Is repealing the military's 'don't ask, don't tell' really a good idea?
By phoenix1344
@phoenix1344 (698)
United States
March 1, 2010 12:58pm CST
Is it just me or does anyone else feel that repealing the 'dont ask, don't tell' policy is a really bad idea?
Its not that I don't want to take away rights from homosexuals but no one seems to realize that there is a good reason this policy is in place to begin with. If this gets repealed then the heterosexual military members are losing their rights.
Think about it, military members have to shower together during bootcamp and other training they have to do. Doesn't anyone realize that if the policy is repealed many straight men will be subjected to feel incredibly uncomfortable knowing who is gay and who may be checking them out?
Most people who are for the repeal usually say 'Gay men aren't animals, they can control themselves!'
Well a man can control himself when he sees a naked woman but does it mean that a woman should be subjected to shower with men whom she knows is probably checking them out? If this wasn't a problem with men and women then there wouldn't be any segregation between men and women to begin with.
If they were to seperate gay men and straight men for showering then I would be more for the repeal. But otherwise I just feel like heterosexuals are going to be losing their rights and if they try and speak up they will just be deemed as 'homophobic' and not genuinely comfortable with showering next to a homosexual.
Also same goes with being roommates with someone that is gay. Some heterosexuals aren't comfortable with that and they shouldn't have to be subjected to it.
Yes, most military members are aware that they have problem showered with a gay man and shared room with a gay man but since they didn't know it, there was no reason for them to feel uncomfortable. Hence the reason the repeal is there to begin with.
So unless segregation happens between sexuality preferences then I don't feel the repeal is really a good idea.
anyways, mylotters, what is your opinion on the matter?
3 people like this
7 responses
@Latrivia (2878)
• United States
2 Mar 10
So heterosexuals should be given special consideration because they might "feel uncomfortable"? No one in the army has much privacy, and heterosexuals already shower with gay soldiers (some of them knowing full well that their comrade is gay). Nothing will hurt heterosexual soldiers by showering with an openly gay soldier, and if they have an issue with it, then that's their problem. No one's rights are being violated by getting rid of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".
1 person likes this
@sierras236 (2739)
• United States
2 Mar 10
No rights are being violated by "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," either.
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
2 Mar 10
sierra- you are forcing someone to live a lie in order to keep their job.
I think it is discrimination.
If the an employee at company came out...or lets say he did not come out...but was seen at a resturant with a date by another employee..therefore people found out about him or her being gay...then the company fired them...that company would be sued to heck and back.
Why it is the Military is the only place where they can fire you for being gay? Even if they are doing a great job.It is not legal for anyone else to do it. So it should not be legal for the military to do it either.
@jb78000 (15139)
•
2 Mar 10
as a furry woodland creature i will challenge that. i think people should use their own judgement about telling their fellows about their lovelives, but on the whole why should it be fine for one man who might die to talk about the girlfriend he might be leaving behind but another should not mention his boyfriend?
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
2 Mar 10
The answer to that would be to put in shower stalls so that they are not all showering together. To be perfectly honest with you....I have always had a problem with group showers and it had nothing at all with someone being gay or not. I just like my privacy when showering. I remember being in gym class and we were forced to to strip and shower with the our classmates. I don't know if any of them were gay...it didn't matter. It just was a humiliating and degrading experience.
@iridium (431)
•
1 Mar 10
the thing with sperating rooms and showers is that is discrimination. its also impractical and expensive. also what do you do with people who are bi? people who don't know (or can't admit yet, baring in mind that they sign up at 16/17)? people shouldn't have to declare their sexuality to some sort of sexuality officer just to get a bed. It should be irrelevant to their job.
@phoenix1344 (698)
• United States
1 Mar 10
Really? So is seperating women and men a form of discrimination too?
1 person likes this
@phoenix1344 (698)
• United States
1 Mar 10
Well most people aren't as comfortable with being eyed in the shower and just because one person is or a few people are okay with it, it doesnt not mean that others should be disregarded.
