In the wake of the Senate’s Don’t Ask Don’t Tell hearings, it’s been a week of all things military around here. And there’s so much to read! Much of it is repetitive: DADT bad! DADT good! McCain sucks! Yay McMullen! You get the idea. But we also love the more anecdotal stories and informed reports surfacing about the discriminatory military policy, so allow us to share a few of our favorites.
• Retired Navy Capt. Joan E. Darrah served almost 30 years with the Navy and was chief of staff and deputy commander at the Office of Naval Intelligence. And she’s gay. In this CNN piece, she talks about her “secret life” living under DADT, from realizing (while enlisted) she was gay to her burgeoning double life with partner Lynne Kennedy.
• Former Air Force Maj. Mike Almy, honorably discharged in 2006 under DADT after 13 years of service, tells NPR about how a senior ranking officer stumbled upon his private emails, which led to a full-blown (lawyer-less) investigation. Of some 500 emails retrieved, a handful were used to conclude Almy is gay, and that was that. Had Defense Sec. Robert Gates’ plan to prohibit third-party outings from leading to dismissals already been implemented, Almy believes he’d still be serving. If the military will have him back, he says he’d return to service. (Interview embedded at right.)
• Army Sgt. Justin Graff, currently serving in southern Afghanistan, tells the Associated Press, in an article saying the DADT debate doesn’t matter much to soldiers there, “Do I care if someone is gay? I have no qualms.” Military spokesman Col. Wayne Shanks says that while it’s “inappropriate” to discuss defense department policy, there’s no gag order on soldiers discussing gays in the military.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
• Retired Navy Com. Beth Coye — who is gay and dismissed an estimated 8-10 women herself — tells WNYC’s Brian Leher about how women are often absent from the DADT debate. All the more harmful because women are disproportionately discharged under the policy. (Interview embedded at left.)
• Former Army Sgt. Darren Manzella, who enlisted in 2002 and served in Iraq, was honorably discharged in 2008 after appearing on 60 Minutes to talk about being gay in the armed forces. To those who say military gays should stay in the closet, Manzella tells WGRZ, “I would say think about your husband and your wife and think about not being able to speak at all about your loved one.”
• Danny Kaplan writes in Foreign Policy about how Israel is a safer country because it repealed, some seventeen years ago, its own ban on gays in the military. He notes: “The United States and Turkey are now the only NATO military powers that do not allow gays to serve openly, but Israel and other countries have shown that the participation of gay soldiers in combat units presents no risk for military effectiveness. What’s more, acknowledging their presence might even improve unite cohesion.”
• The BBC compares the differences of the U.S. and British militaries when it comes to gay troops. Britain, which nixed its own DADT policy 10 years ago, did not suffer mass resignations when gays were given the OK — although just like in the U.S., the idea of retention problems was floated. Falsely, it turns out.
Did we miss any great stories? Share the links in the comments.
RomanHans
The other side really doesn’t have an argument. First, as you point out, gays are serving in the military in other countries with no problems. Second, WOMEN are serving in the military with no problems. If the right-wing wants to argue that gays would be a distraction, lower morale, lead to sexual harassment, blah blah blah, then their main target oughta be them chicks.
Anyway, great stories. Huge props to these people, and thanks for sharing them!
hyhybt
They have, basically, two arguments: 1) “Gays are icky,” and 2) We need protection from gays who cannot behave themselves (or, conversely, gays need protection from straight soldiers who cannot behave themselves.) The first should solely be the problem of the people holding that view, and the second is a matter for discipline, which the military suppoedly has plenty of in all other respects.
bondwooley
Enough already. Let’s just close the communication gap in the military:
http://bit.ly/9YNli3
(social satire)
Brian NJ
It is amazing that more people do not talk about this issue in terms of their American patriotism. This is what we do to soldiers? This is how we abandon soldiers still serving who have lost their fellow soldiers? This is how we let a veteran’s service and training go down the drain? It is costly, and very, very un-American. How far we have fallen.
Great job, Queerty.
crystal.glass
Retired Navy Capt. Joan E. Darrah originally lied. When she entered the service DADT didn’t even exist. On your original application to enter the service, it clearly asked before DADT, if you are homosexual. She lied because they weren’t allowing homosexuals into the military.
Keep in mind that 80% of discharged DADT occured with military personnel volunteering this information. I personally know a few who are not gay, but got out before going to Iraq.
In Israel everybody in the country has to serve. Maybe this is the best way. Bring back the draft so everybody in the country under the age of 60 has to serve with homosexuals. I wonder what the polls would show then?
crystal.glass
@RomanHans: Women are serving in the military with many problems. Since I have been in I observed many of my fellow female military members using pregnancy as a reason to get out of the military. I’m in an administrative rate, but have watched female sailors shuck and whine when they have to perform the same as male sailors. There is a horrific problem on the front lines now with famile Marines and Soldiers getting pregnant to get out. Unfortunately, what men feared about women serving has come to fruition.
hyhybt
@crystal.glass: Men hardly ever get pregnant.
Lukas P.
@crystal.glass: How did the women get pregnant? That’s not a facetious question. I’m well aware of the mechanics of conception ; -) but have to wonder if they’re being impregnated by their mates at home while back here, or while serving overseas. My limited understanding of military rules is that there are strict regulations concerning sexual relations between men and women while on active duty. If that’s the case then there shouldn’t be many pregnancies. Explain, please.
Queerty: This is a good thread. Thanks for bringing it to us.
DR
I have a friend being discharged. It’s utterly awful. Two tours in the Middle East, prepping for his third, and now his unit has lost their chaplain. It’s a shame.
unusualsuspect
Like you said, here in the UK we ditched the DADT ten years ago. Actually, it was more of a ‘don’t be too bloody obvious and don’t get caught’ rule, and I write as a former bi soldier. Hasn’t made any difference to recruiting or retention. . .the tabloids have even stopped writing articles about gay soldiers fighting in Afghanistan (yes, my American brothers we are there as well). Basic rules are that open relations between a senior and junior rank within the same unit are not good. Okay, eyebrows might be raised if a general had a relationship with a corporal in a different unit, but that would be pretty much a class thing. Oh, and any senior who used his/her position to pressure a junior into having sex would face a courts-martial. Exactly the same applies to straight relationships: the Forces have always been far more concerned about bullying. Far as sex on active service is concerned well, not in combat, obviously. Other than that please be sensible and very discreet. It’s always been assumed that the British Tommy (your GI) will fuck anything warm and breathing. Sometimes, just warm. In many ways the Forces used to be far more liberal than civilian society, albeit in a hypocritical sort of way.
Actually, I think we’re slightly ahead of you in terms of gay rights: they’re seen as being part of our overall human rights as in Thou Shall Not Discriminate Against Anyone – Without A Good and Fair Reason. So Gays are fine in the military, but not the blind/optically challenged. Beyond that, gay men are becoming more mainstream by the minute, no longer an exclusive social niche. There are those who feel a tad sad about this. . .