As you may know, today is the first day that non-heterosexuals can openly serve in the United States military. That’s very groovy in general, but I’m struck by the headline that the official news outlet of the Department of Defense used for the occasion:
Obama: Americans No Longer Have To Lie To Serve
That is just about the most positive headline one could reasonably construct. Rather than sullenly announcing “Sexual Orientation Policy No Longer In Effect” or somesuch, they go out of their way to present the new policy as awesome. One might be forgiven for asking “Is this the same DoD that’s been fighting against gay servicemembers tooth and nail for decades?”
Thing is, it reminds me of the old stories I’ve heard about when Truman ordered the military racially integrated. The Department was against it, the generals were against it, it was all the same stuff we’ve heard for the past twenty years. Unit cohesion, combat readiness, existing prejudices, blah blah blah, all those things the military always says. And Truman heard them all out and said “Thanks for your input; I don’t give a damn. Integrate the services right now, that’s an order.” To which the generals responded with the other thing the military’s good at saying: “Yes, sir.”
From what I hear, there was a lot of this kind of thing:
“But sarge, I don’t want to bunk with one of those kind!”
“Well, private, I don’t want to be in charge of a bigoted little shit like you, but nobody gets what they want today! Now move your ass!”
And that’s the thing. The same macho culture of masculinity that had the military resisting gay soldiers for far too long is also tied in with the really good thing about the military: You give them an order to get something done, that shit gets done. Harassment on grounds of sexual orientation actually increased after Clinton implemented don’t-ask-don’t-tell, but I bet it’s going to drop off very sharply as of today. You don’t like showering with him, private? The Army didn’t ask you what you like!
The DoD’s choice of headline is part of a clear message that they’re sending: when they say an anti-gay policy is over, they damn well mean over.
I would put out the “Magneto” quote (and I mean Erik Lensherr, not Melissa McEwan), but that’d stir up debate, and Beloved Noah already vetoed gun rights discussions.
Anyways, the real point that I wanted to make was that I’m all for gay folks in the militaries. But I reserve the right to do bad things to people who excessively make “Seaman” jokes. 😉
“And you may be too young to remember, but there were people who thought it was their God-given right to feel uncomfortable showering with black men, or even use the same water fountain.” What I was pointing out was the double standard. Whenever I read comments responding to servicemen’s discomfort at showering with gay men, there are usually three (two of which are just catty) responses from the anti-DADT camp: you are not the slice of hot shit that you think you are, so stop thinking anyone cares about your penis; I though you were a big, strong army dude,… Read more »
The “intollerance” showed in the armed forces, over race, gender and sexual orientation, cannot be explained that the army is interested in have everything so uniformely as possible? like soldiers all dress in the same way, talk in the same way, communicate in the same way, eat..sleep…work and fight in the same way and with same weapons? Having people who act differently, looks differently and have different bodyes in the light of this “philosophy” is a heavy disadvantage?
“Straight men should not be dismissed for feeling uncomfortable showering with gay men any more than women are for feeling uncomfortable showering with straight men. There’s our next Civil Rights issue right there.” No it isn’t. Rights are not about feelings. Feel however uncomfortable as you want to. Just don’t expect anyone to do anything about it. Otherwise we’re in “She Fears You” territory and well on our way to Schroedinger’s Rapist. And you may be too young to remember, but there were people who thought it was their God-given right to feel uncomfortable showering with black men, or even… Read more »
I prefer David Tennant.
Straight men should not be dismissed for feeling uncomfortable showering with gay men any more than women are for feeling uncomfortable showering with straight men.
There’s our next Civil Rights issue right there.
@Noah: Christopher Ecclestone. Controversial choice, I know.
