Editor’s note: We’ve asked online comedian, voice actor and chest hair model Sam Kalidi to create a new meme each week for Queerty readers. This week he proves once again that gays and lesbians have a rich history of serving in the military. He looks forward to all your hate mail. You can find him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and at your local glory hole.
Jonty Coppersmith
This seems kind of odd since Memorial Day is about honoring deceased veterans.
BJ McFrisky
To all U.S. servicemen and women, gay and straight, past and present . . . .
THANK YOU.
skalidi
@kenfack: Plenty of LGBT soldiers have died in the battlefield. They deserve to be honored. It’s your comment that is embarrassing. Have a great Memorial Day Weekend 🙂
skalidi
@Jonty Coppersmith:Plenty of LGBT soldiers have died in the battlefield. They deserve to be honored. Have a great Memorial Day Weekend 🙂
deltabadhand
Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for remembering the people who died while serving in the country’s armed forces.
So I don’t get the “Happy Memorial Day” part of the meme. it seems disrespectful and not solemn enough.
4of14
@Jonty Coppersmith my first thought too. If you want to honour the living, go out and do something to help the vets that still draw breath. “Thank you for your service”, while nice. At this point, is not enough. To many men and women, have come back alive but not well. Reach out and help them. Lean in, and pitch in. Memorial Day, remember the dead.
Garold Bulmerr
lots gay sex in the war man pussy
MacAdvisor
@Jonty Coppersmith: “This seems kind of odd since Memorial Day is about honoring deceased veterans.”
Quoting from Wikipedia: “Memorial Day is not to be confused with Veterans Day; Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving, while Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans (italics in the original).”
Jonty Coppersmith is absolutely correct.
skalidi
@MacAdvisor: Gay men and women died fighting for their country while being forced to remain in the closet. They deserve to be remembered. This meme is dedicated to them. Have a great Memorial Day weekend.
balddude13
Absolutely. Memorial Day has always been about honoring those service men and women, gay and straight who have died serving their country. We should honor them every day. And when you see a vet whether they’re shopping at Costco, or at a Gay Pride event or even holding up a homeless placard at the intersection, thank them for their service. My partner has served nearly twenty years in the US ARMED FORCES. He’s been shot at and wounded several times. I pray for him every second of every day and I tell him as often as possible how truly proud I am of him but that I want him home soon.
So before you sit and enjoy your barbecued ribs sitting by the pool, think of those servicemen and women gay and straight who have died serving our country and for those gay and straight soldiers who are currently serving our country.
Jairo Mendez
A Todos Los, Chicos y chicas Homosexuales, a Nivel Mundial que han Cumplido Con esa Noble Mision de Prestar su Servicio Militar ybque han fallecido en las Fuerzas Armadas Gracias Muchisimas Gracias.
DarkZephyr
Seems like some Queerty posters believe that only straight men and women have died for their country.
@Jonty Coppersmith: I think that its odd that you don’t get that LGBT people have died for this country.
balddude13
@wpewen
Thank you for your amazing insight. My dad was a WWII Vet who had told me that he had gay and straight brothers in the Army. The funny thing about that is that even though it was different time, he and other “straight” soldiers thought it was their job to protect their gay brothers from harm from within base. My dad also thought it was important to say that those gay soldiers were as brave and loyal as any other. And to think that just a few years ago my brother-in-law made a bigoted comment about how would a gay soldier be able to hold a rifle. My partner is a sharp shooter. He could show my brother-in-law how he hods a gun!
edwardnvirginia
BUT we bet that the billion-dollar corporation – AIDS Healthcare Foundation – http://aidshealth.org – that has ultimate responsibility for the big party in Florida that blatantly discriminated against older gay and bi men –
http://www.queerty.com/gay-party-group-accused-of-age-discrimination-for-only-charging-the-over-40-crowd-20150423 – doesn’t care a thing that older gay and bi VETERANS were discriminated against. AND the endless age-bashing among younger gay and bi men shows that praise or respect for gay and bi veterans is a sham hypocrisy; they don’t care a thing about older gay and bi veterans, and we doubt that Queerty can find a SINGLE group of gay and bi men who plan to visit older and disabled gay and bi veterans in veterans nursing homes/hospitals. CAN QUEERTY find and report on EVEN ONE activity where younger gay and bi men visit older and disabled gay and bi veterans? JUST ONE REPORT?! CAN any Queerty reader(s) announce a program organized by younger gay and bi men to honor gay and bi veterans? HOW ABOUT ANY VETERANS?
wpewen
Yeah, think not just about the young attractive gay vets but also the guys who got maimed in Vietnam, Iraq, WWII..even the Civil War. All this “appreciation” since W Bush and the GOP co-opted patriotism rings a little sickening. The alcoholic gay guy missing body parts in Vietnam is long forgotten by the gay community. Weird.
jwtraveler
It’s odd that Americans believe that the way to serve our country is to travel to other countries that have done nothing to hurt us and overthrow their governments, assassinate their leaders, bomb the crap out of them, torture, kill and maim millions of innocent people and set up puppet governments to serve the economic interests of our capitalist elite.
That doesn’t serve MY interests.
I’ve served my country by marching, protesting, campaigning and organizing in opposition to American imperialism, the military-industrial complex and the economic draft of millions of poor, young Americans who see the military as the only way out of the desperation created by a brutally right-wing and expoitive, capitalist society.
On this Memorial Day I honor all my brothers and sisters who have served this country by fighting, and in some cases dying, to try to force the country to live up to its principles of life, liberty and equality. We do this by trying to create a just society for all, not just access to the elite ranks of power for a few more black, female, gay or non-Christian people.
ryantbo
Thank you for your service. Even when we as a country thought that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was a good idea. Even though you have fought to defend a country that will not allow you the freedom to marry your partner in a majority of the states. A country that still treats you every day as a 2nd class citizen. Thank you for the sacrifices that you have made in every war. Thank you for protecting our country!
martinbakman
@Jonty Coppersmith: Whenever I drive by the military cemetery and see all the little white markers I think about how many of them were gay.
Mic Thompson
Christopher Dellamura
I think that’s Veterans Day or maybe even 364 days of the year. Let’s remember the LGBTQ that have given their lives for us. And even them straight soldiers. As well as the working dogs and Calvalry horses that died serving and defending our nation. We owe them everything.
Mic Thompson
It’s so noble attacking a nation that has no means or intent to attack your own, somehow that miraculously preserves the U.S. Constitution though, that logic escapes me. I wonder how many lgbt Iraqis were killed by our brave lgbt soldiers?
Wade Wood
Historically gay have been amazing Warriors that have protected many country’s. Misunderstood, and underestimated. Still did what was right. Osh Soldiers!!!!!
Mark Villnave
Here’s to anyone who has served, gay or straight!!
Raymond Farrington
I love showing this meme to bigots. http://i59.tinypic.com/11l1jdi.jpg
Terance Ousley
..and bi’s!
Lisa Acree
Ew.
Paul Dankert
They have died for us and each other.
Eoin Maher
Galen Woltkamp-Moon