“The Few, the Proud, the Sexually Twisted.”

Don't Ask, Don't Tell is gone soon.  The Senate removed the last barrier to Obama making the change.  Queers will soon be able to serve openly in the US Military.

One has gone over the top,

"The draft will return with a vengeance and out of necessity. What young man wants to voluntarily join an outfit that will force him to shower naked with males who have a sexual interest in him and just might molest him while he sleeps in his bunk?"

 or this

"... The new Marine motto: “The Few, the Proud, the Sexually Twisted.” Good luck selling that to strong young males who would otherwise love to defend their country. What virile young man wants to serve in a military like that?..."

That was Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association (see hate group stuff here on the AFA), it seems a little unreal that people in this time can think like this.  Only in America and within the ranks of the Canadian Conservatives.   

More at Truth Wins Out

DADT - Canada and Australia - Generals ok with Gays

Fox news has refused to run this ad from the Palm Center on Don't ask - Don't tell, (DADT). Now that is just silly...

According to the Palm Center, the ad includes video clips made in May 2010 featuring Major General Walter Semianiw, Chief of Military Personnel in the Canadian Forces, and Major General Simon Willis (retired), former Head of Defence Personnel in the Australian Defence Force. Major General Semianiw has since been promoted to Lieutenant General and leads Canada Command.

DADT dead for now- Queers at the gates

Oh my god, DADT is dead! It appears the US is now accepting queer applicants to join the military. I am sure its a shock for some of the recruiters, what with all they have done to keep gays out of the place. Its kinda too bad gays want to join in the first place. But alas its is suppose to be the home of the brave. If you want to join, then you should be allowed to do it.

Better read the fine print. Each applicant that identifies as gay is being told they may not be able to stick around, I guess that means Sen McCain, were he to become chair of the armed forces committee would stop all this nonsense.

Come on America, get with the times. All your major allies allow queers in. It won't hurt, just let me a little bit, I promise it will be okay!

See story here Military recruiters told to accept gay applicants from Associated Press writer Kristin M. Hall in Nashville, Tenn.

also see Military Told To Accept Lesbian And Gay Recruits at Lezgetreal

more links The Advocate -Recruiters to Accept Gay Applicants

The Washington Post -Pentagon instructing recruiters to accept gay applicants

CNN -Military recruiters told they can accept openly gay applicants

Queers in Canada's Military for 18 years!

This Friday, August, 6th marks the 18th year since Canada rescinded it's ban on LGBT in the military. The decision was made after a court case decided that the armed forces could no longer prevent homosexuals from serving in the military. The actual date of implementation was October 27, 1992, three and a half months after the Military accepted the court decision. see more at slap upside the head.

Currently 36 countries allow gays, lesbians and bisexuals to serve and 22 of the of 26 NATO countries permit them to serve. The United States as most of you know, allows gays, lesbians and bisexuals to serve as long as they keep it secret and are celibate. Countries that ban open service for gays, lesbians and bisexuals include the USA, Cuba, China, Iran and North Korea. See more on Wiki here.

A study on the acceptance of LGBT members in the Canadian Military was published in April 2000 by Aaron Belkin and Jason McNichol. Belkin was the Director of the Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military at the University of California, Santa Barbara. McNichol was Doctoral Candidate in Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley and Director of ELM Research Associates, a non-partisan research firm in Berkeley when it was published.

The study found

* Lifting of restrictions on gay and lesbian service in the Canadian Forces has not led to any change in military performance, unit cohesion, or discipline.
* Self-identified gay, lesbian, and transsexual members of the Canadian Forces contacted for the study describe good working relationships with peers.
* The percent of military women who experienced sexual harassment dropped 46% after the ban was lifted. While there were several reasons why harassment declined, one factor was that after the ban was lifted women were free to report assaults without fear that they would be accused of being a lesbian.
* Before Canada lifted its gay ban, a 1985 survey of 6,500 male soldiers found that 62% said that they would refuse to share showers, undress or sleep in the same room as a gay soldier. After the ban was lifted, follow-up studies found no increase in disciplinary, performance, recruitment, sexual misconduct, or resignation problems.
* None of the 905 assault cases in the Canadian Forces from November, 1992 (when the ban was lifted) until August, 1995 involved gay bashing or could be attributed to the sexual orientation of one of the parties. Link to study results here

The reports conclusion is that allowing LGBT folks to openly serve did not undermine Canada's military or cohesion.

Given that the USA and Canada work so closely exchanging officers to facilitate understanding and working relationships, I wonder if an open queer Canadian was ever put in charge of and American military unit...

update: from National Defense Research Institute (U.S.), United States this report from 1993 - Sexual orientation and U.S. military personnel policy: options and assessment

page 77 deals with the Canadian experience shortly after discrimination was ended against queers.