Box Turtle Bulletin
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobby“Now you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife…”
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyMarch 26th, 2010
During an exclusive interview with Military.com, Marine Commandant Gen. James Conway criticized efforts to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” saying that doing so would require additional resources to build single-person rooms for Marines in order to segregate gay and lesbian servicemembers.
In audio posted at Military.com’s web site, Conway said:
If perception is reality, we just think that our corps would not want to see it changed. If it is changed, it is going to require some leadership engaging to make sure that our orders are carried out. It’s going to require some resources because right now we billet by twos. We’re the only service that billets by twos. We like that. We want to continue doing that. But I would not ask our Marines to live with someone that is homosexual if we can possibly avoid it, and to me that means we’ve got to build BEQ’s that have single rooms.
Q: Why not? Why wouldn’t you live, let them live with someone that is homosexual?
Well, I think that, one, that I would in this case want to preserve the right of a marine to think she or she wouldn’t want to do that, okay? And again that’s the overwhelming people, number of people that say that they wouldn’t like to do so. We have chosen to do that as a Marine Corps because we think that it is good for unit cohesion. If we believe it’s is going to be adverse to unit cohesion then why wouldn’t we join every other service’s standard and say that under the previous regulations it was conducive, under the current regulations it’s got the potential to cause friction. And so we’re going to demand the same standards as everybody else.
Imagine the power of allowing openly gay people to serve in the toughest units of our armed forces. If long time career professionals like Gen. Conway are afraid of us, imagine the kind of terror gays and lesbians will strike in the hearts of our enemies!
Latest Posts
Featured Reports
In this original BTB Investigation, we unveil the tragic story of Kirk Murphy, a four-year-old boy who was treated for “cross-gender disturbance” in 1970 by a young grad student by the name of George Rekers. This story is a stark reminder that there are severe and damaging consequences when therapists try to ensure that boys will be boys.
When we first reported on three American anti-gay activists traveling to Kampala for a three-day conference, we had no idea that it would be the first report of a long string of events leading to a proposal to institute the death penalty for LGBT people. But that is exactly what happened. In this report, we review our collection of more than 500 posts to tell the story of one nation’s embrace of hatred toward gay people. This report will be updated continuously as events continue to unfold. Check here for the latest updates.
In 2005, the Southern Poverty Law Center wrote that “[Paul] Cameron’s ‘science’ echoes Nazi Germany.” What the SPLC didn”t know was Cameron doesn’t just “echo” Nazi Germany. He quoted extensively from one of the Final Solution’s architects. This puts his fascination with quarantines, mandatory tattoos, and extermination being a “plausible idea” in a whole new and deeply disturbing light.
On February 10, I attended an all-day “Love Won Out” ex-gay conference in Phoenix, put on by Focus on the Family and Exodus International. In this series of reports, I talk about what I learned there: the people who go to these conferences, the things that they hear, and what this all means for them, their families and for the rest of us.
Prologue: Why I Went To “Love Won Out”
Part 1: What’s Love Got To Do With It?
Part 2: Parents Struggle With “No Exceptions”
Part 3: A Whole New Dialect
Part 4: It Depends On How The Meaning of the Word "Change" Changes
Part 5: A Candid Explanation For "Change"
At last, the truth can now be told.
Using the same research methods employed by most anti-gay political pressure groups, we examine the statistics and the case studies that dispel many of the myths about heterosexuality. Download your copy today!
And don‘t miss our companion report, How To Write An Anti-Gay Tract In Fifteen Easy Steps.
Anti-gay activists often charge that gay men and women pose a threat to children. In this report, we explore the supposed connection between homosexuality and child sexual abuse, the conclusions reached by the most knowledgeable professionals in the field, and how anti-gay activists continue to ignore their findings. This has tremendous consequences, not just for gay men and women, but more importantly for the safety of all our children.
Anti-gay activists often cite the “Dutch Study” to claim that gay unions last only about 1½ years and that the these men have an average of eight additional partners per year outside of their steady relationship. In this report, we will take you step by step into the study to see whether the claims are true.
Tony Perkins’ Family Research Council submitted an Amicus Brief to the Maryland Court of Appeals as that court prepared to consider the issue of gay marriage. We examine just one small section of that brief to reveal the junk science and fraudulent claims of the Family “Research” Council.
The FBI’s annual Hate Crime Statistics aren’t as complete as they ought to be, and their report for 2004 was no exception. In fact, their most recent report has quite a few glaring holes. Holes big enough for Daniel Fetty to fall through.
“Google” is a trademark of Google Inc.
© Box Turtle Bulletin. All Rights Reserved.
Posts 
Posts via daily email:
John
March 26th, 2010
God love the Marine Corps but I’ve always believed that it would be the most resistant to repealing the ban against gays openly serving.
Timothy Kincaid
March 26th, 2010
Because all young heterosexuals are afraid to share a room with a gay guy. Un-huh. Sure.
John
March 26th, 2010
I guess he didn’t get the direct order from Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen to not criticize repeal of Don’t ask Don’t Tell. I think the Secretary should thank him for his service and accept his resignation today.
paul j stein
March 26th, 2010
FIRE or RETIRE all the resisting members of the command staff. Simple. End of discussion. “Don’t ASK me again and don’t make me TELL you again to make this happen”, should be the NEW phrase.
Cole
March 26th, 2010
He prefers only heterosexual males to look at him.
sammyseattle
March 26th, 2010
Wouldn’t that only really mean building two rooms? One for the odd number gay male and one for the odd number gay female.
Edwin
March 26th, 2010
All of those old generals need to retire and let some of the younger men run the show.
They could do just as good and wouldn’t be afraid of having gays in the barracks with them.
