Looking at the militaries of Britain, Canada, Australia, South Africa, the Palm Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara — which doesn’t have an “official” position on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, LOL — concludes in a new 151-page study that “a speedy implementation of the change is not disruptive. The finding is in direct opposition to the stated views of Pentagon leaders, who say repealing a ban on openly gay men and women in the United States armed forces should take a year or more. … The report concludes that in foreign militaries, openly gay service members did not undermine morale, cause large resignations or mass ‘comings out.’ The report found that ‘there were no instances of increased harassment’ as a result of lifting bans in any of the countries studied. In addition, the report says that none of the countries studied installed separate facilities for gay troops, and that benefits for gay partners were generally in accordance with a country’s existing benefits for gay and lesbian couples.” The study will be released Tuesday. Something tells us a few members of the House Armed Services Committee, which will be hearing from the Army’s Gen. George Casey the Air Force’s Gen. Norton Schwartz this week, might’ve scored a sneak peek. [NYT]
dept. of no shit
In Bizarre Twist Sen. McCain Will Find Impossible To Understand, Foreign Militaries Didn’t Collapse When Gays Began Serving Openly
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terrwill
OMG!! No “mass comming out”, no mass Gay sex fcuk fests!!!….no soliders in dresses!!…….Well, now I certainly am not going to enlist!! : P
Cam
McCain doesn’t care about this issue…he is polling low in AZ and has a challanger in the primaries who is more conservative than him so he picked gays to try to win some conservative votes back. If he thought he could get more milliage yelling about stem cell research or abortion he would. He is only interested in winning reelection so he can do nothing for another six years.
romeo
@ Cam: I second that. It’s just electioneering, but I don’t think it’s going to help him. He’s just S.O.L. this time around. Wonder how the Democrat is doing in AZ? Saw some polls that indicate the voters are blaming BOTH parties for the current mess, so Repubs, despite all their hoopla, may be S.O.L. generally. When people are desperate and losing everything fast, they know who is more likely to actually help them. I think a lot of people will be holding their noses and voting Democrat out of sheer self-preservation. I predicted 62 senate seats for Democrats this next election. We’ll see.
delurker
The old man needs to go away. Like yesterday. Were Gore and Kerry this camera hungry after they lost a presidential election?
He got thumped and has been butthurt ever since.
Cam
No. 4 · delurker said…
The old man needs to go away. Like yesterday. Were Gore and Kerry this camera hungry after they lost a presidential election?
______________________
A running joke for YEARS around Capital Hill is that the most dangerous place to be is between John McCain and a TV Camera.
Jon
It’s what Grandpa always does do get votes. He just changes to what he thinks will get him the best chance of re-election. Thanks Grandpa for hating on me, just for votes! Go to hell! (that might come back to bite me when i run for office)
Paul
A large portion of the worlds militaries allow gays to serve and one that has to be at it’s best at all times (Isreal) has no problem with gays in their military why? because gays are expected to abide by the rules that apply to everyone be they gay or straight if gays affect the performence of straight troops then it is a leadership problem and should be handled acccordingly
schlukitz
As with all of the anti-homosexual hype generated by the religious right, the bigots and the homophobes, when the issues are brought out from the dark, dank and musty corners they have been crammed into and brought out into the bright light of day, none of the rhetoric stands up to muster and the bullshit simply collapses under it’s own weight.
And so it will be with each and every lie and misconception fostered by those who are still living life in the dark ages and following a set of rigid rules created by people who have this sick, incessant need for controlling and dominating others.
This is, after all, the age of enlightenment.
Whoever be praised!