Opposition to gays serving openly in the military has ‘declined sharply’ amongst servicemembers.
Opposition to gays serving openly in the military has ‘declined sharply’ amongst servicemembers.
After Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen’s declaration that he believes it is time to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the Military Times has released a poll of 3,000 active-duty troops showing that opposition to gay men and women serving openly in the military “has fallen sharply from nearly two-thirds (65 percent) in 2004 to about half (51 percent) today.” According to the poll, among the servicemembers’ concerns were “how to effectively implement new policies for sharing close quarters and living facilities with openly gay members.” Polls of the American public consistently showing majority support for overturning DADT. A December 2006 poll of servicemembers who had served in Iraq or Afghanistan also found 73 percent of those polled were “comfortable with lesbians and gays.” On Thursday, the Senate Armed Services will be holding a hearing on DADT.
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And those numbers will only continue to rise, as the bigots and homophobes die off.
Ahhhh, progress.
Ain’t it grand?
February 8th, 2010 at 2:28 pmI was in the AF from ‘67 to ‘71.
I’m straight.
So Americans live and deal with gays day in and day out. I’m sure many don’t even realize that some folks that they deal with are gay.
The primary objection I’ve heard about all of this, is that gays would be the target of ***holes who would attack them.
So rather than go after the perpetrators, we go after their victims.
What’s wrong with this picture?
February 8th, 2010 at 2:29 pmOpposition to gays serving openly in the military has ‘declined sharply’ amongst servicemembers.
– - From the undie-bomber to resisting transferring prisoners out of Gitmo to gays in the military. The far right are just a bunch of bed-wetting scaredy cats and panic-mongers. They were trained for eight years to be terrified of everything. And that’s a hard habit to break.
And this shocker:
“Being brave in the battlefield has nothing to do with how you go to the bathroom or how you have sex. … If you volunteer to serve this great country, we should welcome you, not push you away because of some arcane attitude about sex,” – Col. David Hunt, a hawkish FNC military analyst.
February 8th, 2010 at 2:29 pmHaving never served, I can’t say this with complete certainty but…
I’m pretty sure one’s sexual orientation (or race. or ethnicity. or religion. or whatever else) doesn’t matter in the slightest when you’re in the field and fighting alongside one another.
Seems increasingly like the only ones opposed to the repeal of DADT are doing so for purely political reasons.
And it’s a damn shame.
O/T
IRAN: As many as 3 million protesters anticipated at Thursday rally
This is the year when democracy prevails and the theocratic regime is wiped off the face of the Earth. Or vanished from the pages of time.
February 8th, 2010 at 2:29 pmKinda reminds me of Nam.
The ‘other’ war.
Officers and senior enlisted against the rest of us.
February 8th, 2010 at 2:30 pmWhile it’s a step in the right direction that the %age who oppose gays/lesbians to serve openly has dropped to 51%, I wonder how that 51% would feel if all those gays & lesbians who serve the country were suddenly to walk off the job? Perhaps then the 51% would appreciate their fellow service people a little more, instead of continuing to demand that they stay in the closet.
February 8th, 2010 at 2:30 pmJust for comparison, I’d like to see the same respondents indicate whether they oppose or favor these groups serving openly in the military:
- women
February 8th, 2010 at 2:33 pm- African Americans
- Asian Americans
- Hispanics
- Muslims
- Jews
- atheists
- Democrats
Rather than refer to Military Times polls as if they mean something, the point should be made over and over again that the polls they conduct are nonscientific, nonrandom polls of senior enlisted folks and officers. That means that if you’re a member of the conservative-leaning officer corps or an old dude, you’ve got a much higher chance of being polled. I think a truly scientific study of military people would show much greater support for allowing gays in the military.
February 8th, 2010 at 2:34 pmThis is a no-brainer. Anyone who wants to serve and is willing to put their life on the line for serving our Country deserves respect. It doean’t matter if the are gay or straight. The only ones who really object to it is the older folks and dumb-as*es. I find it courious how many Righties are so intolerant. Maybe because they have had an attraction to a man in their life?
February 8th, 2010 at 2:34 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
nitpicker says:
Rather than refer to Military Times polls as if they mean something, the point should be made over and over again that the polls they conduct are nonscientific, nonrandom polls of senior enlisted folks and officers.
Who choose to answer the poll. It’s ridiculous, like the polling that shows the military votes overwhelmingly conservative.
February 8th, 2010 at 2:39 pmSTORM says:
Looks like a majority of those who chose to answer the poll is still opposed to gays in the military.
Fixed it for you Stormy, gratis.
