NationStates Jolt Archive

And I think it's a good thing too (http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=45627).

On his wedding night in July 2004, then-Petty Officer 3rd Class Jason Knight finally accepted a truth he had fought against for years: he was gay.

Almost immediately, he moved to get his marriage annulled. He apologized to the woman he’d married. And when it came time to explain his changing circumstances to the Navy, he left nothing out. Under the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, he was quickly discharged from the service.

But now — whether through a clerical oversight or what some claim is an unwritten change in policy to keep more gay servicemembers in the ranks at a time of war — Jason Knight is back on active duty.

Since promoted to petty officer second class, Knight is finishing a scheduled one-year tour in Kuwait with Naval Customs Battalion Bravo. And, already kicked out of the Navy once, he sees no need to hide his sexual orientation.

“I thought it was a joke at first,” he said, remembering the day he received his recall orders. “It was the ultimate kick in the ass. But then I thought, there isn’t much they can do to me they haven’t done the first time.”

Clerical error my ass. If it were a clerical error he'd be gone again already. The military needs bodies--the only way the Army is reaching recruitment goals is by lowering both those goals and their standards to include more people without diplomas and with criminal records, so being gay to get out of the military isn't working so much anymore. I expect that in the next five years you'll see openly gay and lesbian servicemembers serving in the US military.

*hums Village People's "In the Navy"*

Had to be done. ;)

I never understood how we could train people to take a life but it was beyond our military to get over being homophobic assholes.

Anyone remember RC's thread on gay soldiers?

The US and the Army are a bunch of hypocritical asshats.

Seriously, only when it comes to the US would you see a Western country still grappling with allowing gay people in the military. The antediluvian state is... well, not actually surprising since we are talking about the US, but that doesn't make it any less pathetic.

In a twist of irony, Good Christian Homophobic Dear Leader's "War on Terror" is forcing the military to accept homosexuals into their ranks so they can get their asses capped in the Middle East like all straight men and women serving there.

Whodathunk?

A gay sailor? How shocking.

A gay sailor? How shocking.

Well they had to stop throwing them out sooner or later...It wouldnt do to have ports overfloweing with discharged seamen...

Well they had to stop throwing them out sooner or later...It wouldnt do to have ports overfloweing with discharged seamen...

This reminds me a line from Austin Powers 3

Dr Evil: Welcome to my submarine, it's long, hard and full of seamen. lol!

Well they had to stop throwing them out sooner or later...It wouldnt do to have ports overfloweing with discharged seamen...

Not a pretty sight, I can tell you.

Well they had to stop throwing them out sooner or later...It wouldnt do to have ports overfloweing with discharged seamen...

I know. Discharged seamen get all over the bars, all over the women, and it's a big mess to clean up.

So "don't ask, don't tell" has become a casualty of war. Good.

So "don't ask, don't tell" has become a casualty of war. Good.

*Takes a bat and beats "Dont' ask, don't tell" policy to ensure that it is dead.*

You'd think they'd want to put the gays directly into the line of fire to protect the straights... :p

You'd think they'd want to put the gays directly into the line of fire to protect the straights... :p

Congratulations men, you're all a part of Operation: Human Shield.

You'd think they'd want to put the gays directly into the line of fire to protect the straights... :p

*Is reminded of the South Park movie*

Cookie to who can explain why.

EDIT: Ifreann! :mad:

Does anyone remember something in the news a while ago about how some dead soliders were recalled to fight?

*Is reminded of the South Park movie*

Cookie to who can explain why.

EDIT: Ifreann! :mad:

Fear my reference pre-empting powahz!

Fear my reference pre-empting powahz!

You win this time, O "Damned Colonial"!

Good for the Nvy. Maybe this will get it through the thick heads at the Pentagon that gays should be allowed in the military.

Like I've said before, If you are being shot at and your still worried about the sexual orientation of the guy next to you, you really need to re-examine your priorities.

You win this time, O "Damned Colonial"!

I should probably change that, Ireland was never really a colony.

More sig space!!

I wub minaris!

Good for the Nvy. Maybe this will get it through the thick heads at the Pentagon that gays shouldn't be allowed in the military.


don't you mean gays SHOULD be allowed in the military?

don't you mean gays SHOULD be allowed in the military?

My bad. Corrected.

Edit: I was thinking that Gays shouldn't be discriminated against by the military and should be allowed to serve.

