Number one, the worry about the diseases you mentioned would be nipped in the bud upon blood testing let’s say every six months or so. I am sure the military checks for these things when the recruit enlists. Not that a condom is 100% cure-all, but it will prevent a high degree of infection.
As far as substance abuse among the homosexual community. Yes, I agree with you to a degree, because it is a subculture that uplifts partying, clubbing and all that stuff. Alcohol abuse (esp) is quite high in the military among straights-—drugs, they just boot you out if they find out.....or maybe send you to rehab if Uncle Sam has invested a lot in the soldier.
The mental illness part is debatable. Now is their homosexuality in and of itself a mental illness (abnormal in the mathematical sense of the word yes, but not mentally ill in its common meaning) Do homosexuals suffer from a higher rate of other forms of mental illness than the population at large—ie schizophrenia, paranoia, OCD, manic depression etc-— from what I have seen yes, but a large part of that is due to other factors in their lives not directly due to their sexual attraction.
....and what do you know about the military?
Homosexuality has been regarded as a mental illness throughout time by virtually all cultures, as posted by another Freeper here. Only recently, in Western cultures, has it been removed from the list of mental disabilities due to political correctness.
Homosexuals and lesbians consider themselves to be part of a larger community, LGBTT:lesbian, gay,bisexual,transgender and transvestite. Are you willing to argue that the last two are not suffering from mental illness and if so, why not the first two?
Can you not see with this administration that if you allow the first two then you must allow all of them?
The US Armed Forces are the finest military in the world, they are not a social experiment. Allowing open homosexuals and whatever follows would have no benefit and would only harm.
We shall agree to disagree.