Mere hours after General Peter Pace denounced faggotry as "immoral", the Pentagon released the not-so-thrilling news that last year's Don't ask, Don't Tell dismissals are "the fewest annual discharges since the law's enactment".

612 Servicemen and women got the military boot last year, down from 742 the previous year, according a Servicemember's Legal Defense Network press release. SDLN executive director C. Dixon Osburn says:

The Pentagon's data shines a bright light on the hypocrisy of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'. When military leaders need the talent, skills and qualifications of gay personnel, dismissals decline. Then, during peacetime, the dismissal rate climbs again. The Pentagon's own data shows that, during times of war, when unit cohesion is most important, fewer gay troops are dismissed. In fact, lesbian and gay Americans are making important contributions to our national security. The ban on their service, and not their service itself, is what erodes cohesion most.

• There's a scourge wreaking sartorial havoc on gay communities - men who refuse to age gracefully. Pretty scary, right? Don't worry, Patrick Huguenin can help. First, you have to decide where you're coming from and where you want to go. We're leaning toward a rake (pictured). Pretty sexy for a sketch, no? [Genre]

• Outrage! outraged over Ghana's anti-gay laws. They best be careful, lest they have another Nigeria controversy. [UK Gay News]

• Arkansas advanced a bill to ban gay adoptions. Fuckers. [Arkansas News]

• Mr. Show on reparative therapy. [QueerSighted]

• Where's The Simpsons Movie premiering? Springfield, of course. Which Springfield? That depends on which one's got the most Simpsons love. [Houston Chronicle]

• Lesbians love Amy Winehouse and her drunken ways. But, really, who doesn't? [AfterEllen]

• Matt Sanchez had a little chat with Michelangelo Signorile. Joe from Joe.My.God's totally got the audio. Best if taken with a grain of salt and a whole lotta disbelief. [Joe.My.God]

• Gay veteran and Don't Ask activist, Eric Alva to General Peter Pace: "Judging gay men and women in the military for factors unrelated to their fitness to serve undermines our military's effectiveness." [Pink News UK]

• HRC said something, too. [HRC]

• General Peter Pace to world: "I admit I shouldn't have said anything, but I'm still not apologizing to a bunch of immoral butt fuckers. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go fuck Ann Coulter up the ass." [HuffPo]

• Finally, a friend sent us the video for a German toilet commercial. Let's just say it makes us reconsider how, where and when we do our next line of blow. See for yourself, after the jump...

CONTINUED »

Yet another high-ranking ex-government official's come out against Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Discussing former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili's Don't Ask-related op-ed, former Secretary of Defense William Cohen urged Congress to revisit what he called a "policy of discrimination". The statements may come as a surprise to some, for Cohen's a known Republican and served under Clinton, the very president who initiated the controversial rules.

Speaking with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Cohen said:

I think what we're hearing from within the military is what we're hearing from within society, that we're becoming a much more
open, tolerant society for diverse opinions and orientation...

With regard to Cohen's statements, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network C. Dixon Osburn said:

The dominos propping up 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' are falling, and they are
falling quickly... It is clear that prominent military leaders question the wisdom of maintaining the ban. As three service members continue to lose their jobs every day, our armed forces are experiencing a significant talent drain. Those who know our military best now realize that the ban is not only unjust, but also unproductive.

Describing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" as a political "speed-bump", former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili has penned a NY Times op-ed calling for the repeal of the discriminatory policy.

A key figure in implementing the controversial law, Shalikashvili defends his (and former President Clinton's) as pragmatic, an effort to suppress overwhelming public opinion while making a moderate move forward. He writes:

In the early 1990s, large numbers of military personnel were opposed to letting openly gay men and lesbians serve. President Bill Clinton, who promised to lift the ban during his campaign, was overwhelmed by the strength of the opposition, which threatened to overturn any executive action he might take. The compromise that came to be known as “don’t ask, don’t tell” was thus a useful speed bump that allowed temperatures to cool for a period of time while the culture continued to evolve.