February 8th, 2010 at 2:40 pmThis out to cause Daryll to do a Fred Sanford double clutch.
February 8th, 2010 at 2:40 pmtony and lido
STORM, I don’t think the point of this entry was to point out that a majority still opposes gays serving in the military, but your opinion, as fragile as it may be here, is duly noted.
February 8th, 2010 at 2:41 pmdasn,
Part of the problem is the evangelicals that are so pervasive in the military at the upper echelons.
You constantly get stories of this general or admiral requiring the troops to follow this directive, that directive or the “non-believers” who are discriminated against.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/05/03/airforce.religion/index.html
It’s happened at the AF Academy numerous times and no doubt in my mind that it will happen again.
The general, Brig. Gen. Johnny Weida, who headed the AF Academy when this happened was given a pass even though HE was one of the folks who had complaints filed against him. (BTW, The General is a born again)
February 8th, 2010 at 2:42 pmI agree with EnnuiDivine. I served in the Army for 3 years and worked along side a few gay men and lesbians. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but unless you’ve served, you don’t have any idea of what it’s like. It all boils down to whether you think homosexuals are equal to everyone else. I’ll bet most of the homophobes out there have never met a gay person, let alone been friends with one.
In my unit, everyone knew who was gay and straight, but no one cared. Just like in the civlian world, you act professional and do your job. That is how you get respect. I’d rather have a hundred gay men doing their job and keeping me alive than a hundred slackers talking smack and sleeping on watch.
February 8th, 2010 at 2:44 pmOT
February 8th, 2010 at 2:49 pmRep. John Murtha died.
Big supporter of the Armed forces.
miked@16, Excellant point. And you would know. Gays and Lesbians deserve to serve. This whole ‘Teh Gay’ might ‘get me’ or is catching is ridiculous. So is the argument that somwhow a gay guy will attack you is ludicris. I will never understand the hatred some people have for gays.
February 8th, 2010 at 2:49 pmLooks like STORM can’t read:
A December 2006 poll of servicemembers who had served in Iraq or Afghanistan also found 73 percent of those polled were “comfortable with lesbians and gays.”
No surprise there, though. STORM doesn’t even bother to attempt to hide the fact that it’s a fcuking idiot.
February 8th, 2010 at 2:49 pmBREAKING… John Murtha (D) PA. has died. He was 77.
February 8th, 2010 at 2:52 pmO/T – John Murtha has passed away.
I realize he has had his own problems in the Congress, but I thank him for his service to this country as a Marine.
February 8th, 2010 at 2:53 pmFrom what I’ve read John Murtha died of complications from his gallbladder surgery. Thank you good sir for serving this country bravely.
–
P.D. says:
miked@16, Excellant point. And you would know. Gays and Lesbians deserve to serve. This whole ‘Teh Gay’ might ‘get me’ or is catching is ridiculous. So is the argument that somwhow a gay guy will attack you is ludicris. I will never understand the hatred some people have for gays.
If the studies (like the one from the University of Georgia) are correct, a fair number of homophobes are in the closet and are self-loathing. It’s projection.
February 8th, 2010 at 2:57 pmF**ck.
Murtha may have been corrupt…but in his own mantra, it was because he loved his constituents. The guy was an old-school industrial Democrat, always standing up for the blue-collar nature of his district. And, yes. He was a HUGE supporter of the armed forces.
RIP.
February 8th, 2010 at 2:58 pmYou’re absolutely right, EnnuiDivine.
February 8th, 2010 at 3:00 pmSo you’re not going to enlist eh, STORM?
ZING.
February 8th, 2010 at 3:00 pmFew really know because either they never visit a Military base or even talk to the troops. Here’s the 411 as I’ve visited Germany, New York and even Texas Military bases. They don’t care when their life is on the line if a blue Avatar saved their life. These old Law Makers made the same argument when Blacks were in the Military. Yes Blacks were sepreated untill the need to save all soldiers lives. Many service men from the South grew to depend on their fellow soldier and learned that racism and discrimination was wrong. Just think of yourself needing help for die? Here comes a black or asian who reaches out to save you or even your child, would you say no let me die? Military Gay doctors have saved so many soldiers lives in Iraq yet our Law Makers seem more interested in buying rugs like McCain/Graham/Lieberman.
February 8th, 2010 at 3:01 pmThe only thing the Democrats have to loose is…
… THEIR BASE!
Largest NJ gay rights group will no longer give to Democrats
By Daniel Tencer
Monday, February 8th, 2010
http://rawstory.com/2010/02/nj-gay-rights-abandons-democrats/
.