If the military seperated those with different sexualities, from the showers and from sharing rooms then I wouldnt see a problem with having to hide it either.
Thanks for your response.
1 person likes this
@trruk1 (1028)
• United States
1 Mar 10
All of the arguments against repealing this policy come down to one thing: prejudice. As far as the terrific and mind-numbing horror of sharing a shower facility with a gay man: you already do. This policy requires gay members of the military to lie about themselves in order to continue to do their jobs. The British and Israeli armies have policies that allow openly gay memebers and they have had no problems.
Are heterosexual men really that afraid of gay men? This a group of highly trained, physically fit, armed men and they are afraid? That is just silly. There are gay men serving in the U.S. Army right now. Get over it. The arguments used against allowing openly gay men to serve in the military are the same ones that were used years ago to oppose racial integration. They were not valid then and they are not valid now.
@sierras236 (2739)
• United States
1 Mar 10
I did want to add that the US Military is an All-Volunteer army. If you don't like the rules, you don't have to join.
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
2 Mar 10
i'm strait and I'd feel uncomfortable showering with anyone other than a lover so seriously rather than discriminate all they need to do is put in dividers on the showers and not subject anyone to unnecessary embarrassment. I'm pretty sure that I'm not alone in feeling weird about stripping down around a bunch of people that I don't know. Sexuality is not even a factor of this for me. I just like my privacy...that's all. There is no need for them to make such a big deal about someones sexuality. Who really cares as long as they aren't hitting on anyone. It's not about that at all. I'm a woman so maybe it's just a guy thing.
@phoenix1344 (698)
• United States
1 Mar 10
Wouldn't most women feel afraid to shower with men?? I know as a woman I would most certianly not feel comfortable showering with men. It is the same exact issue with straight men showering with gay men.
Think about it. We seperate women and men for a reason. So it isn't a matter of straight men being afraid of gay men. It is the fact that they do not feel COMFORTABLE showering with them. Just as I said, women don't feel comfortable showering with men.
If the military segregated showers and roommates based on sexuality then I would have no problem having the policy repealed. But as of right now that policy is the only thing protecting straight men. And the thing is.. heterosexuals deserve to have the rights to be protected too. Its better if they don't know they are being checked out by other gay men then to know and feel extremely uneasy.
And its unfair to compeletely disregard how they feel about the matter.
There are pleny of people that are for gay rights but wouldn't want to shower next to one, so it isn't just a matter of prejudism.
1 person likes this
@hofferp (4734)
• United States
1 Mar 10
I would hope before the President moves forward, he would allow his Commanders the opportunity to study the potential impacts and make appropriate recommendations, whether to keep the existing policy in place or to repeal it or replace it with yet another policy. I understand President Obama "sprung" this proposed change on his Commanders when he stated it in his "State of the Union" address. Let's hope he doesn't "spring" again without professional input.
@phoenix1344 (698)
• United States
1 Mar 10
That is a really good point. Because only those in the environment could know what is right or not.
My boyfriend is actually an ex military member and hes told me that being in those circumstances he knows there is definitely a good reason for the policy to begin with.
Thanks for your response :)
1 person likes this
@Langoratti (8)
• United States
3 Mar 10
I think it should be the highest military member that is an actual active duty senior officer. Like Gen. Conway or Gen. Casey. Those two have more say and experience to say then are socialist president NoBama
@sierras236 (2739)
• United States
1 Mar 10
I am actually with you on this point. Also, just because other countries do it doesn't mean it will work in this country. I despise that argument. We are the United States of America. We are not England. We are not Europe. That's like saying because all your friends jump off a bridge, you should do it too. Remember the classic peer pressure argument from being a kid? In fact, such arguments based on prejudice make it appear as if the rights of homosexuals are more important than the rights of heterosexuals especially when it comes to personal space. The prejudice argument can be made by every single classification group of people. The military really needs to make the call since they are the ones most affected by it.