Shalikashvili goes on to cite new evidence that more military officials support gays in the military and urges the new Congress to act swiftly and decisively in cleaning up the mess he once supported. Coming on the heels of Marty Meehan's declaration of pro-gay fighter intent, Shalikashvili's op-ed will undoutbedly fan more flames. Let's just hope they don't burn the bridge.

While we certainly appreciate Shalikashvili's message, one can't help but wonder how much of it comes from altruistic concern for equal rights and how much springs from the fact that we're entirely understaffed. Sure, fighting for gay rights is all well and good, but we mustn't forget the possibility that the military's looking for more dispensible bodies. Perhaps the most dispensible bodies of them all...

CONTINUED »

Our new government's just weeks away from taking power, ushering in what will hopefully be a new era for our troubledcountry. As with any changing of the guard, there's already talk of massive policy reform, not least of all in terms of military action.

While some politicians have their sights set on the rat fuck known as Iraq, Democratic Representative Marty Meehan of Massachusett's thinking big picture: he's announced plans to reintroduce the controversial (and equally discriminatory) "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" legislation in hopes of welcoming openly gay cadets into the militaristic mix. In a statement released via Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, Meehan says:

We cannot afford to keep losing the talent and contribution of patriotic, gay Americans who want to serve. Our military success depends on having the best and brightest Americans in our armed forces. The best and brightest includes lesbian and gay Americans, too.

Meehan's announcement comes on the heels of a survey showing that 73% of enlisted men and women have no problem with having queer comrades.

Sure, we're all about gays fighting the good (or, not so good, depending on your opinion) fight, but what if they reinstate the draft? How in the world will we dodge that bullet? We'll no longer be able to drop to our knees, using our powers of fellatio to save our hinds. Although, considering that 59% of soldiers know one gay person in their ranks, it certainly increases our odds of getting laid. If we go to war, however, they've definitely got to change their uniforms. Green's not our color.

The so-called "Don't Ask Don't Tell" regulations may be one step closer to death. A recent survey shows that nearly three-quarters of soldiers don't mind the idea of gays serving in the military. What's more, 59% of soldiers polled by the Zogby International and the Michael D. Palm Center know at least one gay person in the military. PageOneQ reports:

Seventy-three percent of US military members would accept openly gay and lesbian service members being in their units... Over one in five respondents to the survey said they know for certain that someone in their unit is gay or lesbian. The survey was conducted of both combat and non-combat units...

Well, there's no saying for sure, but activists hope it'll bring about some much-needed change.

CONTINUED »

While we're on the subject of coming out and it's appropriate parameters, we've just received a press release from our friends at Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.

It seems that a dozen veterans from our illustrious "War on Terror" have filed a brief challenging the constitutionality of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". Filed in the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Massachusetts, the soldiers hope to overturn the discriminatory military clause that's cost so many their jobs. As part of the brief, the soldiers insist there's no reason why gays can't serve in the military, particularly in these times of unending and impossible wars.

They write:

Nearly thirteen years of experience under [‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’]—following twelve years of experience under the prior gay-exclusion regulation— confirm that gay service members have not hurt military operations, impaired discipline, or posed a risk to unit cohesion. Yet in response to this non-existent threat, ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ has shattered careers, deprived the United States of the service of dedicated and skilled professionals, and demeaned all service members’ capacity for tolerance and professionalism.

We've gone ahead and pasted the entire release after the jump.

CONTINUED »

We get a lot of so-called news releases in our inbox. Some, of course, are more newsworthy than others.

For example, we've received two divergent bulletins this morning. One comes from the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network warning gay military types that the army will be allocating more resources into watching internet postings etc. It reads:

"The military's stepped up surveillance of online activity also means an increasing risk to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender service members who use online communities," said Kathi S. Westcott, deputy director of law for SLDN. "Service members must be especially cautious about posting any information online which reveals their sexual orientation. While online communities can be an important communication tool for military personnel, they can also lead to investigations and dismissals under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.'"