February 8th, 2010 at 3:03 pmLefty Liberal says:
Looks like the majority here are still opposed to your stupid postings.
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February 8th, 2010 at 3:10 pmSeems like Storm and the rest of the republicans liked the idea of pushing their bigotry even if it results in a weak military. If they won’t drop their stupid ideology…drop the attitude because if we kick out every gay/lesbian out of the military that’s going to f**k us in the long run.
Its ironic that STORM thinks its a good thing for men to wear pink panties in Arizona.
February 8th, 2010 at 3:11 pmXisithrus says:
Its ironic that STORM thinks its a good thing for men to wear pink panties in Arizona.
–
February 8th, 2010 at 3:13 pmIs that strictly one of his policies or is that a Larry Craig/log cabin republican policy?
That’s ok, democrats will still address their problems light years before any republican, with or without their contributions.
February 8th, 2010 at 3:18 pmOpposition to gay men and women serving openly in the military comes mostly from the ranks of those who refuse to join the military.
My advice to those people -STFU and SIUYA.
February 8th, 2010 at 3:23 pmLefty Liberal says:
I still say that if they would let gays serve openly, then the awful, ugly army uniforms would be replaced with something “FABULOUS”!
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February 8th, 2010 at 3:34 pmWould that be something like flak jackets covered in camouflage pattern Rhinestones? Sorry that image is just hilarious.
Speaking of gays, here’s a little squib on a moment of prayer at the recent Teabagger Loonie Fest in Nashville, where the whole room knelt in prayer while Pastor Rick Scarborough slammed gays several times:
http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2010/02/05/tea-and-crumpets/
The teabagger trolls come on here constantly to attest to the non-religiosity of their movement.
They are either liars or complete idiots, but my money is on the liar side.
The teabagger movement is not a movement against big government and irresponsible government spending.
If it were, it would have blossomed by 2004, and would have massively protested the Bush/Cheney regime.
It is an evangelical movement which uses the “financial responsibility” hook to sign up the unaware and the moronic to support the whole laundry list of evangelical political crap.
February 8th, 2010 at 3:36 pmLefty Liberal says:
Rhinestones? You are straight! :)
I think it would be more like a tan colored uniform with contrasting forest green trim.
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February 8th, 2010 at 3:42 pmHaha. Someone needs to make a parody show out of the idea of an all gay military just to watch the republicans shit their pants. Basically have a 5 man squad and one would be a bear while the rest are the cliche lisp, over-feminine gay men that you see in the media. Now we just need a title.
So Americans live and deal with gays day in and day out. I’m sure many don’t even realize that some folks that they deal with are gay.
I’m pretty sure that people in the military know who “the gays” are. And most of them don’t care.
I find it telling that among the 19 NATO member countries, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Turkey and the United States are the only six that do not allow gays, lesbians and bisexuals to serve openly. Foreign militaries that have lifted their bans include: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
What does that say about our country?
February 8th, 2010 at 3:42 pmSTORM says:
Looks like a majority is still opposed to gays in the military.
A majority was against racial integration of the armed forces as well. It was still the right thing to do, and so is this.
February 8th, 2010 at 3:43 pmI’m sure a lot of guys in Afghanistan would say “If you ask me would I like to have ANY soldier here to help OR to replace me so I can go home, I’d say ‘hell, yeah, they can be gay!!’”
February 8th, 2010 at 3:48 pmI don’t see how anyone can believe that. Give me an example of republicans supporting hate crime legislation where gays are concerned.
That’s recent.
February 8th, 2010 at 3:49 pmLoad of horseshit. I did my stint in the Marine Corps and I guarantee you none of my fellow Marines would have been cool with gays bunking next to them. Its as inappropriate as letting male and female Marines bunk together. The military does not allow that so why should they accomodate gays? If they want to serve they keep their mouths shut about it or better yet do some sort of supportive work that does not involve direct military service. Reality sucks libs but is reality nonetheless.
February 8th, 2010 at 3:57 pmLefty Liberal:
Don’t forget the lesbians! Go to the Seattle Gay Pride parade (probably held in May). The first entry is usually “Dykes on Bikes”, then tell me that those gals aren’t tougher than most guys in the army!
I see a whole 50’s type movie based on your plot done in a Blake Edwards style (a long the lines of “Operation Petticoat”).
Since there was the “Dirty Dozen” and “Magnificent 7″, we could call it “Fabulous 5″
–
I think you’re right…it’s like the middle of May or early June. And I won’t disagree with you…but from what I’ve seen they sure look like they have a lot of fun. I’ve never seen so many leather jackets and feathered boas at the same time though.
