Gays in the Military...Troops May Fear Sharing Beliefs

i actually agree with you for once... my first concern here was that openly gay people will get harassed, beat up, and even killed

i dont understand why "openly gay" is so important. what does this label signify, wearing pink ribbons, standing on a soap box in the middle of a barracks proclaiming your preferences, bitch talk with your fellow troops or playing broadway show tunes on your boom box? i dont get it. there is a level of professionalism expected from all troops and discussing ones sexuality publicly isnt exactly what i would call professional conduct. cant a guy serve without making a big deal as to who he prefers to sleep with? that being said a man should be able to serve without harassment. keeping your lifestyle private and not in your face seems reasonable to me. same thing goes for civilian life too.

You're confusing openly gay with flamboyantly gay.

An openly gay person is someone who does not hide the fact that they are gay. A flamboyantly gay person is someone who goes out of their way to make sure that every single person within their immediate vicinity is well aware that they are gay.

Think of it another way, an openly strait person does not go around telling everyone that they like having sex with people of the opposite gender every chance they get while also wearing obnoxiously bold clothes that make a statement about their sexual orientation. However, they also don't hide it from people. If someone asks them then they will tell them that they are strait. If someone assumes that they might be gay and invites them along for an "adventure" that they are not comfortable with then they will say something along the lines of, "no thanks, I'm strait."

It is the same damn thing for openly gay people. Most of them are not flamboyant. They dress the same as you, I, or anyone else, and they act the same as you, I, or anyone else (with the exception of their sexual preference).

As for, "Can't a guy serve without making a big deal as to who he prefers to sleep with?" The answer is no. However, the answer does not just apply to homosexuals who serve, it applies to strait guys as well. Most strait men in the military brag, boast, share the kind of woman that they like to sleep with. If a homosexual has to put up with a heterosexual describing their ideal sexual partner in great detail, then the heterosexual has to put up with the homosexual doing the same.

great comment, but you're wasting it on congoboy

thanks persi, you always have something to add

1. Love your neighbor as yourself
2. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
3. Always tip at least 20%
4. Act locally, first
5. Give to those who ask of you
6. Do something for your community or someone in it
7. Reduce, reuse, recycle
8. Teach
9. Love your dog or pet.
10. Question yourself

Thats a pretty good list as well!

wow kenny except for the religion bashing your list is pretty liveable. are you christophobic or something? you have a right to your agnostic or atheistic feelings but people of faith also have their right to worship as they please.. now i can also see the insanity and hypocrisy of some religious practices but that doesnt make all people of all faiths the enemy. but your mention of mohammed in such an unsavory light is what gets people killed in some circles

i like your list better. combine the best of yours and kennys and maybe we can move forward

Those people really need to be brought into the 21st century, all around the world in various religions they talk about how their Gods came down from the sky's it's very easy to assume they confused Aliens with the only word they could come up with GODS!

so does this mean aliens are anti gay, infidel bashing enlightened beings?

Those ten Prime directives come from the Aliens, it says right in that list some humans are gay (Get over it)

some of the gayest humans i know are straight

In particular the Flintstones, have a gay old time! :))

i think bam bam ended up gay

Inspired by yours, the original.

Your welcome my brother!

Bam bam was TOTALLY gay.

poor barney and betty, i think they were kinda old fashioned

what do you find so unbelievable in this story? there is nothing in it in reference to either lies or hatred. disagreeing with anothers lifestyle choice does not automatically equate to hate. ive met a few gays who are really down on breeders and lesbians who unjustifiably hate all men. so we find plenty of hate speech in the gay community as well

yes it may be typical of me exposing stories that the leftylibs prefer not to notice or address. reality's a bitch when you look beyond your own narrow minded liberal rhetoric. this is an important story, as important to those of faith as openly gay troops in the military is to homosexuals. can you tell me what in this story is lies, smears and misinformation? i'm not even sure it ran on fox and just because you disagree with conservative principles doesnt mean fox lies. it seems your beloved dan rather had an honesty problem and after some 40 years of lying to the american public was finally caught and booted off the air. just because youre spirtually bankrupt doesnt mean the the entire country is. most of us on the right have moved on to a level of toleration to lifestyles and concepts we may disagree with you leftylibs could take a lesson from us.

