[GT40FIED]

Originally posted by black95gs-t
GT,
Let me explain this to you from the prospective of a "front liner" as you put it. If I didn't know for sure that someone was gay, I would not have a problem with it. If I did know for sure I definatly would have a problem with it. Here is my reasoning. As Grunts, we do everything together. Eat, sleep, read letters from home, everything. With what we do, we need to have a close bond with everyone we work with. We need to trust them and their abilities. Being "out" in the military would detract from a unit's integrity because there would always be that aquardness. "Was he looking at me in the shower?" "Was he staring at me when I was getting dressed?" That kind of stuff. Yes it is trivial. However, When push comes to shove it is one less thing floating around in the back of my brain. On second thought, I don't really know how to explain this. Its one of those outside looking in, inside looking out kinda things. Either way, in a perfect world, it would not be an issue. Here it is though.
J

I hear what you're saying...but think about all the gays there already that you don't know about. If you can't tell and it's not an issue then, why would it be an issue if you did know? I would certainly hope that members of the armed forces aren't so close minded they would feel less of a cohesive bond as a unit simply because someone was gay. Besides, does someone's sexuality give more or less trust in their abilities as a soldier? I mean there's probably a good number of gays already there you don't know about and doing a great job...but all of a sudden the fact they're gay makes you question their abilities? Aside from that...the military seems to have some homoerotic undertones to it's policies. Guys eating, sleeping, and showering together for long periods of time. Nope...can't think of anything more straight than that. Just remember the next time you're showering up that you don't know whether or not that guy next to you is gay or not. And even if he's not there's a good chance he's checking out your junk anyway.