Patrick B. Pexton: The Fear of Gays in the Military Just Like Earlier Fear of Women
[Patrick B. Pexton is a contributing editor at National Journal. He previously reported on the military for Army Times.]
...[F]or straight servicemen, the fear of gays is much like that expressed when females began entering most U.S. military units in the 1990s. Men suddenly saw that women could fly fighter jets, sail ships, fire cannons and face death, and some felt it diminished the band of brothers they joined to prove that they were, well, men. Similarly, if gay men can also make war, many have to wonder if that makes them less masculine.
It doesn't, and it shouldn't, but some young men will feel that way. And that's when the Pentagon's core competence - rigorous training - comes in. The military went through some conniptions in the 1990s establishing institutions and equal opportunity programs to train troops on the integration of women. At times there was visceral resistance to women entering combat roles - recall the 1991 Tailhook scandal. But the training worked, and women have been fully integrated into the U.S. military except for direct ground combat.
It took nearly 30 years to fully integrate African Americans into the armed forces, and it's going on 20 years now for women. It will likewise take a few years for gays to be fully accepted. In the end, however, the training will work, acceptance will grow and homosexuals will be regarded by their peers as equally brave and valuable warriors.
Read entire article at WaPo
...[F]or straight servicemen, the fear of gays is much like that expressed when females began entering most U.S. military units in the 1990s. Men suddenly saw that women could fly fighter jets, sail ships, fire cannons and face death, and some felt it diminished the band of brothers they joined to prove that they were, well, men. Similarly, if gay men can also make war, many have to wonder if that makes them less masculine.
It doesn't, and it shouldn't, but some young men will feel that way. And that's when the Pentagon's core competence - rigorous training - comes in. The military went through some conniptions in the 1990s establishing institutions and equal opportunity programs to train troops on the integration of women. At times there was visceral resistance to women entering combat roles - recall the 1991 Tailhook scandal. But the training worked, and women have been fully integrated into the U.S. military except for direct ground combat.
It took nearly 30 years to fully integrate African Americans into the armed forces, and it's going on 20 years now for women. It will likewise take a few years for gays to be fully accepted. In the end, however, the training will work, acceptance will grow and homosexuals will be regarded by their peers as equally brave and valuable warriors.