homosexuality is an abnormal lifestyle, simple as that and most americans agree. gays should be able to serve without fear of harassment but to expect acceptance from all their comrades is asking too much. most americans tolerate the gay lifestyle while fewer accept it. it is the right of everyone to have their beliefs, both gay and straight. like it or not religion runs deep and most of the worlds cultures and religions see marriage between a man and a woman as sacred.

It's so nice to be told over and over and over and over that my lifestyle is abnormal by such authorities in the matter.

If you got your head out of your ass long enough to check any other news sources besides Fox News, Newsmax and military.com, you'd know that no, MOST Americans do not agree with your "opinion" on the matter.

Gay people generally don't interfere in your ability to live the life you want to, why do you and your ilk insist on not giving gays the same respect and acceptance?? Because you think your bible tells you to? Because it makes you feel icky? Because it's easier to be an asshole than to be a human? Sorry, none of those are good enough reasons.

It's time to accept that the world is NEVER going to be exactly like you want it to be.

these men of religious faith have a right to their beliefs, and as long as they dont harass their fellow troops there should be no problem. there is nothing in this story about hate speech. just because ones personal beliefs whether religious or otherwise disagrees with someone elses lifestyle doesnt necessarily make them hateful.

Are you kidding me? You've got a lot of growing up to do!

Yeah man, I totally understand. You use to be able to call a black man a N****r without any consequences, now you can't call a homosexual a f****t, soon you won't be able to call an strong willed and independent woman a c*nt. The hell is happening to this world where our military forces have to actually respect people who are different?

F.Y.I. you are a jackass. I hope the military gives you a reality check if it doesn't chew you up and spit you out boy.

But some on Current think its okay to call a woman a slut, as long as you disagree with her politically.

There's a double standard. Liberals are worthy of respect. Conservatives are open targets to be called every filthy name in the book. It's exceptible because liberals hate them. Then the liberals whine at the rhetoric from the right. It's why I find must liberals to be hypocrites. People on this site should wake up. You may not like my politics but what I just wrote is how a lot of people who don't have your politics view you.

I find a lot of people on this site to be hate filled, vulgar and full of insults. But I don't hate any of you. Hate is such a waste of energy. Energy is for productivity. I don't judge my friends by their politics. I judge them by how they interact with and treat people regardless of their politics.

Well its hard not to hate your guys when they keep acting out what it actually means to be every filthy name in the book . They keep in our faces telling us to suffer and die like cockroaches or bacteria so they can have more bucks, more power and more air to breathe when we stop breathing . Your guys keep shouting that they want our place in the the sun and everything else every human has , and shouting that they wont share after they steal everything. I believe that when people tell me what they are I should believe them. No one has to be a liberal to see who is a hypeocrit . And who is likely getting paid to throw thier own stinky poop around in this community every day. I see you whine all the time. If you are real you are sad . And if you are just after the devils dollars you are doubly sad . What do you do to celabrate the rest of the humans on earth ? Who corralled you into the small place you are jammed into.?????

Reality check?

It has taught me to kill without remorse, does that count for something?