Does anyone remember something in the news a while ago about how some dead soliders were recalled to fight?

Just goes to show. The US will conscript dead men before gay ones.

I should probably change that, Ireland was never really a colony.

More sig space!!

I wub minaris!
Not a colony, more just general oppression.;)

*gasp* homosexuals in the navy!?

*gasp* homosexuals in the navy!?

Read the thread and hang your head in shame.

Well they had to stop throwing them out sooner or later...It wouldnt do to have ports overfloweing with discharged seamen...

okay thats the best message i've read for a LONG time...seamen....giggles

I think it was Bill hicks that said that "anyone who wants to get shot at whether they are gay, straight or alien should be allowed to do so" (I might have paraphraised a bit ;) )

Good news though

In Soviet Russia, gay men kick out you!

Seriously though, it had to happen. Not only because of the shitty recruitment levels and the thousands of skilled and trained men and women being kicked out because someone found out they were gay, but the other thing... It is 2007.

As pointed out by the West Wing, all the reasons that people have for not allowing gays to serve openly such as it hurts cohesion, morale etc were all also once used to argue against allowing black people to join.

"Well son, you can't get married but at least you can get shot."

And I think it's a good thing too (http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=45627).



Clerical error my ass. If it were a clerical error he'd be gone again already. The military needs bodies--the only way the Army is reaching recruitment goals is by lowering both those goals and their standards to include more people without diplomas and with criminal records, so being gay to get out of the military isn't working so much anymore. I expect that in the next five years you'll see openly gay and lesbian servicemembers serving in the US military.

This is a good thing. It's sad it took something like the freaking Iraq war to finally get the military of the United States to stop being such disgustingly hateful idiots, but hey, I'm not going to turn down this if it means my fellow gay and lesbian Americans can serve in the military openly.

Read the thread and hang your head in shame.

I read it, but I don't see why I should hang my head in shame. We all know the navy's "reputation". ;)

A gay guy in the navy!? Shocking. Really:rolleyes:

This is going to sound awful and I apologize in advance (I realize I'm likely to get schmacked, too), but I can't help myself and my filthy mind.

Think of the money the Navy could make if they went one step further and allowed openly transgendered (both still intact as born and surgically altered) types into their ranks too then put them all on a submarine with a camera and a free your inhibitions card.

Because, really, a sub just full of gay guys or lesbians...that's not that original. ;o)

I think everyone is missing the big thing here there recalling discharged men for active service now :eek:

oh hello Lynndie England, are you sure your supposed to be going back to Iraq? :p

I think everyone is missing the big thing here there recalling discharged men for active service now :eek:

oh hello Lynndie England, are you sure your supposed to be going back to Iraq? :p

Indeed :eek:

Umm...

Why didn't he tell them to go fuck themselves?


I wouldn't fight in a military that kicked me out for who I was.

"Well son, you can't get married but at least you can get shot."

Don't think of it like that...think of it as "Defending his freedom to NOT marry"...dosen't that sound better?

No one said he couldn't be gay, we just think he shouldn't be gay...you see the difference?

Everyone wins when you say it like that...we get to shun him for his evil deeds, and get to sound patriotic doing it...*off to drink myself to death*

"Well son, you can't get married but at least you can get shot."

Unless he lives in Massachusetts.

Don't think of it like that...think of it as "Defending his freedom to NOT marry"...dosen't that sound better?You win the thread.

But yes, why the hell would the guy return to the service? Even prison seems preferable to something that degrading.

And I think it's a good thing too (http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=45627).



Clerical error my ass. If it were a clerical error he'd be gone again already. The military needs bodies--the only way the Army is reaching recruitment goals is by lowering both those goals and their standards to include more people without diplomas and with criminal records, so being gay to get out of the military isn't working so much anymore. I expect that in the next five years you'll see openly gay and lesbian servicemembers serving in the US military.


If this person happened to get discharged a second time for being gay, and happened to fight it in court, it'd be one hell of a precedent. *nod*

I still can't understand the mindset of people who hate gays. Like my grandfather, and to a lesser extent my father.

Me: "You think gays should get married?"
Grandpa: "Fuck them faggots!"
Me: "Want to reintroduce slaverly while we're at it?"
Grandpa: "Being gay and black are two different things."
Me: "What?"
Grandpa: "Two men together just ain't right, as a good JW (Jehova's Witness), I know it's unnatural."
Me: "You cheated on Grandma every month and spent her paychecks while she worked three jobs. That speaks volumes of the Jehova Cult if it makes you a good one."
Grandpa: "None of them faggots bled on Iwo Jima with me."
Me: "You were a mechanic grandpa."