Here’s a sad little piece of appropriation. The commenters didn’t fall for it though. good for them. it.http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/sep/20/dont-ask-dont-tell. “My point is that, I’m not personally in favour of the army as a force for “Macho”. Armies are all very well and good, but I prefer “Build Bridges”/Problem-solving Armies to “Bash the Bad Guys”/Liberate-invade-destroy-Killkillkill armies. If that even makes any sense.” Simon, as a matter of fact Sun Zi, the most profound theorist on warfare we have, actually says something a lot like this. He considerd winning without fighting to be the height of military skill. So yeah, it makes a… Read more »
Superglucose: Again, I have weird Ideas. I’m not much for the structure, and of course the Army is, in my mind at least, a place where you’re very much a cog in the machine, a grunt whose only purpose is to do and die. And anyways, “Nowt so daft as folk” is an old saying, except in its original form, it reads “Nowt so Queer as folk”. What it means to me is that people will always have their own reasons for doing things, and they don’t need my, or anyone’s permission. My point is that, I’m not personally in… Read more »
““It’s reasonable for an individual to feel uncomfortable being in the presence of other individuals who might find them attractive in a way that is not reciprocated.” It’s completely reasonable. It’s also reasonable for the rest of us to ignore that discomfort as a personal problem. It’s quite the same thing as women who feel “eye-raped” if a man looks at them on the street out in public. “Please don’t talk down to me because of “privilege.” No gun crontrol debate here, Noah…uggggh. This is a deeper issue. SG, the platitude is that we all have various kinds of privilege.… Read more »
“Why is it that no one’s arguing for the integration of men and women in every aspect including personal spaces?”
Let’s have it a la Starship Troopers movie. Co-ed showers, no problem for them. Utopia? No, just normal for them.
“Valerie: I know that in the UK trans people can serve. I think they can in Canada as well. Do you know what argument, if any, is used in the US to prevent trans people serving?” You can serve in Canada if you discover you are trans WHILE in the military, not before being in it. Because they fear the cost of surgery (which they cover). Micheline Montreuil was told to get a paper from a doctor who said she would not have surgery for the next 30 years – and her doctor to say it would be impossible to… Read more »
Valerie: I know that in the UK trans people can serve. I think they can in Canada as well. Do you know what argument, if any, is used in the US to prevent trans people serving?
Heaven help you though if you’re trans and want to serve.
All of the “out” gay military members who I knew during my time in the service were cool as Fuck, so I had no problem with filling out the DADT questionnaire (and saying that they/we shouldn’t have our rights restricted due to sexuality.)
Noah: love your work, appreciate this place.
Also just listen to what tu quoque is actually saying:
“It’s reasonable for an individual to feel uncomfortable being in the presence of other individuals who might find them attractive in a way that is not reciprocated.”
@Dungone, my gf freshman year lived in an all-girls dorm… so I spent weekends there frequently. I have shit next to girls, showered next to girls, and brushed my teeth next to girls. I have asked girls to pass me the toilet paper because my stall was out. I’ve shot the breeze while waiting for my girl to finish her shower, talking to a girl about to blowdry her hair while wearing nothing but a tower and a lot of water.
I agree 100% with you. Integrate along gender and sexuality. Have a little faith in humanity please.
Hmm, same table or not, that’s probably a derail (he doesn’t identify as a feminist though, so it isn’t Ahabing 😉 ). My appologies.
Different game same table, women in my country (Australia) are now allowed to serve in frontline combat. I was talking to a RL friend who’s proffesionally engaged in social justice and commented that it’s great that anyone who can meet the requirements will now be able to serve. He declared that if as many women weren’t able to meet the requirements as men then the requirements should be lowered.
Some people just see the world differently….
dungone, I think I’m with you… I’ve sat around with straight guys in the sauna before and somehow never got the feeling that they were a bunch of predatory ogling bastards who just couldn’t help seeing me as a piece of meat. Glancing is one thing, gawping is another, the vast majority of men in this world know the difference.
Besides, straight and gay men have been showering together in the Army ever since the Army’s had group showers. The only difference now is that it will be slightly more known who’s on which side of the aisle.
As a veteran, that makes me proud. But I have to wonder… what excuse will recruits use to get out of boot camp now?
tu quoque, ef that. Do you know what the solution for all of that is? Get over it. Women, too.
I can’t be happy about this because I absolutely detest the military. It’s corrupt now, has always been and always will be. The fact that reforms like this will give this horrid institution a rosy makeover as an example of successful integration and civil rights successes will make it more difficult to criticize. “You don’t like showering with him, private? The Army didn’t ask you what you like!” *PUKE* It’s seriously ironic that this blog criticizes the necessity of tradition masculinity to force men into stocism and to render their complaints, discomforts, and tentativeness as whiny and unimportant when the… Read more »
We are not having a gun control debate here.
Seriously, we’re not. I would fucking rather debate abortion rights, circumcision, and which Doctor Who is the best SIMULTANEOUSLY, because those are actually LESS wanky and horrible than a fucking gun rights debate.
… says the voice of statistics who’s seen the numbers associated with the use of handguns as self-defense items. Please don’t talk down to me because of “privilege.”