Saturday, December 18, 2010
U.S. Marines in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009. (AP Photo)
(CNSNews.com) - A special Defense Department working group appointed by Defense Secretary Robert Gates has recommended that the military should “expressly prohibit” heterosexuals from using separate showers, bathrooms and bunking facilities from homosexuals when the repeal of the law banning homosexuals from the military goes into effect.
The working group also has recommended that commanding officers be left with the authority to exempt individuals from using the same showers, bathrooms and living facilities as homosexuals, but only on a “case-by-case” basis.
The House voted earlier this week and the Senate voted this afternoon to repeal the military ban on homosexuals, which has often been referred to as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
The working group’s Nov. 30 report—“Report of the Comprehensive Review of the Issues Associated with a Repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’”--concluded that permitting heterosexuals to use separate showers, bathrooms and bunking facilities from homosexuals of the same gender would “stigmatize” homosexuals and be “reminiscent of ‘separate but equal’ facilities for blacks prior to the 1960s.” The working group was co-chaired by Jeh Charles Johnson, the Defense Department’s general counsel, and U.S. Army Gen. Carter F. Ham.
“In the course of our review we heard from a very large number of Service members about their discomfort with sharing bathroom facilities or living quarters with those they know to be gay or lesbian,” said the report. “Some went so far to suggest that a repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell may even require separate bathroom and shower facilities for gay men and lesbians. We disagree, and recommend against separate facilities. Though many regard the very discussion of this topic as offensive, given the number of Service members who raised it, we are obliged to address it.”
The working group said that having homosexuals use different bathrooms and living facilities from heterosexuals would not only create a “logistical nightmare” but would be discriminatory.
“The creation of a third and possibly fourth category of bathroom facilities and living quarters, whether at bases or forward deployed areas, would be a logistical nightmare, expensive, and impossible to administer,” said the report.
“And, even if it could be achieved and administered, separate facilities would, in our view, stigmatize gay and lesbian Service members in a manner reminiscent of ‘separate but equal' facilities for blacks prior to the 1960s,” said the report.
“Accordingly,” the report concluded, “we recommend that the Department of Defense expressly prohibit berthing or billeting assignments or the designation of bathroom facilities based on sexual orientation. At the same time, commanders would retain the authority they currently have to alter berthing or billeting assignments or accommodate privacy concerns on an individualized, case-by-case basis, in the interests of morale, good order and discipline, and consistent with performance of mission. It should also be recognized that commanders already have the tools—from counseling, to non-judicial punishment, to UCMJ prosecution—to deal with misbehavior in either living quarters or showers, whether the person who engages in the misconduct is gay or straight.”
The report also said a survey of more than 115,000 active duty service members indicated only 29.4 percent would “take no action” if they were assigned to share an “open bay shower” with a homosexual.
The other 70 percent of service members answered this way when asked what they would do if assigned to an “open bay shower” with someone they believed to be a homosexual: 25.8 percent said they would use the shower at a different time than the homosexual, 17.7 percent said they would talk to a superior to see if they had a different option, 11.1 percent said they would have a discussion with the other person to see how they would handle the situation, 7.9 percent said they did not know how they would handle the situation, 7.0 percent said they would do “something else,” and 1.3 percent said they would talk to a chaplain, mentor or leader about how to deal with it.
The report acknowledged that in focus groups conducted for the working group “a frequent concern expressed by some Service members was personal privacy in settings where they may be partially or fully unclothed in the presence of another Service member they know to be gay or lesbian—for instance, shared showering facilities or locker rooms.”
However, the report concluded that the concerns that heterosexual service members in this regard were based on “stereotypes” about homosexuals and stated that homosexuals have “learned to avoid making heterosexuals feel uncomfortable or threatened in situation [sic] such as this.”
The report argued that heterosexuals and homosexuals shower together “every day” in college and high school gyms and “in professional sports locker rooms” and that it should be no different in the military.
“Here again, we are convinced that separate bathroom facilities would do more harm than good to unit cohesion and would be impracticable to administer and enforce,” said the report. “Concerns about showers and bathrooms are based on a stereotype—that gay men and lesbians will behave in an inappropriate or predatory manner in these situations. As one gay former Service member told us, to fit in, co-exist, and conform to social norms, gay men have learned to avoid making heterosexuals feel uncomfortable or threatened in situation [sic] such as this. The reality is that people of different sexual orientation use shower and bathroom facilities together every day in hundreds of thousands of college dorms, college and high school gyms, professional sports locker rooms, police and fire stations, and athletic clubs.”
