As I write this, I'm watching Kathy Griffin's "Life on the D List". Love Kathy. She's brash, she's cute, she's funny, she's got a bangin' bod and she says what she thinks. Ya gotta love it. She has a big Gay following, Lesbians too, yes and etc., but I'll just use Gay for now, to cover both.
Stop watching The Hills finale for a minute and check this episode out. This may not be as fun a topic as the Mel Gibson tapes, but this is important. Maybe it doesn't affect you, but its affecting a lot of people out there that shouldn't be getting put through this. All this talk about Soldiers protecting our freedoms and being Heroes and all and we subject them to some serious crap on a daily basis.
On her episode tonight, "Kathy goes to Washington", she was invited to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) to receive their Ally for Equality Award. Mostly for her work in trying to normalize Gays as people. Before the dinner and award ceremony she met with several active duty military about their experiences in the, "Don't Ask Don't Tell" (DADT) policy climate of the current military.
Their comments were extremely moving and what they have had to endure is beyond, way beyond, the pale. The thought that there are people IN the military who would make American citizens and military personnel feel bad for being who they are, really irritates me. And it should you too. It made me sick.
You really need to view that scene. Watch the hole episode. I always thought DADT wasn't a bad idea, till recently. I remember the military when I was in and the idea of trying to get along with gays, was unacceptable at that time in the late 70s. I thought this current policy a good one, for a time but now I think its beyond the time for it and it simply has to go. The military needed time to adjust. They've had it. Move on.
There are a lot of people in the military who are from environments and social lives that find non-hetero people not only unacceptable but they have been rasied that they cannot abide their even being alive. Okay. But then again, freakin' excuse me?!
OK, its way beyond the time now for those people to get a grip and let go of their inability to deal with, well, Reality (Capital "R", little REAL). Gays are here. They have Always been HERE. Deal with it. They are people. Deal with it. They deserve to be treated with respect. Deal with it. If your religion doesn't allow you to do those things, to treat other Humans with respect just because they live differently than you, but are still good people, then its your RELIGION needs to get a grip, to change, to have some of what "God" has to be wondering what the hell is going on down there? I create all that wonderful stuff, some things to challenge them, and they disrespect my Creations? Who do they think they are?
Law, is not religion. Law says, they are equal, but why are people fighting it tooth and nail? Tiny minds, I guess. But they will lose. We just need for them to lose...now. Or, quicker. Like NOW!
Let me say here and now, I mean, NOW, just to let it be known, I have no personal interests in any of this, just what is right to do; there is nothing that would make me want to say these things. I mean by that, I am not myself gay, nor bi. I have always been and always will be Straight. That's not the issue. The issue is that everyone in America should be having the right to pursue their happiness. IF they are serving in the military, fighting and dying for us, then dammit, they deserve equality and peace of mind just to be themselves.
I've said the same thing about voting, about drinking, about about sex as it relates to the military. If you can send someone to war to die, then they are adults. Or they shouldn't be getting sent off to war. Because that means, they are children. And we get all riled up about doing things to children right?
And rightfully so. Get it? So if they are gay and being sent off to possibly die, be maimed or be psychologically damaged, or just be sent to live in those difficult situations and environments, they deserve to be treated with equality for who they are. Openly, freely. I DO think, they should have decorum. They should NOT be able to act like any gay in any gay district, being openly flamboyant, or annoying, or push it in your face. After all, it IS the military? OK?
Does this mean if heroin addicts are sent off, they should be allowed be junkies, to live their lives as they wish? Of course not. But those kinds of arguments have nothing to do with gays. I think if they want to get married too, they should be able to, but that's another topic. I don't really care if they can marry in the military or not, at this time. One thing at a time. Maybe they should be able to, but I don't think we're quite ready for that yet.
I do think that the basics are necessary. So that if you are a man, OR a woman, you should be treated with open respect in that you are a man or woman. If you are a Catholic, or Muslim, or Jewish, White, Black, Asian, or whatever, you should not be treated badly, but equally and with respect. If you are hetero or homo, you should be treated no differently, but with respect and understanding.
If you treat any of those people poorly, you should be brought to accounting under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and forced to stop abusing them. I think the laws are already there, they just need to add a word: sexuality (they already mention equality is to be given regardless of sex, race, or religion in apparent order of importance, if you ask me).
What those military personnel said to Kathy on her show, really were heart rending.
One of them said he was once with his friend, in the military, his friend said to him, "I think we should hang gay people out in front of the trees so they'd know they aren't welcome here." And he said he knew he just couldn't say anything. That it made him sick. If I were there, I would have said something, like, "Good God, dude, don't be such an icehole." They're people too and it sounds like you're the one with some emotional or psychological problems, or sexuality issues. I worked around plenty of those types in the service and I gave them crap whenever possible.
Gays are people too. Maybe you don't want them around, but they have the right as US citizens and military personnel, to have a happy life without small minded people harassing them for just being themselves." They're just people. People is people. Deal with it. Get over it. Crawl out of the dark ages. Try being a little progressive. Think, man, think! Have a brain.
Gays in the military should not be worried for their safety. This needs to be brought out in the open and dealt with. The military aren't pussies. They are always up for a fight. Except in things like this. Well, it come to Jesus time boys (and girls).
So say something when it comes up. Be a Hero.
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