Staff Sgt. Eric Alva was one of the first Americans — perhaps the first — to be wounded in Iraq when he lost his leg to a land mine.
But for years, Alva kept a secret: He is gay.
He announced his homosexuality at a Wednesday news conference on Capitol Hill, where he called for the military’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gays in the service to be abandoned.
“I’m an American who fought for his country and for the protection and the rights and freedoms of all American citizens — not just some of them, but all of them,” Alva said.
Left on their own, free of political hacks, I imagine the Marines would show the way to the other services over the stupidity of homophobia in the military. They did it a half-century ago over the question of institutional racism in our military.
Meanwhile, it’s up to the public to do some arm-twisting on our political “leaders”.
They can send a man to the moon, but they can’t cure homosexuality? Why, in this day and age, can’t we have a pill to fix this!
Most homophobes are “pills”.
who cares !
he is a soldier in the U.S. army the army rules say no homos, live with it. I dont want to be out in the trenches with a man who will be having thoughts about me sexually its that simple. If you were to put a man and a woman in the trenches for a period of time they would also have sexual thoughts about each other it is human nature. Thats why we dont put females in the trenches its too close of a contact over a prolonged period of time and things happen be it man or woman
now make an all gay pink berets and I would not argue that but dont mix gay and heterosexuals in combat
Steve, you need to get your priorities straight. Geesh!
What is gender? Is it gonads, brain chemicals, operant conditioning? Something else?
What is the difference between men and women? Is it gender as defined above or something else?
Should men and women have separate living conditions in military situations, such as barracks, aboard ships, foxholes?
If we separate males and females is it because of gender? If it’s because of gender, which definition should we use?
I’m just curious. I don’t know.
#3
Why? Are you affraid that you might discover you like the feel of another man’s penis?
>> I dont want to be out in the trenches with a man who will be having thoughts about me sexually its that simple.
When you’re patrolling Ramadi with the possibility of sudden death at each turn, nobody’s going to be lusting after you!
It’s that simple.
My favorite quote is from that dang liberal Barry Goldwater, “Everyone knows that gays have served honorably in the military since at least the time of Julius Caesar.”
He also said, “You don’t have to be straight to be in the military; you just have to be able to shoot straight.”
PMitchell, spoken like a true idiot. If you’re thinking about boinking the female corporal in the trench beside you while I’m being shot at… I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near you.
If you’re going to allow women in the military, you should allow gay men. After all, what’s the difference?
I wouldn’t count on the marines doing this themselves. It will have to be forced upon them. Homophobia is institutionalized across the board in the military
Does the sexual orientation of a particular person really matter all that much in the grand scheme of things when they’re putting thier life on the line for you?
Yet another non issue
I personally don’t care either way.
7) In a “fight or flight” situation your comment holds truth, but with women in combat units, commanders have had to deal with frequent pregnancies and other maladies associated with this. It’s not THAT simple. Outside of “fight or flight”, there can often times be extracurricular activity going on.
8) Females don’t serve in combat roles so that scenario although possible is HIGHLY unlikely.
9) Probably the only difference is keeping the straight guys focused on the tasks at hand. “Fight or Flight” scenarios usually aren’t a problem, but it’s the other scenarios that usually are.
10) Phobia bit is highly misused. It’s more likely an abnormal hate than an abnormal fear.
#3
I don’t know about in the US but here in Canada women serve in combat roles and on the front lines as infantry. They are doing fine in Afghanistan and excel at command positions. When I hear people from certain countries where this is prohibited talk about “suitability” it ticks me off, obviously they have no idea. When you go through training with others regardless of sex you get to be close friends and when you are out in the middle of a god forsaken desert sleeping in the same tent fully clothed with your weapon ready and havent showered in 6 days the last thing you are thinking about is having sex with the man/women next to you.
