The same week the Pentagon is sending out 150,000 surveys to the heterosexual spouses of military personnel, the Pentagon says it’s also trying to figure out how to talk to the same-sex partners of actively serving (and, of course, closeted) troops.
“We have reached out to groups – OutServe, Servicemembers United, SLDN and other organizations – to determine how we can meet with partners of servicemembers who are gay and lesbian and serving currently in order to identify unique issues of those partners,” says Pentagon spokeswoman Cynthia Smith. “We want to make sure that it’s a confidential dialogue and make sure that if they disclose any personal information that it won’t be used against them or their partner.”
Ah yes, because we’d hate to see another gay soldier speak only about his sexuality AND GET FIRED FOR IT.
But Smith insists it’s already possible for partners to contribute to the conversation: “They could use their partner’s common access card” to log in and leave a comment for the Pentagon’s DADT repeal working group. You remember, that’s the thing on the website whose security has already been compromised? Yeah, use that.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Joe in Savannah
I seriously hope they get this figured out. My partner and I have been together for 4 years, 2 of which, consisted of him being deployed overseas. We face challenges every day that the normal couple wouldn’t have to. We also stand to lose our apartment together when he gets back, because the military sees him as a single male, so they want to put him back into the barracks now that they have the room. Sure, there are ways around it, i.e. him marrying a close friend, but we shouldn’t have to break the law to be happy together, and thats what the military is asking.
Mike
What a load of SHIT.
Just get rid of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.
Quit all these ridiculous stalling tactics.
soakman
HAHAHA, they can use their partner’s security card to log-in?
Um… what? You can’t tell me that the government can’t track down where those comments came from. And then what?
Reason for discharge: “someone used your account to leave a comment about being a gay partner to you.”
soakman
PS, I feel for you Joe. I’m not in your situation, but I know plenty of people who are. I really just don’t think I could deal with all the red tape.
David
They could ask the folks they’ve already discharged for being gay. There’s several thousand they’ve kicked out over the past dozen years who can tell them anything that they’d like to know.
MikeH
Service members are not authorized to allow others to use their common access card to log into official government systems.
D Smith
@mikeh
yea that is a quick easy way to get written up for an article 15, and then discharged for being LGBT…