I got out of the military over 20yrs before Don't Ask Don't Tell was enacted so have no experience with it personally. I've worked with ex-military that served during DADT and judging by the homophobia displayed by some, it must have been hell to be gay in the military. Seemed like the more religious, the more homophobic. One theme that kept coming up was their not wanting to have to shower with gays(a secret fantasy maybe??)
Anywho, like I said, I wasn't in during DADT. When I was in being gay was a way to get out of the military and during 'Nam that was something to be desired. Of course, proving one was gay was not easy, one almost had to get down on his knees and blow someone. There were enough guys trying to get out that it was hard for anyone to get discharged before their hitch was up. It was easier to get discharged because of a mental problem. One guy I knew went to the doctor and complained about not being able to sleep and got sleeping pills. They caused him to oversleep and be a couple hours late to work. After several months of him being late a number of times and even being reassigned to a job with a later start time, he was finally discharged.
At Lackland they had a dischargee barracks - Airmen pending seperation for whatever causes. Some of them in there were bonifide homosexuals - I knew a story about a dude that got a hard on in a shower. He later said that he joined to make him a man but couldn't deal with all of those hot wet soapy boys....
ReplyDeleteTo say that there weren't faggots or dykes in the military before DADT isn't true. More in the closet I would think.
It seen to become a bit more blantant in the 80's - especially with the butch dykes. Osan was a haven for them...
Good post
Sarge
I can remember when I enlisted in the USWAC long, long ago. We got ourselves all sorted out in the first 48 hours in the barracks. Half of us had pictures of some boy back home, the other half had pictures of a close girlfriend, and that was that. No one came right out and said "I'm a lesbian" but everyone knew who was who, and no one cared. I think the percentage of lesbians in the military has probably dropped some for a number of reasons, but a big one is that up until the 1970s when they eliminated the USWAF, USWAC, etc., it was impossible for a woman to have a military career and have children. Pregnancy was an automatic discharge even if you were married. Now it's easier for straight women to have a more or less traditional family and also have a career -- it's still not easy, but at least it's possible.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I've noticed over the years is that the guys who seem to be the most homophobic are the ones that no one, male, female, or even giant squid (according to the New York Times today, squid aren't particularly discriminating in their sex lives), would want to fuck with a borrowed dick -- but they all seem to think every gay man and straight woman on the planet is anxious to get into their pants.
I'm not religious and I have no use at all for most so called gays these days. Natural gays I'm okay with, but many of these modern queers are not natural gays, just fucked up people.
ReplyDeleteAnd I want them to stay out of my face, be a queer if you want to be, just don't put it in my face.