And the Fabulous 5 works perfectly. And we should stick with the pink sub from Operation Petticoat. Now we need a villain…maybe parody some GOP homophobic talking head or politician. McCain would be too easy. Hmm…
February 8th, 2010 at 4:01 pmLefty Liberal says:
Now we need a villain…
Ann Coulter is perfect. He is a drag queen already…
–
Make a gun come out of his/her (???) adams apple and it’d be perfect.
And why does liberalslayer support the weakening of our military through the insane policy of DADT? Why should we kick out soldiers and translators based on their sexuality?
February 8th, 2010 at 4:06 pmLiberalSlayer says:
Load of horseshit. I did my stint in the Marine Corps and I guarantee you none of my fellow Marines would have been cool with gays bunking next to them.
1. You were never in the military, in any branch, in any capacity whatsoever. That is a lie.
2. Claiming that it would be a problem is an insult to the commitment of service of the members of our armed forces. I for one am confident that they will honorably fulfill any conditions required of them.
February 8th, 2010 at 4:12 pmLiberalSlayer says:
Load of horseshit. I did my stint in the Marine Corps and I guarantee you none of my fellow Marines would have been cool with gays bunking next to them.
Maybe gay people are not cool with bunking with breeders like you.
February 8th, 2010 at 4:13 pmLefty Liberal says:
Simply because he is scared that he couldn’t keep his hands off the gay guy in the bunk next to him.
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February 8th, 2010 at 4:14 pmWell I guess he really stood up to his rank…private. Larry Craig would love for him to report for latrine duty.
Lefty Liberal, thanks for the clarification. I agree with you now that I understand what you were saying a little better….
February 8th, 2010 at 4:16 pmLefty Liberal says:
Ohhhh, we need to have a “comic relief” character in our movie, and this gives me an idea. We could have a closeted homophobe like liberalslayer. He would be a whiny, sniviling little wuss that was always on “latrine duty” to help out the Fab 5. Think a closeted ‘Ensign Parker’ from McHales Navy.
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February 8th, 2010 at 4:22 pmMake him a cowardly racist and we’re set. Sorry if he’s going to act like an a**hole conservative…you’ve gotta go all the way.
Time to end DADT.
February 8th, 2010 at 4:24 pmLefty Liberal says:
Oh definitely. He also has to be ultra-patriotic (nationalistic) as well.
Now we just need a plot of what the Fab 5 are going to do…
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February 8th, 2010 at 4:29 pmThey’re obviously in a pink nuclear submarine so it could focus around that. Basically a gay version of The Hunt for Red October. And we’d have to include Sean Connery just for laughs.
LiberalSlayer says:
Load of horseshit.
That’s a great description for your posts and the rest of your right wing lunatic morons.
LiberalSlayer says:
I did my stint in the Marine Corps
Liar.
LiberalSlayer says:
and I guarantee you none of my fellow Marines would have been cool with gays bunking next to them.
Then you’re a closet case who probably gave blowj*bs to your buddies and “pretended” you were just drunk. The only groups who are homophobic are p*doph*les and closet cases – which are you little retard?
February 8th, 2010 at 4:36 pmLefty Liberal says:
Sean Connery can be the straight commanding officer of the Fab 5.
How about a homophobic Senator gets shot down during a “fact finding mission” to Argentina, and the Fab 5 have to take their sub and rescue him?
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February 8th, 2010 at 4:56 pmHaha. They should have to fight an entire army of short-circuiting Cheney bots along the way. Each armed with a shot gun and a can of beer…which I guess makes them even crazier.
How bout this:
Ann Coulter is the sub’s commander. She’s the only one on board who’s straight (or so she says). The sub is getting a visit/inspection from freshman Senator Scott Brown. The discipline of the crew is thrown into disarray as everybody on board vies for the attention of the new steamy Senator. In the middle of the mayhem, a national security crisis breaks and the sub is called into action. The crew responds like a well oil machine and acts to avert the crisis. The final scene is a crew celebration in which Senator Brown pops out of a cake with levity and congratulation for a job well done.
February 8th, 2010 at 4:56 pmbackup says:
How bout this:
Ann Coulter is the sub’s commander. She’s the only one on board who’s straight (or so she says). The sub is getting a visit/inspection from freshman Senator Scott Brown. The discipline of the crew is thrown into disarray as everybody on board vies for the attention of the new steamy Senator. In the middle of the mayhem, a national security crisis breaks and the sub is called into action. The crew responds like a well oil machine and acts to avert the crisis. The final scene is a crew celebration in which Senator Brown pops out of a cake with levity and congratulation for a job well done.
