Gay U.S. Soldier Wants to Serve Openly

[Renew Deal]

By MALIA RULON, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - An Army sergeant who was wounded in Iraq wants a chance to remain in the military as an openly gay soldier, a desire that's bringing him into conflict with the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.


Sgt. Robert Stout, 23, says he has not encountered trouble from fellow soldiers and would like to stay if not for the policy that permits gay men and women to serve only if they keep their sexual orientation a secret.


"I know a ton of gay men that would be more than willing to stay in the Army if they could just be open," Stout said in an interview with The Associated Press. "But if we have to stay here and hide our lives all the time, it's just not worth it."


Stout, of Utica, Ohio, was awarded the Purple Heart after a grenade sent pieces of shrapnel into his arm, face and legs while he was operating a machine gun on an armored Humvee last May.
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http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050407/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/gay_soldier

[wakeme2008]

1. With the Army so short of people

I would not be surprised if gays are not allow to remain in.

[wicket]

2. Gay U.S. Soldier Wants to Serve Openly

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050407/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/gay_soldier

An Army sergeant who was wounded in Iraq wants a chance to remain in the military as an openly gay soldier, a desire that's bringing him into conflict with the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

Sgt. Robert Stout, 23, says he has not encountered trouble from fellow soldiers and would like to stay if not for the policy that permits gay men and women to serve only if they keep their sexual orientation a secret.

"I know a ton of gay men that would be more than willing to stay in the Army if they could just be open," Stout said in an interview with The Associated Press. "But if we have to stay here and hide our lives all the time, it's just not worth it."

Stout, of Utica, Ohio, was awarded the Purple Heart after a grenade sent pieces of shrapnel into his arm, face and legs while he was operating a machine gun on an armored Humvee last May.

[UCLA Dem]

3. dupe.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1377313

[readmoreoften]

4. Mortars But Not Marriage

At first I thought that the conservatives would hop on board and say SURE! Come aboard. And, by the way, homosexuals must serve in the draft as well! I was afraid that we'd be good enough to be cannon fodder but not so good that our partners back home would get military benefits.

But I was pleasantly WRONG! The idiots actually DO want to fight our inclusion in the military. What a WONDERFUL WEDGE ISSUE. This is a wedge if ever there was one: openly serving homosexuals or a draft that might kill your chickenhawk kid?

Oh, bring it on, my loves! Bring it on!

>>Elaine Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness, a conservative advocacy group that opposes gays serving in the military, said a better way to avoid the cost of replacing soldiers who are discharged for being gay is to make it very clear to people who enlist in the military, including Stout, that they are ineligible to serve if they are gay.

"I honor and respect his service to this country, but the fact that he's wounded really doesn't change the underlying fact. ... He is not eligible to serve," Donnelly said, adding that there are many reasons why people aren't eligible to serve. "This is just one of them.">>>

[BOSSHOG]

5. Heterosexuals serve openly in the Military

What's the problem? Soldiers and Sailors and Marines fuck and as long as its not with a member in the chain of command so be it. And this guy took a hit for his country and chickenshit chickenhawk conservatives who have never spent one day in the military object to his service. Well blow me over with an ounce of tom delay integrity.

Its a total shame that homosexuals can't serve openly. However, I'd like to see them all come out and force the military to discharge them. That would just be another side of the ugly face of conservatism. If anyone is wondering, I did 24 years and know that I served with homosexuals. They were no problem but the wife beaters and alcoholics and the hot check writers were. Yeah, lets keep them in uniform.

[xchrom]

6. of course.

why wouldn't he?

i'm not into the military thing AT ALL -- but if you go to the trouble to become a soldier, you want to serve as the person you are.

i'm guessing there are plenty in his unit who know he is gay -- and don't care.

[Placebo]

7. Oh great, just f'n great!

What's my excuse going to be when the draft is reinstated? Being gay is all I got! lol

[sweetladybug]

8. If I was in the military and called up to go to the illegal war in Iraq

I would tell them I was gay. That way the the military would have more straight republicans to go fight in Iraq. They voted for the chickenshit in the whitehouse, so let Bush's supporters go and fight his war.

[struggle4progress]

9. kick