Mullen Finds No Resistance Among Soldiers To Gays Serving Openly In The Military

McClatchy:

AMMAN, Jordan -- Navy Adm. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was nearing the end of a 25-minute question and answer session with troops serving here when he raised a topic of his own: "No one's asked me about 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,'" he said.

Read the whole story: McClatchy

Comments

[SteveDenver]

03:16 AM on 02/17/2010

My brother-in­-law is in Iraq and they had to scrap an entire slate of missions, because their language expert was discharged for being gay. Without the gay soldier, they didn't have anyone in their platoon who could decipher messages that were being intercepte­d.

[Notawingnut]

02:18 AM on 02/17/2010

Because most of them know there are already gays in the military, and could probably point them out if they wanted to.

It's not like repealing DADT will suddenly result in the Rainbow Brigade. There are still rules and regulation­s in place for conduct, etc. not that I even think it would be an issue.

[imusintheevening]

02:14 AM on 02/17/2010

pretty much a non-issue unless your are closeted, a republican or both and over 50

[SpoonPlayer]

01:49 AM on 02/17/2010

Oh for heaven's sake, Republican­s would actually have us believe that the majority of our men and women in uniform are frightened to be in close quarters with homosexual­s. With all of the risks our soldiers are asked to take I am sure that being around gay people is the least of their worries. Also, I personally am acquainted with three women who have served our country and two of them happen to be lesbians - quite openly so. Am I wrong to assume that lesbians are somehow more acceptable than gay men in the armed forces?

[snove77]

09:28 AM on 02/17/2010

Well it's a fair bet that the hetero male servicemen watch more porn involving girl-on-gi­rl action than they do man-on-man action. ;)

[AKAM80THEWOLF]

12:32 AM on 02/17/2010

Outcry from Republican­s: Why do our troops hate our troops!?

[FantasticFourFan]

12:11 AM on 02/17/2010

Kinda hard to remain a bigot in a time of war, huh?

[LuvzAmerica]

12:15 AM on 02/17/2010

no its not... believe me.... I come from a long line of military members...­.

In my husband's office, they are still very much against it.... and my brother is in the Navy... he says he is sure they will see the bulk of the gays and he is pretty pissed abt it.

Its strange

[Betrayed]

11:56 PM on 02/16/2010

Enough of the hiding, enough of the lies.

America needs its gay soldiers as much as its straight ones.

Let them serve openly.

This is America, not Iran.

[urchinsadrift]

11:50 PM on 02/16/2010

Billk linton could have solved the whole thing with the stroke (no pun intended) of a pen. Instead, he threw gays under the bus. He should not be forgiven for that.

[SteveDenver]

03:19 AM on 02/17/2010

He hasn't been. He recently said it was the wrong decision and I wanted to kick him.

[roger3815]

11:29 PM on 02/16/2010

I can't think of another topic where representa­tives of the military ever sought public opinion. DADT is a stupid policy and was when it was created by pandering homophobes­.

[Now thats funny]

10:48 PM on 02/16/2010

As an officer in the US Army.... I don't care if you're gay, straight, or like dogs, sexual preference is something that does need to be revealed in a profession­al work environmen­t. It's unnecessar­y.

[Graywolf48]

11:31 PM on 02/16/2010

Yes, I'm sure you and your fellow officers never talk about your wives, lovers or sexual encounters­. I'm also sure that you don't display photograph­s of your wife or girlfriend while at work or in your barracks. I'm sure that everyone in the military keeps their private lives secret and discusses nothing like that, or they lie about what they did while on leave or liberty and who they were with or try to change the subject to something more "professio­nal.". You are not at all realistic or the military has changed since I was on active duty..

[LuvzAmerica]

12:09 AM on 02/17/2010

I agree.... my husband keeps photos of myself and our son on his desk... socials, we go... they talk about "home life"... its normal...

when the gay guy wants to chime in, its going to change the dynamics of the conversati­on....

It shouldnt matter, but it does come up.. every single day!

[wdw505]

11:39 PM on 02/16/2010

but if it is revealed game on.......y­ou are gone

[Gaylord P Farqua]

10:44 PM on 02/16/2010

The Republican­s are staying clear of this issue until they hear from the Most Reverend Pat Robertson.­The Reverend is currently busy coming up with a killer sermon directed at erasing the devil curse the Haitians put on themselves­. Reverend Pat will showcase some excerpts during the "Talking Bible" promotion on the Home Shopping Network. The Reverend may enlist the support of the equally reverend Ted Haggert whom everyone knows has been deeply involved in gay research and may be able to speak to the gay cure.

[jalaroc]

10:37 PM on 02/16/2010

Okay, there's definitely resistance­. Having been in the military and knowing the culture, 60 years of prejudice doesn't disappear just like that. Before you start beating me over the head with a stick, I don't care if gays and lesbians serve in the military. More power to them. It was homophobia that drove the policy in the past, not common sense and a respect for our founding values. However, you can bet that there is resistance­, they just aren't going to come out in the open because they know their careers are probably on the line if they do. I suspect they will attack the decision to allow gays to serve openly from outside the military, bring political pressure from outside the military, frame it as a sign of our declining moral center or some idiocy like that. There will also probably be incidences inside the military of gays getting beaten up which is, unfortunat­ely, to be expected given the prevailing culture. I don't see this as much different than desegregat­ion. the same problems will appear and be dealt with.

[marco01]

11:53 PM on 02/16/2010

And we still have racists in the military. We can't kowtow to bigots.

[iLoveOldNY]

10:11 PM on 02/16/2010

Up yours neocons. Once again all smoke, no fire.

[SweetTart]

09:54 PM on 02/16/2010

That's because the military is made up primarily of people who joined because they want to serve their country. That means, they understand that gays and lesbians might share the same motivation and they respect that. The military, for all its heirarchy, is also very egalitaria­n. Meaning, you have the opportunit­y to rise through the ranks by virtue of merit, not who you know.

The only people who refuse to "get it" are apparently a bunch of old white guys who are entrenched in their narrow mind set, and so called "religious­" people who actually take pride in discrimina­ting against people based on their sexuality.

Enough with those people and the garbage that is their hearts and brains. Let reasonable people decide.

[Gaylord P Farqua]

10:35 PM on 02/16/2010

Well said!

[ramal]

09:50 PM on 02/16/2010

Then what is the problem? The problem lies with homophobes within the Pentagon and with redstate Members of Congress who wish to wave the rainbow flag among their ignorant constiuent­s back home thus insuring their return to office. Shameful and disgracefu­l "leaders," sad and ignorant populace.