changed in strange ways. The enlisted and (for the Army and Marines especially) NCO and O-5 and below have become more and more professional and in a way not seen in Viet Nam do own the Long War. The depressing characters that populated the NCO ranks in the Viet Nam era are largely gone. Unfortunately the upper officer ranks matured professionally during Clinton time. It shows. Both General Jones and General Casey who stated that diversity was more important than anything else to the Army were products of Georgetown and seem to have absorbed the Beltway ethos. They have plenty of company in the GO ranks. Failure to mount a strong internal protest over the ending of DADT shows what accommodating opportunists we have in to many GO billets.

[Cincinna]

It was only a question of time. To those who don’t take the “slippery slope” argument seriously, get ready for same - sex weddings in chapels on Military bases, uniforms, crossed swords and all.

[newzjunkey]

Just Bachmann that I’ve seen. She would revert to DADT, not ban service.

[OldNewYork]

Thanks for the information. First steps first, I guess.