U.S. Marines Leader Against Lifting Gay Ban

Lifting the ban on homosexuals openly serving in the military is obviously a very controversial issue and both sides present a strong case however, I believe keeping capable and qualified individuals out of the military solely because they are gay is ignorant. Opposition to lifting the ban believe it will damage unit cohesion and morale because it will make straight soldiers uncomfortable, by saying this they’re assuming that every homosexual is flamboyant and will force their sexuality upon everyone. If an individual is going to make the huge commitment to serve their country they are obviously dedicated and are working towards something, they’re not just there to purposely make people feel uncomfortable and hit on other soldiers. I’ve recently done some research on specific cases of soldiers being discharged due to this policy and it just doesn’t make sense. An 18 year veteran and decorated soldier was discharged because someone found out that he happened to be gay and nearly 1,000 specialists have been discharged as well. How is this reasonable? These people are qualified and dedicated individuals whose goal in life is to serve their country, why should they be denied just because the military is homophobic? Being homosexual doesn’t make them any less qualified or capable of doing something. I’m sure there are women in the military that have to put up with men hitting on them, harassing them, and making them feel uncomfortable on a daily basis, should these men not be able to serve as well since this is one of the only arguments against homosexuals being in the military. Discharging these soldiers strictly because they are homosexual is tactless because it wastes government money, limits our country’s military resources, and threatens our own national security since many of the people discharged are specialists with critical skills.

Lyndsay F. of FL 9:22PM October 31, 2010