And even though it is “technically” prohibited in the US dont think it doesnt happen anyway. The Generals use the troops at their disposal. I have several women friends from teh US who were in mixed sex units that were at the front lines. Actually the story above was meant to describe the CAN military but I actually heard it from the experiences of a female member of the US army.
Nothing ticks me off like gender inequality/ homophobia.
I don’t see the big deal. I’m a former Marine and I’m straight. I wouldn’t have any objection to serving with a gay guy or woman. Sittin’ in a trench getting shot at isn’t exactly a date. If a soldier or Marine can’t be trusted to keep his/her attention on the task at hand, they shouldn’t be there in the first place. It makes no difference if they’re gay or not.
#9-The difference is I don’t get to share the shower with the women.
#7. Good ol’ Barry Goldwater. A true libertarian conservative. We shant see his like again.
#3. you are truly determined to expose your ignorance. I will pass on commenting upon the gay-hatred, and will confine my remarks to
“he is a soldier in the U.S. army the army rules say no homos”
he was a Marine, dumbass. don’t call him a soldier, don’t put him in the Army. certainly not to his face.
this from the story:
“Even troops with crucial skills, like Arabic translators, have been expelled.”
much better that troops should die from intel failures than have to serve with gays, I suppose.
#3, I think the problem is you might not want the soldier / marine beside you to find out you shit your pants is probably closer to the truth.
#14, Well said.
I like your handle, a great sense of imagination.
Barry Goldwater was along with Bob Taft, known as Mr. Conservative. In todays Republican Party he would be doomed to not being elected.
He is my hero. He wasn’t perfect, but he had a way of looking at someone or something and knowing immediatly if they or it was worth a damn.
This is a bill that I hope everyone who comes to this site will write their Congressperson and tell them to support it. Anyone who wants to support their country by possibly giving up their life deserves our respect and our support. They should be treated just like any other person and have all the rights of any citizen of this country. I have 2 friends that I grew up with who happen to be gay and are serving in Iraq now……I have more respect for them than anyone else I know, because despite being treated like a second class citizen, being insulted by people like #1, #3, and #15, having laws passed to keep them from loving one another, they are fighting and risking their lives to make the people of this country safe, even the bigots.
Hypothetical:
Staff Sgt. Alva put a Private on point, so he could watch the Private’s privates.
Watching the Private’s privates distracted Alva, and he didn’t see the tripwire or trigger in the sand.
So, hypothetically, being gay cost the guy his leg — at least it wasn’t the middle leg.
BWWAHAHAHAHAA!!!
OTOH, why did he sign up for that job, when there are so many small towns in need of interior decorators?
#19 — nice illustration of bigot humor. Shall we presume your father (grandfather?) told Sambo jokes when our military was divided by color? Would you prefer to bring back Jim Crow insignia for White-only officers?
Har.
Simple, if it’s a democracy these gays want to defend; then put it to a vote, by all currently serving.
Having served a good amount a time in the Navy on a ship, in combat, I pretty much know the outcome of that vote. NO, NO GAYS!
It’s hard to work with someone who flaunts their “gayness” in your face. Most Solders/Sailors/Marines don’t join to pick up dates, period. I agree with Don’t Ask Don’t tell; I don’t want to know and this keeps it that way.
#21…noname….Since our Navy hasn’t been in *combat* since the Korean War(except for a few weeks in 1991 and 2003), we have to assume your from the WWII generation. You served with a lot of gay sailors dude, you just didn’t know it.
My Uncle and my Father were both Navy veterans and they inform me that the Navy is like *home base* for gays. I’m betting that the sight of your bare ass and penis must have set many a heart a flutter. There were probably long, lustful showers taken by all those homo’s who just knew you were the man for them. Yep….they just couldn’t wait to jump you in the shower or into your nice old Navy hammock and have hot monkey sex with a bigot, redneck.
People like you are the same ones who didn’t like blacks, then asians, then Mexicans and now your group to hate are gays. You and the asshole in post #19 are just plain, old fashioned bigots.