The report quoted the adverse sentiments of a number of service members who participated in focus groups where they indicated they did not want to have to shower, use the bathroom or roommate with homosexuals.
“I live in the barracks and I don’t think that it would go over well in that kind of environment,” one service member told a DOD focus group. “I’m concerned about how people would treat that individual.”
“In the privacy side of the thing, they’ll have to make some changes to the current infrastructure, [for example] privacy stalls in the bathrooms,” said another service member.
“I do not have to shower or sleep in a room with men so I do not want to shower or sleep in the same room as a woman who is homosexual,” said a female service member. “I would feel uncomfortable changing and sleeping as I would if it was a man in the room. I should not have to accept this.”
“Tell him if he hits on me I will kick his - - -!” said another service member who participated in a DOD focus group.
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/military-should-expressly-prohibit-heter
Replies
This whole disgusting mess has me infuriated beyond words. Mullen is an absolute disgrace to the very uniform he sullies each time he wears it. You would think a sailor, of all people, would understand the horrific effect this will have on morale. But in all his, and the rest of our spineless politician flag officers and government a$$holes who support this, arrogance and narcissism, they think they know what is better for us than we do. Even though they will never be affected by this utter stupidity. You think the military has a hard time meeting quota now? Just wait until this insanity takes effect. I would not want to be a recruiter trying to make plan when that comes around.
I guess the Army and Marines will have to start changing their jodies now..............."Pink C-130 rolling down the strip....a plane full of faggots on a gay pride trip............"
WHO REALLY GIVES A RATS ASS HOW A QUEER FEELS ABOUT BEING SEPARATED FROM STRAIGHT TROOPS. They are intruding on a tradition that has worked very well for the American figting man. I say stop the crap leave them out of the traditional values of the Brave men that protect this Nation. Foergine and domestic. The troops are being perpetraited by the FAR left insisting the HOMOs SERVE. this is another effort to keep America in dissary confused and separated. The enemy just might win this by letting the progressives organize and centralize the military.
Great for publicity stunt. Not so great when something you outsiders (non Military) think would consider normal winds up as a blanket party for the unlucky; tight blanket over head, bar of soap in socks, several whacks, and you have a gay not feeling so gay after that. Barracks dweller for 10 years (Vietnam era).
We never had a problem as a result of the sock rule.
Only heard about two events in ten years; dentist in England finally forgot that he shouldn't tell; enlisted thought the drunk kid on the top bunk wouldn't know a thing. His drunken giggles alerted others to check on him. It just doesn't work like people think does it?
Locks and socks parties, I remember those. They were great teaching aids for soldiers who would not get with the program. Those epic idiots Mullen and Gates, along with all the military hating politicians have no idea what a Pandora's box they just opened.
Is there any doubt the inmates are in charge of the asylum.......can any common sense, decency, moral thought come out of Washington, D.C political environment?
A few, a minority of individuals and their supporters, that practice behavior that is against all Biblical teaching that I'm aware of, are on the verge of forcing their life-style on everyone...it is being developed as a "normal" sexual activity and we will accept it or suffer the consequences of legal action or other retribution.....
A soldier goes to prison because he challenged the eligibility of the fraud in the White House while homosexuals are granted legal freedom to claim perversion.......
Glad i'm retired from the military and I, could not serve under these conditions. These Homos look at the straight persons as they think they are in a Penthouse or in Playboy.
Well since we can no longer DADT, I think JAG should start prosecuting heavily for violations of UCMJ Article 125. That should put the fudge packers out of bidness.
its quite obvious times have changed . you can walk around any where and see gay people every where t.v. the same . i guess these days its not that big of a deal. now in the military its ok? why do politicians think they need to interveen with every thing possible ? what ever happened to tradition
It has worked it seems, to desensitize people into acceptance. How many were sickened to see Dan Pearl beheaded on youtube and now people barely pay any attention to it...works every time...
Those idiots that rise above the rank of Colonel leave their common sense behind. Their only job is to figure out how to change things that don't need changing and applying the lack of workability to combat issues. When I served the Generals decided the AR-15 looked to much like a space gun so turned it down in favor of the M14 in my opinion a step back from the good old M1. Didn't matter that the AR beat the hell out of the BAR. Semper Fi
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