Troop concerns appear to be practical rather than homophobic

Timothy Kincaid

April 6th, 2010

The AP is reporting that a meeting was organized to get foot soldier responses to proposed reversal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy.

Picked at random and assembled in the Pentagon auditorium, about 350 rank-and-file troops asked the leaders of a new working group whether bunking arrangements would change and if the spouses of gay personnel would be given military family benefits, among other issues.

Although no official response was provided and the press was not invited, the reports seem to suggest that the concerns were practical in nature rather than the “I’ll quit first” attitudes that some had predicted.

Attendees of the Tuesday session said that one female Marine stated that bunking with a lesbian would be the same as being told to share a room with a man. A soldier said he didn’t want to wade into the political debate and that he would follow orders.

Another service member asked if a gay service member who gets married — now forbidden under law — would receive military family benefits.

At one point, a moderator asked how many troops believed they have served with a gay person. About half the people in the audience raised their hands.

John

April 7th, 2010

I find these ongoing qeustions about military benefits for spouses or domestic partners to be an annoying distraction. Ending Don’t Ask Don’t Tell doesn’t end DOMA, so the answer is no, unless and until DOMA is overturned by Congress. In which case, spouses would recieve military benefits.

Studying this issue is just an excuse to delay and deny gay and lesbian servicemembers the right to serve openly. Overturn the Ban, now.

Jason D

April 7th, 2010

the woman who said she would feel like she was being forced to bunk with a man is rather idiotic.

She has, most likely, already bunked with at least one lesbian, if not several. She just didn’t know at the time.

When DADT is repealed, gays won’t be given big tattoos on their forehead, so she could AGAIN be bunking with a lesbian without knowing it. Ending DADT doesn’t obligate soldiers to Come Out, it just wouldn’t restrict them from doing so.

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