The Problem Isn't Gays, It's Bigots

A letter to the editor in the Henderson, Kentucky Gleaner hits on a topic that needs to be more widely addressed in the wake of DADT repeal - namely the the problem with gays in the military has nothing to do with LGBT service members themselves but rather the bigotry of typically Christian extremists who want special rights for themselves and preference given to their beliefs at the expense of all others. Per these Christofascists, everyone else is supposed to yield to their religious based bigotry. The argument is, pardon my "French," bullshit and is akin to saying that the military should return to a segregated basis because white bigots dislike blacks (and typically other minorities as well). If the U.S. Constitution is to mean anything, then bigotry should not be given special rights and special privileges. Here are some highlights from this very apt letter to the editor:
*
I don't often reminisce about my military days, but recent opinions concerning "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" have had me traveling down some dusty paths of memory. Mostly, I've been pondering the "tell" part, and whether it is inappropriate to advertise your sexuality in the service. During my term, we were young, healthy and single. We advertised our sexuality at every opportunity. I served with Christians of all stripes. Know what I noticed? Christians talk about sex.
*
I'll never know how many homosexuals I served with. Two for sure. The first one left the service after graduating top of his class from tech school, discharged for voluntarily disclosing his sexuality. The other came out to me after I'd known him for a bit. By the time he told me he was gay, I already knew. We ALL knew. How? Well, while the rest of us were talking about sex, he never talked about it. Ever. See, if public discussion of sexuality is a problem, it is OUR problem. We heterosexuals just can't shut up about it.
*
The military is not a Christian organization. It is, however, an ongoing social experiment. We experimented when we decided that anyone of any religion could join, when we integrated the service (years before Brown v. Board of Education and the Civil Rights acts of the '60s), and when we expanded the role of women in the service. Things didn't always go smooth with those experiments, but we did it and the service is better for it.
*
The problem with gays in the military isn't gays. It's bigots. The answer isn't to get rid of gays; it's getting rid of the bigots. That's how we handled it during all those other transitions -- service members either learned to get past their prejudices or were discharged.
*
We shouldn't ask whether gays should be in the military -- they serve and always have. We should ask why homosexuals should be silent when heterosexuals aren't. We should ask, is a bigot who says he won't serve with gays any better than one who says he won't serve with Jews?