Duty Bound: A Gay Linguist Speaks Out
The April 2007 issue of GENRE Magazine includes a special "From Where I Sit" column by an anonymous service member who discusses his views on being gay in the military and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
The author, an Arabic linguist in the U.S. Navy, tells all about his experience in the armed forces. Here's an excerpt from his column:
"Looking back at the day I enlisted, I now realize the difficulty of being gay in the military lies not in the fact that I'm being harassed, condemned, taunted or shunned. In fact, it's just the opposite. I've developed countless, lifelong personal relationships in the Navy. Some of those closest to me know that I'm gay. And I'm sure if I came out to everyone, 90% of them would give me a dismissive "And ... ?" and then shrug their shoulders, and tell me to pass the salt."
"No, the hardest part about being gay in the military is knowing that my friends would fully accept me with no questions asked - but, I'm not allowed to let them. I'm not allowed to share my life with the men and women for whom I would give it, and who would do the same for me. I'm not allowed to develop personal connections with people with whom I am supposed to fight for our very freedom. And you want me to talk about morale? What some of the generals and politicians don't understand is that the overwhelming majority of servicemembers just don't care anymore. A recent Zogby poll showed that a tremendous 73% of active-duty servicemembers wouldn't care if someone in their unit were gay. In 1993, the percentage was 13%."
"I've always said that staying in the military is a bigger jab at the DADT policy than coming out in protest. In the end, history will show that we were willing to fight, bleed and die for a nation that discriminates against us. Why? Because that's not the America we know."
You can read the full column here, or pick up the current issue of GENRE.
- Steve RallsLabels: in the news
-----04-23-07
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