I’d like to discuss the experiences of those who have served in the military, either as a member of the LGBT community or those who have served alongside an open member of the community. In the interest of expanding the conversation I’m also interested in the experiences and opinions of those who have not servered, but may know someone who did. I myself am a gay man currently serving in the United States Army. I’ve been in for the past five years and my overall experience has been a good one. I’ve always felt comfortable being open with my fellow soldiers and I have never felt that I was discriminated against for who I am. I believe that the Army has done an excellent job of creating a respectful environment free of discrimination in most respects. In my opinion the military is now more than ever capable of operating as brothers (and sisters) in arms.
Most of my military experience was before Don't Ask, Don't tell, was repealed, so it may not be relevant these days. https://web.archive.org/web/20110603092431/http://muchedumbre.com/please-dont-tell
I was the battalion legal officer who had to discharge (no pun intended) two homo males from the USMC back in the late 1970's. One of them wanted to get out (no pun intended) while the other one wanted to stay in (no pun intended). So the one that wanted out confessed. He was summarily discharged by the colonel. The other one who wanted to stay in denied everything. But he was also summarily discharged by the colonel. Easy come. Easy go. (No pun intended.)
I suppose modern kids in the military can overlook personal attributes such as abnormal orientation. Back in the late 1970's and earlier it was not like that however. Back then there was a strong aversion to being around homo males or homo females, and therefore this was viewed by the top brass as detrimental to morale. And so back then when they were caught they were discharged for the convenience of the Government.
The difference between modern kids and prior generations of kids is probably due to exposure. Modern kids get more exposure to abnormal orientations than we did before. It was not as public before.
No, I have talked extensively with Soldiers in today's Military branches and most Soldiers are well grounded in their Heterosexuality and are very tolerant of LGBT, which is not Abnormal as you crudely and incorrectly put it. They just don't care about remote stuff that does not affect them, like Furries or Fantasy Fetish stuff.
I found this to be true for the most part. There always seemed to be some initial surprise when my orientation would be made known, but it usually fell to the wayside of relevance. Soldiers just didn’t care. Even the open shower situation so many seemed to dread tearing the military apart was nothing more than routine. You got in, and you got out, fast. You didn’t have time or likely even the energy to go around peaking; not to mention the comradary instilled in basic, for me at least, didn’t leave room in my mind to see fellow soldiers as sexual objects. I will counter one point you made though. I definitely saw a good deal of harassment directed at soldiers that were open about assorted fetishes (ie furries, hentai, etc.) I guess there’s always room to grow.
I agree, there was a commercial on television about an athlete, football or hockey, and the guy was singing to his Daughter on the phone, and he was razzed about it a bit, so, yeah, it happens. However, the fears of some are over blown as to making passes at a fellow Soldier etc..
Yeah, the concerns were overblow. As in all things I’m sure there are exceptions, but I think the majority know how to show respect; on both sides.
Not sure what value you find in insisting on that verbiage. Abnormal tends to imply a difference from the norm that is unwanted or problematic. I don’t believe that fits homosexuality, but that doesn’t really fit the purpose of this thread so I’ll leave it at that.
Reading his post, I think he is actually using abnormal in a more statistical sense, which, in that context, is absolutely true. Left handedness is abnormal. The problem come from too many people trying to associate abnormal with a negative implication. Abnormal is neither positive nor negative except by personal opinion.
I know of no other definition of Abnormal as in the definition in Medicine, Normal range of motion v Abnormal range of motion of a joint, Normal v Abnormal. What you "feel" about the usage of a term is irrelevant and only argumentative if you like a person and want to chose political sides, have at it, please don't try to convince me with poppery fakery. Left handedness is not Abnormal, ambidextrous abilty is not Abnormal, a swollen and deformed joint asymmetry is Abnormal.
From Dictionary.com: Nothing here about positive or negative. I am not denying that many people try to use it as negative, but it simply isn't automatically such. Even within medicine abnormal can be a positive in many people's views. Abnormally high intelligence, Abnormally high disease resistance. The same thing applies with the word deviant. Transgenderism and homosexuality deviate from the norm, as does left handedness and ambidexterity. There is nothing wrong with these conditions. They simply are not the statistical norm.
I have inscribed an untold amount of patient charts, and none of that is in Medical language except to describe a condition out of normal range such as Hypertension, 190/ 90 is not normal and requires immediate medical attention. Unremarkable is a term to describe normal pathology of an organ, abnormal pathology with a description included is not a good thing, positive indicating a finding, not good either as in HIV positive.
Some fetishes should be ostracized and ridiculed. If someone started bragging about having a scat or fart fetish or was into rape porn I would expect everyone to immediately avoid that sick ******** at all costs. That type of loser has no place in society. I find furries to be creepy and weird but relatively harmless sort of like people with feet fetishes.
Lots of stuff can be ridiculed if one wants to waste the little time one has allotted in life. Wearing glasses was ridiculed, there are strange names and avatars I find ridiculous, I just leave it alone. But if you must, I am sure there are forums where you can heap it on as People often do on this very forum about Gay Rights.
So now you are equating wearing glasses and funny avatars and being gay to having a fetish for **** and rape porn? Sorry but there are some things that cross the line and those types of people need to be mocked relentlessly so that they stay in hiding.
I am not equating anything, people do ridicule lots of things they find abnormal, and I do not give it any thought, I wore glasses early on and those boys without would ridicule those that wore glasses calling them 4 eyes etc.... Just like bigots and racists call others names. Or boys in school would torment boys and call them Gay, and Queer and other choice names. My only question is, why would I waste my time ridiculing anyone ? Even if it is justified, it is a waste of the little time I likely have left better spent on something more productive.
I don't know any service men or women that are gay but I know and work with quite a few every one of them I met just fantastic people, despite some of them having some really messed up experiences. They seem to be more indifferent to it then your average civilian. I personally prefer indifference because really I don't want to be treated specially I want to be treated like everybody else and that's what I get from military veterans.
I suppose things like 20/10 vision, or as you stated an I.Q. of greater than 170 things I would not normally note on a patients chart as it would not be within my normal notes, those would be additional notes by Specialists and I cannot recall offhand, any such findings.
I had temporarily assigned partners in LE and as we spent countless hours in concentrated case study and under cover work, and we got to know each other pretty well, there are few secrets among police officers that work together, one was a GOAL representative and very active in helping fellow officers in need.
I remember a general call for a 10-85 on a Citywide channel, I knew the Officer in question at what used to be the old Ebbets field, now a public housing project, still called "Ebbets feild housing" and these two Female Detectives were surrounded by a bunch of Gang members. My partner at my request, ran the van up the sidewalk and parted the Gangstas, I hopped out and asked what was up, Nuthin they answered Me, and they lost their taste for trouble fast, we had no problem serving it up and dishing it out, and those Gangstas knew that all too well. I had zero problem calling in E.S.U. if need be, did not have to.
