[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/IcG1l.jpg[/IMG]
Last summer, gays in the United States military dared not acknowledge their sexual orientation. This summer, the Pentagon will salute them, marking June as gay pride month just as it has marked other celebrations honouring racial or ethnic groups. In the latest remarkable sign of change since the military repealed it's "don't ask, don't tell" policy requiring gays and lesbians to remain silent about their sexual orientation, the Defence Department will soon hold its first event to recognise gay and lesbian troops.
It comes nine months after repeal of the policy that forced more than 13,500 service members out of the armed forces. Details are still being worked out, but officials say Defence Secretary Leon Panetta wants to honour the contributions of gay service members.
"Now that we've repealed 'don't ask, don't tell,' he feels it's important to find a way this month to recognize the service and professionalism of gay and lesbian troops," said Navy Captain John Kirby, a spokesman.
This month's event will follow a long tradition at the Pentagon of recognising diversity in America's armed forces. Hallway displays and activities, for example, have marked Black History Month and Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month. Before the repeal, gay troops could serve but would be discharged if they revealed their orientation. At the same time, a commanding officer was prohibited from asking a service member whether he or she was gay.
Although some feared a repeal of the ban would cause problems in the ranks, officials and gay advocacy groups say no big issues have materialised - aside from what advocacy groups criticise as slow implementation of some changes, such as benefit entitlements to troops in same-sex marriages.
OutServe, a once-clandestine professional association for gay service members, has nearly doubled in size to more than 5,500 members. It held its first national convention of gay service members in Las Vegas last fall, then a conference on family issues this year in Washington. At West Point, the alumni gay advocacy group Knights Out was able to hold the first installment in March of what is intended to be an annual dinner in recognition of gay and lesbian graduates and Army cadets. Gay students at the US Naval Academy were able to take same-sex dates to the academy's Ring Dance for third-year midshipmen.
Mr Panetta said last month that military leaders had concluded that repeal had not affected morale or readiness. A report to Mr Panetta with assessments from the individual military service branches said that as of May 1 they had seen no ill effects.
[url]http://www.advocate.com/politics/military/2012/06/14/department-defense-celebrate-pride-month[/url]
Conservative Republicans everywhere will flip their shit in 4... 3... 2...
I don't give a shit what their orientation is. They are serving our country, and in the end, they are equal when it comes to their service.
That was unexpected...
AWESOME
Rainbow colored missles?
[QUOTE=redBadger;36339333]I don't give a shit what their orientation is. They are serving our country, and in the end, they are equal when it comes to their service.[/QUOTE]
I agree with this 100%.... but if they're equal, why do we need a month celebrating their orientation? I don't mind lbgt people serving in the military, getting married, or living openly in society, I'm all for it, I just don't understand why we're celebrating it. Were I gay, I'd rather just have everyone accept it as normal and not have a celebration about it.
[QUOTE=Aetna;36340078]I agree with this 100%.... but if they're equal, why do we need a month celebrating their orientation? I don't mind lbgt people serving in the military, getting married, or living openly in society, I'm all for it, I just don't understand why we're celebrating it. Were I gay, I'd rather just have everyone accept it as normal and not have a celebration about it.[/QUOTE]
If women are equal why do they need a day in their honor? Because every other day it's man's day.
Same reason here, every other month is straight pride month.
Seriously now, this is celebrating the fact that we are all progressing as a society.
[QUOTE=Madman_Andre;36339322]Conservative Republicans everywhere will flip their shit in 4... 3... 2...[/QUOTE]
Such a shame, I hear they really liked the Pentagon too.
[QUOTE=Aetna;36340078]I agree with this 100%.... but if they're equal, why do we need a month celebrating their orientation? I don't mind lbgt people serving in the military, getting married, or living openly in society, I'm all for it, I just don't understand why we're celebrating it. Were I gay, I'd rather just have everyone accept it as normal and not have a celebration about it.[/QUOTE]
It's like an awareness kind of thing from what I see. It also helps discourages homophobia.
[QUOTE=.FLAP.JACK.DAN.;36340178]It's like an awareness kind of thing from what I see. It also helps discourages homophobia.[/QUOTE]
Ah, understood. I had to retype my post many times to not come off sounding like a bigot, I honestly have no hostility towards anyone's orientation.
[QUOTE=Electrocuter;36340156]If women are equal why do they need a day in their honor? Because every other day it's man's day.
Same reason here, every other month is straight pride month.
Seriously now, this is celebrating the fact that we are all progressing as a society.[/QUOTE]
I would prefer "Sexual orientation tolerance month" but fair enough.
Same with marches and everything. Dunno, I just don't like the word "pride" in that spot.
