Virginia Based Navy Ensign Alleges Anti-Gay Harassment

One of the big problems with Don't Ask, Don't Tell - besides the fact that it deprives the military of talented personnel and that, despite claims to the contrary, it allows anonymous outings often motivated by dislike and/or revenge - is that it exposes service members be they gay or straight to harassment based on perceived sexual orientation. Fear that complaints about harassment will lead to further retaliation or accusations that the service member is gay or lesbian, service members attempt to suffer in silence. Sometimes leading to tragic results such as a friend of the complaining officer who reportedly committed suicide in 2009 because she could no longer stand the anti-gay harassment. Yes, there are homophobes in the ranks, but sadly, some of the worse bigotry is in the senior ranks - a fact that sends a green light message to others that homophobia and harassment are fine and will be ignored with a wink and a nod. DADT needs to be repealed for many reason, not the least because it will end the anti-gay harassment that all too often brings no adverse consequences to the perpetrators. Both The Navy Times and Fox News have details on the story that arises out of Oceana Naval Air Station in nearby Virginia Beach. Here are highlights from Fox News:
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The inspector general of the Naval Air Force Atlantic Fleet is under investigation for the handling—and dismissal—of a Navy ensign’s anti-gay harassment complaint, FoxNews.com has learned. Ensign Steve Crowston said he suffered months of continual anti-gay harassment and sexual discrimination from his fellow and commanding officers with Strike Fighter Squadron 136 at Naval Air Station, Oceana, Va.
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The harassment began in August 2009, says Crowston, 36, when his fellow officers called him into a room for a review of call signs, a military moniker that easily identifies a service member. He says his name was written on a whiteboard with a list of call sign recommendations: “Cowboy,” “Gay Boy,” “Fagmeister,” “Cowgirl,” “Romo’s Bitch,”
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Crowston – who would not disclose his sexual orientation – says his commanding and executive officers were in the room and participated in the group vote, picking “Romo’s Bitch.”
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The six-page official complaint, filed in February and obtained by FoxNews.com, also includes a slew of additional accusations involving the misuse of government funds and property and other improprieties by the squadron commander and officers.
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In May, the Naval Air Force Atlantic IG’s office found Crowston’s sexual harassment allegations unsubstantiated and closed the case. . . . .
“I believe the investigating officer was biased to begin with,” Crowston told FoxNews.com. “She should’ve removed herself.”
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On Thursday, the Naval Inspector General – which oversees the Naval Air Force Atlantic IG’s office – told FoxNews.com that it has reopened Crowston’s case and launched an investigation into the way the complaint was initially handled.
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Sources said Naval Inspector General investigators flew out to U.S.S. Enterprise last week to interview Crowston’s former executive officer and former squadron members. Investigators have also conducted interviews at Oceana, where Crowston was previously stationed.
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In the following months after the alleged call sign incident, Crowston said, the harassment only got worse. He says he was the subject of anti-gay slurs and continued harassment in person and over e-mail from his commanding officers and from his squadron officers. Crowston said he was the target of what he believes to be numerous instances of reprisal from his commanding officers — the same officers Crowston named in his Navy complaint to the inspector general were charged with conducting his review. It was the worst review Crowston received in his 16 years in the Navy, and he said it was entirely unfounded.
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Crowston requested a transfer and in February was relocated to the Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic squadron, also in Oceana. On Thursday, Crowston was suddenly reassigned to Naval Special Warfare Group Two, a Virginia Beach-based Seal team scheduled to deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan in the coming months.
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Crowston says a friend of his who also served in the Navy committed suicide in August 2009, and in her suicide letter she cited anti-gay harassment similar to what he encountered. Crowston said he was humiliated and offended by the call sign review and asked for an apology from officers responsible for coming up with the “Gay Boy” and “Fagmeister” suggestions.

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What makes this story all the more distressing is that I'm sure that folks like Elaine Donnelly revel in seeing allegedly gay service members harassed - and even committing suicide. Yet these monsters claim to be Christians. Yet another reason why I no longer claim that name for myself.