Comments on: ‘The Army Is A 24-Hour Gay Joke’

By: Military 2% Gay

Military 2% Gay — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:59:52 +0000

[...] that a self-selected group that actively excludes homosexuals — and where gay jokes are a 24 hour enterprise — would happen to have the same percentage of homosexuals as society as a [...]

By: vickielyna

vickielyna — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 09:23:29 +0000

MH Homophopic attitudes are ramped outside the military. As you said in sports there is nery a play while playing who is out and open. When something is this pervasive it is hard for any body or group to change. After all the very people who have to inact the change have and are the participants.

While you have given me much food for thought, I agree that in this MAN’S army you will solve the puzzel that is Iraq long before the army truly allows gays to serve openly.

By: libtree09

libtree09 — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:31:53 +0000

My wife’s father was a DI in the Marines during WW2 and he would recite marching or cadence songs that mocked Blacks and Gays. Going through basic training is the closest most will come to the brainwashing of a cult. I am not saying it is a cult but the idea is to break one down physically and mentally then build you back up with a military mindset. Your fellow soldiers are your brothers. This is necessary for survival in combat but it also has its drawbacks, one is institutionalized bigotry. It is deplorable but worse it is stupid, akin to not allowing women in college or the workplace. It narrows the talent pool. Fehenbech is one of hundreds examples within the military and think of those loyal Americans with plenty to give who can’t even consider joining. There are plenty in the military who laugh at the jokes and we should consider what happens if they don’t?
There is another subculture in the military, the evangelists who are pushing their agenda quite aggressively. Jeff Sharlet wrote a provocative article, Jesus Killed Mohammed, in May’s Harper’s magazine on the subject. I would recommend it to all interested in the welfare of our troops.

By: Michael Hastings

Michael Hastings — Sat, 23 May 2009 15:00:15 +0000

Hi Nobody, I’m not saying misogny isn’t a problem. This wasn’t a post about misogny. See Michael Peck’s post on T/S about the horrible rape statistics.

Again, I’m not saying the comments aren’t bad, or unfortunate. I’m just examining the how the homophobic culture gets played out on daily basis.

It’s true, I’m a privileged white male. You got me. But part of that privilege has meant an opportunity to spend time with folks from all walks of life, of all different gender, orientation, race etc. My goal in doing so is to observe, and try to explain what I’m seeing.

By: nobodyinparticular

nobodyinparticular — Sat, 23 May 2009 14:26:07 +0000

Brian Hughes has responded to your comments at Pam’s House Blend.

I agree with, and especially with Keori, who responds to him. You seem especially oblivious to the fact that there are women in the mliitary, and that the military has a *huge* problem with misogyny, as evidenced by the high rates of sexual assault and rape followed by victim-blaming, punishment of whistle-blowers, and cover-ups.

You sound like another privileged straight white male who sees what he wants to see and rationalizes bigotry as “not that bad” because you don’t see the worst of it and none of it’s aimed at you anyway. If you or anyone else want to call that “politically correct,” be my guest, because people who complain about “P.C.” almost never want to examine their own attitudes.

By: timncguy

timncguy — Sat, 23 May 2009 01:52:17 +0000

So, if thiese same men sat around all day telling racist jokes, your position would still be

“The humor is not meant as malicious, I don’t think, and these are on the whole good guys.”

Or, do you possibly feel that racism is worse than homophobic bigotry?

By: timncguy

timncguy — Fri, 22 May 2009 21:55:52 +0000

if they were all telling racist jokes 24 hours a day, would you still claim they were on the whole “good guys”? Or, would they be bad people then?

By: Michael Peck

Michael Peck — Fri, 22 May 2009 19:46:09 +0000

Superb post, Michael. You brilliantly capture the atmosphere of the military – and high school locker rooms. I interviewed some Army officials last month and one of them joked about something being “gay”, as in weak. I was awfully tempted to quote him. But if I had challenged him on this, he wouldn’t have understood why I was offended.

By: Michael Hastings

Michael Hastings — Fri, 22 May 2009 12:13:22 +0000

DM10003, thanks for stopping by. I’ll keep a look at for Blackwatch!

best,
mh

By: dm10003

dm10003 — Fri, 22 May 2009 04:59:33 +0000

If anyone has seen the astonishing Scots play “Blackwatch” about the Blackwatch regiment in Iraq, you’ll have laughed at the many many homocentric — feaux homophobic — jokes. They are some of the absolutely best laughs in the show. One soldier explains they play gay in front of new recruits to frighten them. On top of that, the actors would hold hands and dance like little girls even before the show started so shock us ushers. Face it, men are sexually playful, are always looking for new ways to be silly, and probably won’t stop if openly gay men are there. Hell they’d probably do a “Bloody Mary” grass skirt and coconuts number just to shock the gays! Then they’d copy our piercing, tat, and shaving styles — wait, they already do!