It means that you're potentially psychotic, that's what it counts for.

they have every right to their religious beliefs and objections as do any american. as long as they dont publicly speak out or harass their fellow gay troops it should be no one elses business. sorry to hear youre so confused

Openly discuss implies that they want to do it anytime anywhere. The only place that would be appropriate would be in a cultural diversity class. I see you got my point about appropriate times. The simplest solution to the problem would be to discharge troops with beliefs that prohibit them from working and fighting beside gays. Maybe I understood more than you give me credit for. Are you aware that not so long ago some christian churches claimed evidence from the bible as proof for separation of the races? On the same lines I wonder why the government is paying for a Chaplancy Corps anyway. Seems like a violation of separation of church and state. Thank you for worrying about my level of comprehension though.

i agree that openly discussing, as in audibly projecting your religious viewpoint of homosexuality on a street corner on a military base is non productive, unprofessional, and counter productive. but the same is true for "openly gay" troops to openly discuss, as in audibly projecting their lifestyle choices on a street corner on a military base is also non productive, unprofessional, and counter productive. now both sides should be able to share or express their beliefs in private with whomever, whether religious leader or bff. theres a lot of killin goin on during war time and a lot of soul searching so my belief is that there are times that military personnel may need a religious leader to confide in or find comfort with.

I can agree with that. When the chaplain of the church of homosexuality encourages his troops to protest in public I will oppose that also.

this is america and like it or not hate speech is protected under the constitution. as long as one is not advocating violence toward another person its protected. now at work or in the military harassment and hate speech should not be tolerated. but a man has a right to his religious beliefs and to practice those beliefs without fear of reprisal.

sexism is still widely accepted in some enlightened circles sweetie, including the military:) bigots do not deserve to be "punished" by your version of the thought police any more than gays should be. but this isnt a story about gay bashing or infringing on the rights of gays in the military. it is a story of equal rights and religious freedom. a man is free to believe what he wants contrary to your own narrow mind set as to whats acceptable. as long as a man of religion is not beating up or otherwise infringing on the rights of others he has just as much right to his opinion as you do. and thanks to our military we all do. peace

Thats some real twisted logic you've got going there! You're defending bigots by trying to claim that there is some sort of "right" to hate. My God...just please go back to neverland!
You're jumping though hoops trying to hold on to an idealogly you have some twisted 'need' to support.

and your spin is pretty twisted as well. one can legitimately disagree with anothers lifestyle without hating or being bigoted my friend. and regardless to how perverse, a man has a right to hate as well as long as he's not infringing on the rights of others. you leftylibs always try to turn a mans opinion into hate speech when it differs from your own. you should try meditating, being more honest, and more open minded sometime, it can be quite cathartic.

Your argument died when you expressed the opinion that the military is an enlightened circle, sweetie.

You would have a point if only why would straight troops feel compelled to share their hatred of another? What discussion could they possibly be having where homosexuality came up in such a way for this to be an appropriate discussion? Its just not something that people really should be talking about, though I'm sure that if there are soldiers genuinely concerned about the gays coming to get them at night, which there probably are such poor ignorant sods, there will be a proper place and time to express those concerns.

Your absolutely wrong on this one congoBOY!

Grow TFU !

agreed, but the gay issue has nothing to do with that

the discussion between a man and his religious leader should remain confidential. this in no way advocates open and public gay bashing. if a man feels uncomfortable with some of his troop mates he should be able to privately vent somewhere

where am i wrong?

Gays are human and deserve not to be judge by any other human, get over it! It's one the new 10 prime directives.

This is the kind of hate filled rhetoric I was referring to above. Because someone's belief system is different you trash and condemn them and their beliefs. There are a lot of religious people who believe gays should be allowed to live their lives freely. I was one of them. But as I've participated on this site I've slowly lost respect for gays due to their constant bashing and trashing of people with religious beliefs. It seems gays have a "my way or the highway" attitude against religion. I didn't know this until I came to this site. After you trash anyone who doesn't believe the way you do, you want peace. HA!

Racists, sexists and/or homophobic individuals are morally deficient. They are wrong, and their ignorance should not be tolerated or encouraged.