*silence*

A bigot is a bigot regardless of what they hate. Be it color, ethnicity, or sexual preference. It's the same blind prejudicism we saw during the 1960s with the civil rights movement. Only this time it'll last because it has religious backing. Repulsive.

I still can't understand the mindset of people who hate gays.Me either.A bigot is a bigot regardless of what they hate. Be it color, ethnicity, or sexual preference. It's the same blind prejudicism we saw during the 1960s with the civil rights movement. Only this time it'll last because it has religious backing. Repulsive.There was plenty of religious backing back then. Just like Hitler had plenty of religious backing when he went against Jews and red/blacks. There's always plenty of religious backing, because maintaining prejudice helps maintain status quo, and status quo always helps maintain the positions of influential clergy.

It's not that religion's got anything to do with it. It's just that leaders, religious and otherwise, tend to be corrupt, amoral bastards.

I was under the impression that the navy was meeting its recruitment goals. It was just the army that was having problems.

Man was made for joy and woe,
And when this we rightly know
Through the world we safely go.


Every tear from every eye
Becomes a babe in eternity.


- William Blake

Stupid fucking whiteman.

This is a good thing. It's sad it took something like the freaking Iraq war to finally get the military of the United States to stop being such disgustingly hateful idiots, but hey, I'm not going to turn down this if it means my fellow gay and lesbian Americans can serve in the military openly.

Don't count on it lasting. The moment active force requirement levels drop, they'll get kicked out again. Mark my words.

Don't count on it lasting. The moment active force requirement levels drop, they'll get kicked out again. Mark my words.

They'll go on to join the Liberal Islamic Homosexual Shadow Governmental Armed Forces.

Which doesn't exist, by the way.

It's funny... I was under the impression from talking to a few of my friends in the Air Force ROTC that anyone in the Navy was already openly gay anyway! :D

...

sorry, but it had to be done.

*hums Village People's "In the Navy"*

Had to be done. ;)

That was my immediate thought too! :D

I was under the impression that the navy was meeting its recruitment goals.And now you know why.

Aww, poor gays. Now they don't have a 'get of jail free card' if the US ever gets itself into some big crappy war and needs to introduce conscription. Who needs to be a conscientious objector when you can just be gay?

...It wouldnt do to have ports overfloweing with discharged seamen...
Not a pretty sight, I can tell you.
I know. Discharged seamen get all over the bars, all over the women, and it's a big mess to clean up.

Call Me a pervert if you will... but I am still laughing aboutt his little exchange!

It's funny... I was under the impression from talking to a few of my friends in the Air Force ROTC that anyone in the Navy was already openly gay anyway! :D

...

sorry, but it had to be done.

Hey! :mad:

I was in the Navy!

...

You're thinking of the Submariners. :p

This really sheds new light on the old joke: Why does tha Navy have Marines on their ships? Because sheep would be too obvious.:D

My dad spent 8 years as a SEAL. He claims that marines are to carry the officers' bagage.

My dad spent 8 years as a SEAL. He claims that marines are to carry the officers' bagage.

So thats why they call them sea going bellhops.:D

Grandpa: "None of them faggots bled on Iwo Jima with me."
Me: "You were a mechanic grandpa."


If this conversation really happened it is the best thing ever.

And I think it's a good thing too (http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=45627).



Clerical error my ass. If it were a clerical error he'd be gone again already. The military needs bodies--the only way the Army is reaching recruitment goals is by lowering both those goals and their standards to include more people without diplomas and with criminal records, so being gay to get out of the military isn't working so much anymore. I expect that in the next five years you'll see openly gay and lesbian servicemembers serving in the US military.

I've never had a problem with openly gay people in the military. But I suppose you'll say that's a talking point.

The only problem I have with this particular guy is why he married a woman. But at least he apologized.

I've never had a problem with openly gay people in the military. But I suppose you'll say that's a talking point.

The only problem I have with this particular guy is why he married a woman. But at least he apologized.

He probably married the woman either out of confusion brought about by denial of his sexual orientation, or fear that not getting married would somehow "out" him and lead to persecution.