OK, kiddo! Here are all the fantastically amazing posts tagged with Military
Gay Soldier in Afghanistan Receives Death Threat
Gays in the military isn’t exactly a new thing for Canada, but you might not know it from the experiences of Andrew McLean, a Warrant Officer working at Kandahar Airfield.
McLean tried his best to keep his orientation secret from colleagues, but that had to change after he received an anonymous, threatening letter back in September. Speaking to the media in an interview, McLean recalled the experience: “It said ‘You’re gay. Because of this, minus two.’ That’s metric [for] six feet; 6½ under.”
Mortified that he had been discovered, McLean brought the letter to the attention of his superiors after struggling internally for two days.
This story caught my attention mostly because of timing. Canada lifted its ban on gays serving openly in the forces in 1992, a full 20 years ago. The military, though, much like the world of sports, doesn’t make being openly gay easily, although there aren’t any obstacles on paper. That’s why it’s actually encouraging to hear of soldiers speaking out against this kind of harassment.
McLean now says he serves openly, and is actually less afraid for doing so. I’m not only happy for him, but also thrilled that he shared this experience. This not only got higher-ups to publicly affirm their commitment to welcoming gay soldiers, but also to add some much needed visibility in the macho world of national defense. And all it took was some ignorant and cowardly hate mail.
U.S. Military Begins Gay Acceptance Training
The United States Marine Corps has produced some new training material in anticipation of the official revocation of the country’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy later this year.
Parts of the documents are spot on. It’s a good idea, for example, to prepare authority figures within the military on how to put an end to homophobic harassment and remind recruits that it’s not appropriate to discriminate against or berate their colleagues.
Amusingly, though, the training documents also include expected responses to some hypothetical situations. This includes what should be done if you discover two men from your battalion kissing in a shopping mall, or if you see a fellow Marine marching in a Pride parade on TV.
While the document’s suggested responses are exactly right, (i.e. act like it’s none of your business), I find the situations amusingly alarmist—as if all gay Marines will instantly start making out and flying banners on television. Better prepare the troops so they know exactly what to do if—nay, when—it happens!
At least this is all a little less silly than all those surveys asking how military personnel would feel about showering alongside gay colleagues. Not by much, mind you.
US General: Allowing Gay Soldiers Lead to Massacre
John Sheehan, a retired army general from the United States, has blamed the lifting of a ban on gay troops in the Dutch army for the 1995 Bosnian massacre.
Serbian forces overwhelmed Dutch peacekeepers stationed in Bosnia fifteen years ago, leading to one of the largest genocides in Europe since World War II. Approximately 8,000 men and children were killed by Serbian forces.
Sheehan, speaking to a senate committee currently discussing a proposal to end the country’s ridiculous policy banning openly gay men and women from serving in the military, said that the Dutch would have prevented the Bosnian catastrophe if only they hadn’t “made a conscious effort to socialize their military,” adding “that includes open homosexuality.”
Roger Van de Wetering, a spokesperson for the Dutch Defence Ministry, dismissed the comments as “total nonsense:”
The whole operating in Srebrenica and the drama that took place over there was thoroughly investigated by Dutch and international authorities and none of these investigations as ever concluded or suggested a link between homosexual military personnel and the things that happened over there.
Well, duh!
- General blames gay Dutch troops in massacre [CBC News]
Canada’s Equal Opportunity Military Turns 17, U.S. Lags
Yesterday marked 17-years since the reversal of CFAO 19-20, Canada’s shameful equivalent of the United State’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. Before October 27, 1992, members of Canada’s armed forces suspected of being gay were put through internal investigations and fired, even if their service records were exemplary.
The United States has yet to follow suit. Despite a shortage of soldiers and an ongoing war, the U.S. continues to turn away—for no good reason—capable soldiers willing to risk their lives for their country. Canada, which still has combat soldiers on duty in Afghanistan, has 17 years of proof that all those crazy, crazy claims about sex-crazed soldiers and declining troop morale just aren’t a reality.
Here’s to 17 years of military equality, and to the ray of hope that the U.S. military will follow suit!
(Hat tip to James at Gay Persons of Color for alerting me to this important anniversary!)
- Canadian Forces: A lesson in gay inclusion [Chronicle Herald]
Canada Should Apologise To Discharged Gay Veterans
NDP MP Peter Stoffer has called on the government to formally apologise to all veterans who were dishonourably discharged from the Canadian army for being gay. Until 1992, gay men and women were not allowed to serve in the military, and anyone found to be gay would be “discharged with ignominy.”
If the apology is issued, the government would also change the word “dishonourable” to “honourable” on the official records, which are publicly accessible to anyone.
Even when placed in its historical context, discharging a capable soldier simply for loving someone of the same sex is a strange thing to do—particularly given that Canada had to resort to conscription during World War II, and that these soldiers were willing to sacrifice everything for their country. Canada should absolutely apologise, and do it soon.
While Defence Minister Peter MacKay has said he will look into it, so far nothing has been done since Stoffer suggested the action three months ago.
