Dont Ask, Dont Tell, Big Deal!

The United States never seems to surprise me in their naviety and sometimes narrowminded view on issues. Don't get me wrong, I am not anti-American, however I do sometimes sit back and wonder about them.

Take for example the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy regarding gays in the military. If you are gay but you don't tell anyone, then the US Defence forces welcome you with open arms. They'll train you, send you overseas to fight, promote you, and even pin medals on you for being a brilliant soldier serving the needs of the country. But let anyone know, and you are discharged because you are seen as a threat to the military cohesion.

I, for one, can not get my head around that. Seriously, it's beyond comprehension! Like, what is the US Defence afraid of? That if I was openly gay and in the army, I would drop my rifle in the middle of a battle, to have sex with that cute 6-packed blonde soldier fighting next to me? [Hmm, there's a thought]. Or that if I was caught by the enemy, I would not be mentally strong enough and reveal defence secrets? Or worse still, I will eventually convert the straight military boys into young "queens" and leave the country defended by men who wear skirts, swing glomesh handbags, sip champagne and have running mascara because they cried over a broken finger nail?

Oh please!

One needs only look internationally to places like the UK and Australia, where gays are not descriminated against, to see that having openly-gay military personnel is no threat. Here in Australia, the Australian Defence Forces are now extending the same rights and privileges to gay military couples as what is offered to straight couples. Openly gay people have been accepted into the Australian defence forces for 13 years now with no adverse impact on it's capability of defending the country and fighting overseas.

Being gay is no threat to the US Defence forces and their cohesion. The defence department accepts gay people if they are closeted, so why not accept them when they are open as to what their sexual preference is?

When are they going to realise that the difference between gay and straight people is simply who we sleep with? And thats the only difference. It has nothing to do with our ability to work, play or fight. A gay soldier is just as likely to go AWOL or divulge defence secrets when captured, as is a straight soldier.

Drag yourself into the 21st century America and leave the naive Dark Ages mentality where it belongs.

Enough said. Off to work I go!