–
February 8th, 2010 at 4:59 pmNah…that makes Coulter look like a hero and Brown look like anything other than a corporate hack. Scott Brown can stay…he gets the roll of being a brown-noser to Sean Connery who saves his ass in every episode and I’m fine with just using Coulter as a torpedo.
Lefty Liberal says:
I like that! Elements of Dr. Who!
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February 8th, 2010 at 5:09 pmShould we give Cheney the Dalek voice? I’m torn between that and the 1960’s live action Penguin laugh.
Lefty. Sorry. I didn’t mean to stymie the creative juices flowing between you.
Please continue.
February 8th, 2010 at 5:10 pmbackup,
February 8th, 2010 at 5:13 pmYou’re free to add to this. I didn’t mean to insult you in anyway. Please join us.
bizarro. you’re cool. no offense taken. But, seriously, if I’m killing Lefty’s vibe (at least on this occasion) I’ll take a hike.
I will check in later to see what you come up with, though.
See ya.
February 8th, 2010 at 5:15 pmbackup says:
No problem.
Feel free to add whatever and I’ll warp it for ya. :)
February 8th, 2010 at 5:18 pm: 0
February 8th, 2010 at 5:19 pmLefty Liberal says:
Every time I heard Dickless Cheney talk about Iraq all I heard was “EXTERMINATE EXTERMINATE EXTERMINATE!”, so yeah, he has to have a Dalek voice.
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February 8th, 2010 at 5:37 pmAs awesome as that would be I feel like we’re disgracing the Daleks. I mean they were evil but nobody can top Cheney when it comes to evil. Even Emperor Palpatine looks innocent compared to Cheney.
Lefty Liberal says:
Yeah, but Daleks are as close to the pure evil of Dickless Cheney as you can get.
–
February 8th, 2010 at 6:10 pmHmmm…what about Sam Neil’s character at the end of Event Horizon? I bet Cheney has been to hell and back and is possessed by some wicked demons.
Does a day go by that this website doesn’t have some sort of “gay” story? The 1% of the population get lots of attention here. Could it be … yeah, that is pretty obvious why….
February 8th, 2010 at 7:22 pmMr.Duke says:
Does a day go by that this website doesn’t have some sort of “gay” story? The 1% of the population get lots of attention here. Could it be … yeah, that is pretty obvious why….
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February 8th, 2010 at 7:50 pmDuke what are you doing on a gay thread? Checking out the 1%? Go back in your glass closet homophobe.
Could it be … yeah, that is pretty obvious why….
February 8th, 2010 at 9:03 pm—
WTF is this supposed to mean?
Mr.Duke says:
Does a day go by that this website doesn’t have some sort of “gay” story? The 1% of the population get lots of attention here. Could it be … yeah, that is pretty obvious why….
It’s because homophobes like you continue to hate on them and fight for denying people who just want to live like you their civil rights…
February 8th, 2010 at 9:51 pm#32 Fred,
Address they will…
… But actually DO something?
That’s like Pastor Rick Warren addressing the homeless and acknowledging that he needs to host a bread line…
… But never does.
By the time Democrats get “AROUND” to it, the LGBT will have already abandoned the Democrats of today.
Talk is cheaper than a wooden nickle in D.C.
.
February 9th, 2010 at 12:38 amWhat changes regarding “close quarters” with the repeal of DADT. The fear shouldn’t be that gay behavior will change, only that the behavior of some straights will change. The military faced the same “challenge” some 65 years ago with blacks living in close quarters with whites.
February 9th, 2010 at 2:43 amLiberalSuckingCoward
Go FCUK yourself punk
February 9th, 2010 at 7:02 amAbout the Military Times: The methodology indicates that this is a self-selecting poll, which raises questions about the results: “Public opinion pollsters use random selection to survey the general public, whereas the Military Times survey is based on responses from readers who chose to take part. Statistical margins of error commonly reported in opinion surveys cannot be calculated for this survey because those calculations depend on random sampling.” Although I have no way of knowing, I suspect that the percentage of active-duty military who oppose open service for gays is actually lower and that a poll conducted by Gallup or any of the generally accepted pollsters would yield a greater percentage of people favoring open service.
February 9th, 2010 at 1:54 pmDid we ask you to help write the plot? No? Didn’t think so. Leave the writing to people that understand humor, or better yet, just leave.
February 13th, 2010 at 7:32 am