Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially history!!

[Chad Feldheimer]

That's what I tell telemarketers. "I'm on the the "Don't ask. Don't tell list". They get pretty confused and just hang up usually.

 

[Gameface]

Just from knowing a few soldiers and knowing their opinions. I am okay with getting rid of don't ask, don't tell and I hope I am wrong and there aren't any incidents. I guess we'll see.

That has not been my experience in the Navy. There was a lesbian woman working for me in my workcenter. She was pretty open and had zero problems with anyone. There were also a few guys I knew were gay, they were not open to me about it but didn't seem to be hiding it, either. Again, they seemed to get their jobs done just fine, along with everyone around them.

I can imagine there is an argument to be made that it is different in combat units in the Army and Marines, but my own experience in one particular branch leads me to believe that this will not cause any major problems.

 

[DutchJazzer]

Katie's argument is not that he's bad because he's straight, or white, or something that he doesn't have control over. Attacking the things he has control over - just as anyone else's - is fair game.

so what scientific studies prove that being gay is not a choice.
imho being gay is a choice so they have control over being gay so i can attack them right?

 

[moevillini]

whatever you chose to call it, there are people who do not approve of homosexual relationships, and/or are not comfortable around openly gay people and it seems stupid to argue over whether or not such folks should be called names for their beliefs

getting rid of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy may lead to some difficult situations, and it seems pretty foolish to me to completely discount that possibility, but it's also stupid to let the fear of some possible unpleasant situations be the reason to maintain the policy

Some people act like they think every gay serviceman has a hidden "Sgt. Klinger" personality that's just waiting to be released or something, but somehow I doubt that's the case. My prediction is that folks in general won't really notice that much of a difference.

 

[C l u t c H 385]

katie got called out, not because McCain gets a free pass due to his military service but because in a beautiful bit of irony, she used the same type of stereotypes she so despises in others.

Doesn't matter how you explain it. The dark cloak of hateful bigotry is securely pulled over their eyes. Friggin pathetic racists really.

 

[C l u t c H 385]

I have no problems with them getting rid of this. I will however say that I do suspect there will be some incidents now with openly gay soldiers. I hate to stereotype the military but homophobia seems to run rampant.

Please refrain from using the term gay. It is offensive to posters such as KatieMCR. Please go with Opposite Sexuality Americans, i think...

 

[TheMulletMutilator]

Please refrain from using the term gay. It is offensive to posters such as KatieMCR. Please go with Opposite Sexuality Americans, i think...

LOL, you have to love PC.... Or do you?

 

[C l u t c H 385]

LOL, you have to love PC.... Or do you?

You best love what they tell ya, else you a bigot, ya see?

 

[chemdude1232]

It was time for this to be repealed. Just as racial integration eventually smoothed out for our armed forces, so will sexual preference integration.

There is always going to be a fundamental fear/loathing of what is different, what is unknown, or what is unfamiliar. But in the case of people, does it not seem shortsighted? Transport yourself back in time to just before racial integration of the armies and ask yourself, "What's the big deal here? Why can't these guys who *want* to serve in the army be allowed to do so? Are they so different that they should not be allowed to defend the country and our way of life?" Now come back to the present and ask yourself the same thing about homosexuals/transgendered/whatever term(s) Katie uses.

 

[C l u t c H 385]

It was time for this to be repealed. Just as racial integration eventually smoothed out for our armed forces, so will sexual preference integration.

There is always going to be a fundamental fear/loathing of what is different, what is unknown, or what is unfamiliar. But in the case of people, does it not seem shortsighted? Transport yourself back in time to just before racial integration of the armies and ask yourself, "What's the big deal here? Why can't these guys who *want* to serve in the army be allowed to do so? Are they so different that they should not be allowed to defend the country and our way of life?" Now come back to the present and ask yourself the same thing about homosexuals/transgendered/whatever term(s) Katie uses.

Homophobe, I believe is the term.

 

[GoJazz]

That has not been my experience in the Navy. There was a lesbian woman working for me in my workcenter. She was pretty open and had zero problems with anyone. There were also a few guys I knew were gay, they were not open to me about it but didn't seem to be hiding it, either. Again, they seemed to get their jobs done just fine, along with everyone around them.

I can imagine there is an argument to be made that it is different in combat units in the Army and Marines, but my own experience in one particular branch leads me to believe that this will not cause any major problems.

I have had the same experance in the Air Force. Its been fairly open for years.

 

[The Pearl]

It was time for this to be repealed. Just as racial integration eventually smoothed out for our armed forces, so will sexual preference integration.

There is always going to be a fundamental fear/loathing of what is different, what is unknown, or what is unfamiliar. But in the case of people, does it not seem shortsighted? Transport yourself back in time to just before racial integration of the armies and ask yourself, "What's the big deal here? Why can't these guys who *want* to serve in the army be allowed to do so? Are they so different that they should not be allowed to defend the country and our way of life?" Now come back to the present and ask yourself the same thing about homosexuals/transgendered/whatever term(s) Katie uses.

This is a popular argument for appealing the band, however, it is intellectually lazy.

Blacks were largely shunned from military service due to ingrained beliefs that they were incompetent, lazy, disloyal to the U.S., and intellectually inferior. Most issues involving homosexuals in the military are logistical, much more akin to shunning women away from military service. For instance, other than Aviation, women still are not allowed slots in the combat branches of the US Army.