Why would anyone want to excuse bigotry?

every homosapien is human and as humans we are all guilty of judging others. you judge me, i judge my ass hole neighbor or the fat lady eating a large all meat pizza while still remaining weight conscious by drinking a diet coke. its whether we react negatively thats important. many people do things i find disagreeable but unless a child is being harmed or an innocent weaker person is being harassed i usually keep my opinions to myself, except is a public forum like this one where we are all free to anonymously express our beliefs without fear of retribution. peace

glad they included all of us for a change and most of us support civil unions but in illinois it may be difficult to find two people not blood related

Love makes a family not blood.

Whoooooaaaa!! What's with the incestuous Illinois slam??

It's not incest unless your making babies!
I know its wrong to say but I couldn't help it, incest jokes are just to easy, and when you grow up in Montana you know them all.

agreed, to bad we have to shed so much of both

just havin some fun. if i was as serious about life as most people i encounter here are depression would set in and i'd have to jump off a bridge. please no offers

i sometimes question my own bloodlines

agreed. sorta like most of the rest of us in civilian society. a man has a right to his religious beliefs and if unable to find acceptance, in the very least needs to adhere to tolerance.

whoop di doo... its too bad they werent a larger voting block, because if thats the best thing he's done since taking office its gonna take more than the gay community to get him reelected. its amazing how a politicians viewpoints can change as election time grows near. peace

I am for civil rights, everybody rights, I am just posting information for you to read. I wish the best for you on election day.

i'll take it further. i wish us all the best

Thanks!

Your article was only on DADT, which Obama accomplished. Do you want a list of everything he accomplished? BHO in 2012.

Now if we can only achieve marriage equality and residence visas for partners of gay US citizens then the LGBTQ community will have achieved its greatest victory.

sorry ive already read the left wing spin but a slight correction is in order. it was clinton who accomplished dadt. anyone but bho in 2012

Sorry, a correction. Clinton put DADT in effect. Obama abolished it.

integration instead of self segregation might help

a man has a right to his religious beliefs and still be capable of defending his country for folks including those who may be christophobic. peace

Since when do you have the right to openly tell your squadmates you hate their very existence because of your religion?

Seriously, just swap around some of the words in this article and maybe you'll get an idea of why I think these people can go fuck themselves.

"Leaders of 21 religious groups that provide chaplains to the U.S. military on Monday sent a letter to the chiefs of chaplains of the Navy, Army and Air Force. They want Congress or the Pentagon to guarantee troops won't be punished if they openly discuss their objections to blacks serving in the military."

That didn't do it for ya? Then how about this?

"Leaders of 21 atheist groups sent a letter to the chiefs of chaplains of the Navy, Army and Air Force on Monday. They want Congress or the Pentagon to guarantee troops won't be punished if they openly discuss their objections to Christians serving in the military."

You can be a bigoted piece of shit on your own time. When you're in a unit, you do not have the right to break cohesion because you have your panties in a bunch over some extraneous issue.

The military is not owned by any one group of people, and these assholes better remember that.

once again youve kinda twisted a simple civil rights story into some kind of troop bashing. these men of religious faith have a right to their beliefs as does any american. nothing here about wanting to bash or harm gays just wanting the freedom to have their beliefs without being persecuted, sorta like gays on the other end of the spectrum. i support someone who is gay to serve their country although i, as do most prefer the bill clinton endorsed version of dont ask dont tell. so if a homosexual has a right to serve openly a religious man should have the right to express his beliefs without harrassment. its a two way street my friend and this story nor do the men it represents has anything to do with harming anyone. now under democratic leadership during ww 2 blacks were treated as second class citizens in the military and for the most part kept segregated and in seperate regiments, we wont even go into the japanese. your comparisons in modern times are hostile, bigoted, irrelevent, and kinda silly really. peace

That;s a great litmus test for intolerant mindsets.

Great reply Saladin!

In any work environment with a lot of personnel, chances are there will be people you don't care for. It doesn't mean you don't have to perform your responsibilities and respect the person in public. It doesn't mean you have to embrace them in your mind.