[QUOTE=Ericson666;36340008]Rainbow colored missles?[/QUOTE]
Go the extra mile!
Formation of jets, flying overhead with smoke in the rainbow spectrum, firing glitter charges out of the flare launchers.
FOX NEWS:
In news today, President Obama is attempting to eject all straights from the army by advocating gay soldiers! When will Obama's war on decency end?
[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;36340442]I would prefer "Sexual orientation tolerance month" but fair enough.
Same with marches and everything. Dunno, I just don't like the word "pride" in that spot.[/QUOTE]
Same applies to Black History Month, which is indeed focused on Black History, but brought about by the movement for racial equality. Same concept here, except Gay History will cover all forms of sexual orientation and gender. I'm sure of that.
The Gay disease has spread through the pentagon,quickly,we must arm ourselves and stop the gay disease from destroying America!.
[QUOTE=Electrocuter;36340156]If women are equal why do they need a day in their honor? Because every other day it's man's day.
Same reason here, every other month is straight pride month.
Seriously now, this is celebrating the fact that we are all progressing as a society.[/QUOTE]
I disagree, who says every other month is straight mans day or white mans day. I think the only thing that these do is point out the differences in people. We just need to stop labeling people gay or black and call them people.
[QUOTE=S31-Syntax;36340443]Go the extra mile!
Formation of jets, flying overhead with smoke in the rainbow spectrum, firing glitter charges out of the flare launchers.[/QUOTE]
That would be awful!
Think of the things that would choke on the glitter!
[QUOTE=Ericson666;36340008]Rainbow colored missles?[/QUOTE]
Is there a way you can change the color of their explosions as well?
[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPelM2hwhJA"][video=youtube;rPelM2hwhJA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPelM2hwhJA[/video][/URL]
[QUOTE=Madman_Andre;36339322]Conservative Republicans everywhere will flip their shit in 4... 3... 2...[/QUOTE]
Is that 432 AD or BC?
[QUOTE=Zillamaster55;36341528]That would be awful!
Think of the things that would choke on the glitter![/QUOTE]
Organic glitter!
It'll be [I]fabulous![/I]
Sure is an election year. And no I don't hate gays, I just don't think the government should put any one particular group of people on a pedestal when the only difference between them and other people is who they choose to fuck.
[QUOTE=zombieslaya;36347938]Sure is an election year. And no I don't hate gays, I just don't think the government should put any one particular group of people on a pedestal when the only difference between them and other people is who they choose to fuck.[/QUOTE]
You aren't pushed around, fired from a job, or refused medical service for being straight.
Guess what? Homosexuals and transgenders are.
I don't give a shit about some bs Libertarian philosophy where the civil rights act is somehow racist. Action is needed a lot of times.
[QUOTE=Chicken_Chaser;36347975]You aren't pushed around, fired from a job, or refused medical service for being straight.
Guess what? Homosexuals and transgenders are.
I don't give a shit about some bs Libertarian philosophy where the civil rights act is somehow racist. Action is needed a lot of times.[/QUOTE]
this.
one of my homosexual friends had all of his communication with me stripped because he's, y'know, gay :u
i'm glad to see all of these people standing up for gay pride and all of that, really warms my heart c:
[QUOTE=QuikKill;36341443]I disagree, who says every other month is straight mans day or white mans day. I think the only thing that these do is point out the differences in people. We just need to stop labeling people gay or black and call them people.[/QUOTE]
While that last part is certainly correct, it isn't going to happen overnight. Events like this exist to encourage people who are discriminated against, and to show the rest the government's stance. If a young person against anything LGBT sees a wide array of support for LGBT people, that person may be willing to confront his/her beliefs.
[QUOTE=redBadger;36339333]I don't give a shit what their orientation is. They are serving our country, and in the end, they are equal when it comes to their service.[/QUOTE]
They're equal period, or at least should be.
[QUOTE=Aetna;36340078]I agree with this 100%.... but if they're equal, why do we need a month celebrating their orientation? I don't mind lbgt people serving in the military, getting married, or living openly in society, I'm all for it, I just don't understand why we're celebrating it. Were I gay, I'd rather just have everyone accept it as normal and not have a celebration about it.[/QUOTE]
because gay people are still oppressed on a daily basis and not equal.
[QUOTE=QuikKill;36341443]We just need to stop labeling people gay or black and call them people.[/QUOTE]
I respect your sentiment but I don't think we should get rid of the words personally. It's a lot easier to describe with them.
For instance, calling 911, which would you rather say to the operator? "He's a light skinned man"? Or "He's a white guy"?
Also, if you're gay and some woman's flirting with you, which would you rather say to her? "Sorry, I'm only attracted to men"? Or "Sorry, I'm gay"?
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