Eddie89
March 26th, 2010
Note to Gen. James Conway:
Gays and lesbians are already there! They have ALWAYS been there! Right now, at this very moment, they are right there! Everywhere!
The only thing is that they can’t let others know that they are gay or lesbian.
And there are some that are known to be gay or lesbian and their fellow soldiers don’t care! It doesn’t matter to them!
Steve
March 26th, 2010
His assumption is that gay people have no control over sexual urges. That is what many of these archaic military commanders believe. We have no control over our sexual urges and will act out on any sexual impulse. Give me a break.
I think they are forgetting about the chain of command here. Obama is the Commander in Chief. Cut the bullshit and follow the lead set by Obama. The other hope is that Obama shows some spine in this whole matter and makes it clear that divisiveness and sniping is not allowed.
Jason D
March 26th, 2010
Steve,
not just lack of self-control, apparently gays are also incapable of acting professionally without fear of violence/firing AND we have absolutely no standards —Anything male, thanks!
It’s amazing that I’ve had to have that conversation with straight men before…
“Do you find every single woman you see attractive? Fat, skinny, bald, hairy, whatever?”
The answer is usually “well, no, of course not, I’m into girls who are ______.”
One guy I had to tell him, straight out, because he wasn’t getting it, “You’re ugly, if you ever see a gay man staring at you –it’s because you’re blocking his view of someone attractive.”
It hurt his feelings, but it got the point across, and he stopped acting like I was going to rape him.
David
March 26th, 2010
Conway’s opinion, like all conjecture about other people’s potential behavior, is a projection of himself into the scenario: what he would do if he shared a living space with someone of the gender he is attracted to.
He’s telling us that if he were billeted with a female, she would not be safe, he could not be trusted.
Therefore he is a threat for every woman under his command.
Alex
March 27th, 2010
General Conway’s argument is that straight Marines are so unprofessional, so easily distracted, and so emotionally immature that they need to be physically segregated from openly gay Marines in order to do their jobs well. In other words, they need to be coddled.
I would expect such a high-ranking officer to have a much better opinion of his own troops than this.
Alex
March 27th, 2010
I just read all of the reader comments posted at Military.com. Sadly, General Conway’s argument is more accurate than I thought.
Paul in Canada
March 27th, 2010
This panders the wosrt of stereotypes.
darkmoonman
March 27th, 2010
Replace the word “gay” with “negro” and you’ll have the same ignorant rhetoric from the 1950’s.
Jason D
March 27th, 2010
darkmoonman,
Exactly.
It’s funny. People say we’re “stealing” the civil rights movement.
I say it’s only fair if they’re going to use all the false and illogical arguments from the racist side of that era.
chrissypoo
March 27th, 2010
So just to let you know, military.com is rife with former military and conversatives. There are very few active duty members that read it.
Richard Rush
March 27th, 2010
Hey, people, let’s show some compassion for those straight but meek defenseless milquetoast Marines who would suffer chilling consequences after dropping the soap in a crowded shower room, or suffer insomnia due to fear of unspeakable acts being done to them while sleeping. So let’s keep DADT in place so that our Marines remain the greatest fighting force in the world.
JimInMa
March 27th, 2010
Lemme see if I understand this – it’s ok for us to live in fear every day of our lives, but when one of them feels uncomfortable or threatened by our presence, there have to be LAWS against us?!? Suck it up a$$holes – go screw yourselves.
Regan DuCasse
March 27th, 2010
He should be embarrassed that he thinks so little of the straight guys in the ranks. He wants bigotry to be more acceptable than telling his troops to JUST DEAL WITH IT and if they can’t, there’s the door.
Yeah, I’m not too confident in a Marine commander who can’t do that. And is pretty much admitting to the world, he’s more afraid of gay men and women AND the responsibility to making ALL troops respect the same disciplines.
OTHER country’s highest ranking commanders can show him how it’s done.
And btw, why would anyone think this isn’t an issue in CIVILIAN life?!
Heteros have gay siblings they have to live with, share bedrooms and bathrooms with…or they know another family who does.
I go to gyms and I’ve performed in tours and now patrol cars and police headquarters and I share locker and dressing rooms with lesbians all the time.
I tell ya, my friends, I’m so glad I wasn’t taught to turn into THIS kind (or any kind) of a mush puddle regarding living and working with gay folks.
I could EASILY laugh in this guys face at what it looks like he’s telling us.
And although I haven’t visited the site where the opinions of anti gay soldiers is being expressed.
I’d say that dangerous bigots who out themselves and making THEM leave service is a worthwhile endeavor, than outing good gay soldiers.
The military isn’t the place to indulge prejudice like that.
Why WOULD any right thinking person believe it is?
Frank
March 29th, 2010
So, “don’t ask, don’t tell” is a case of “what you don’t know can’t hurt you”. Once you can ask and tell, those straight marines’ fragile heterosexualness is suddenly in danger. Duh.
Jason D
March 29th, 2010
Regan, for real.
So they can handle being tossed out of a plane, or running through a mine field, they can handle being shot at, beaten, tortured, but they can’t handle a gay roommate?
Have they bothered looking abroad to see if other countries have a problem with Out Gay soldiers sexually assaulting their fellow soldiers? Or do they think American gays are particularly rape happy?
It’s funny how the black-man-as-sexual predator stereotype from the days of segregation and interracial marriage bans has transferred over to us.
Amii is livid
March 30th, 2010
How embarrassingly stupid! DADT doesn’t render a human heterosexual; one is gay(or straight)whether speaking up or not. Argh!
I dream of a military, with regard to housing soldiers, that is like the one in Starship Troopers. Everyone slept, showered and shit together. Everyone.
Gen. Conway can send people off to die and to kill, but doesn’t trust them to live together with respect and dignity? He doesn’t think much of the soldiers, does he?
Leave A Comment