Minutes later we received an email with the subject "News Release" concerning a new porno from 3mdmedia. They attempt to make it seem relevant by opening:

South Florida has become the epicenter of gay tourism. At the heart of the all the action is world-famous Fort Lauderdale. Nearly a million gays vacation in the sub-tropical city every year and renowned lodgings abound.

It’s only natural that Anaconda Studios sent cameras, cast & crew to one of the top local resorts for their latest hardcore motion picture, Summer Vacation.

We've pasted the entire SLDN release after the jump. As for the other one: well, we haven't...

(Also, as an aside, shouldn't the army be worrying more about our multiple wars than who's logging on the Manhunt? Maybe then we'd actually get something accomplished...)

CONTINUED »

We have to admit: we were a little scared to interview Reichen Lehmkuhl about his new book, Here's What We'll Say.

Our fear stemmed not from nerves over interviewing a so-called "celebrity," nor did they come from some deep-seeded attraction to the former Amazing Racer turned activist.

We were actually afraid that we'd end up offending him. Much to our surprise, however, we didn't. In fact, we weren't even tempted. Shocking, right?

As we made our introductions, touching on the fact that Reichen's from Cincinnati (love the 513) and a mutual love for The Grateful Dead, it occurred to us that maybe we were wrong to criticize him: maybe Reichen's actually a really nice, sincere guy whose using his elevated social status for good.

And, you know what, we were right: he's nice, he's informative, and he's nothing if not passionate.

Did the entire experience make us want to worship him? We'd really rather not say.

What we can say, however, is that Reichen made a point of mentioning he was going to "Justin's" fashion show later in the evening (Timberlake, that is: apparently they're on a first name basis, which is good, because Reichen basically only goes by his first name).

Anyway, after the jump, read what Reichen had to say for himself, including his opinions on Christianity in the armed forces, the very special message he has for his critics, and how he's already started his second book.

CONTINUED »

As you see below, we've just used the iconic "I Want You" poster featuring good ol' Uncle Sam. Well, did you know that the image is based on a poster of General Horatio Herbert Kitchener? If you don't know who that is, you're not alone - we snoozed through European history, too. Here's a little back story.

Anyway, Kitchener led an illustrious military career. He studied at the Royal Military Academy and went on to serve in the Franco-Prussian War. From there, he went to Palestine to map the holy land (yeah, that worked.) He was also instrumental in the Second Boer War in South Africa between Brits and Afrikaners for control of the colonial state.

It was during World War I that he lent his face to recruitment posters, which yielded impressive results: garnering nearly a million enlistments. So, why are we telling you all of this? If you didn't guess already, Kitchener loved cock. Yep. A gay man devoted to the military who plastered his mug on highly effective recruitment poster? Imagine.

Horatio Kitchener [Wikipedia]

This arrived in our inbox yesterday but neglected to post it. It comes courtesy of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a non-profit devoted to defending members of the military who are disciminated against by "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

According to the report, the discharge rate of women from the armed services under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' is double their percentage of the forces themselves. That is: women make up 15% of the military, yet account for 30% of discharges.

Distressing numbers, to be sure, but we wonder: are these numbers because a majority of women in service are lesbians, or are the lesbians in the army not slick enough? The full report is after the jump.

For more information on SLDN, check out their website: Servicemembers Legal Defense Network

CONTINUED »

It pays to be gay in British military. Or, it does if you've been booted. [365 Gay]

Finland Blames Thailand for Slutty Finnish, HIV. [Bangkok Post]

Zidane headbutt truth revealed! [UK Daily Mail]

Crist/Harris leading in Florida. Gallagher Out. [The New York Times]

If only our commute were so sexy. [The Advocate]