Tag Archives: homosexual

“Navy Culture” to Blame for Skipper’s Firing

A few articles across the internet have posited that CAPT Owen Honors, recently fired skipper of the USS Enterprise, was simply a product of the “military culture.”

As a retired Navy officer, my perspective is that Honors was acting as the custom of the time allowed. If the Navy wants to change its culture, it needs to get the word out on what is to be changed and only discipline future violations.

That’s an interesting perspective from several angles.  It seems reasonable that if you permit Sailors (or anyone else) to conduct themselves after a certain fashion, then that conduct becomes “acceptable,” or it is at least perceived to be so.  In truth, “allowing” or failing to discipline or prosecute conduct does not inherently make it right, thought it can understandably create a culture of confusion.

In addition, as the writer said above, if the Navy Read more

Senate Confirms Feldblum — ‘Sex Trumps Religion’

Before retiring for the holidays, the US Senate confirmed Obama appointee Chai Feldblum to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Feldblum is the person quoted in the longer version of the “Christian Military Perspective on DADT,” published at the Journal of Faith and War, saying

when religious liberty and sexual liberty conflict…I’m having a hard time coming up with any case in which religious liberty should win.  (The Weekly Standard, May 15, 2006).

Feldblum was a law professor at Georgetown University and Read more

Letter: DADT Repeal Creates “Propaganda” for al Qaeda, Taliban

A letter to the editor in a local Colorado Springs newspaper raised the spectre that open homosexuality in the US military might actually help America’s adversaries:

I can’t wait until the Taliban and Al Qaida use this [DADT repeal] law as a recruiting tool for hardcore Muslim insurgents in its proof just how infidel America is when its government endorses homosexuality by law.

Notwithstanding the rhetoric, he’s right.  Islamic extremists have cited America’s “moral depravity” as reason for attacking it.  Openly allowing Read more

Doug Wilson: Gay Advocates Asking the Wrong Question

Douglas Wilson, most well-known for his long-term debate and friendship with Christopher Hitchens, has a short post on the issue of homosexuality in the military.  He is yet another voice highlighting that many who supported repeal miss the point (perhaps intentionally) when they try to characterize those who oppose repeal.

The public discussion has thus far, in its sophomoric talking points way, addressed whether straight servicemen are willing to “serve alongside” their openly homosexual peers. This question would obviously include evangelical Christians. But this is not the question at all.

Anybody who has spent any time in the military knows that it is not a bastion of righteous behavior. If you join, you will serve alongside fornicators and drunks, and you will learn how to work together with them. Adding patriotic poofters to the mix is a non-issue, and barely worth discussing.

He’s absolutely correct.  There are certainly legitimate issues of sexuality in the military, but those discussions have been ongoing for decades — reference gender.  Therefore, it is not the central issue on this topic.

The issue is this. Homosexual Read more

DADT Repeal: “Don’t Forget Transgenders…”

A local Colorado paper interviewed graduates and students of Colorado University on their perceptions of the recent repeal of the law banning homosexuals from military service.  Some of the article focused on the desire of former servicemembers, discharged for being homosexual, to re-enter the service, though that has been widely discussed.  The end of the article was interesting:

CU senior Kyle Inselman, a member of the GLBT campus community…said the repeal is not a victory for the transgender community, since “don’t ask, don’t tell” is only one of the issues keeping them out of the military…

“I think that to frame this as a victory for the GLBT community is wrong, because transgender people still cannot serve in the military,” Inselman said. “We need to not forget about fighting for (transgender) inclusion in our military as well as gay, lesbian and bisexual people.”

Seems like this line of thinking has been brought up before…

The Slippery Slope of Governing Sexuality

A few different sources, including Dr. Albert Mohler, have recently brought up the case of David Epstein, a professor of political science at Columbia University.  Apparently Epstein was recently charged with incest over a sexual relationship with his adult daughter.

The natural question, of course, is why?

If what two consenting adults do is no one else’s business, why is incest illegal? If reproduction is not germane, then the traditional genetic argument fails.

On what moral basis, then, is incest illegal?

Over at the SoldiersPerspective, a similar question is raised:  Read more

Christianity and Morality in the Military

Gays have been in the military since the beginning of armed conflict, and allowing them to admit that fact does not change the fact that they take the same risk as straight service members and are due the same respect.

Quotes like these are increasingly common — even from Christians — and demonstrate ignorance of the point of those who have opposed repeal of the law banning homosexuals from serving.

The fact that homosexuals have served within the military, in violation of the law, does not nullify the validity of the law (anymore than violation of any other law does so).

Risk, sacrifice, etc, are all irrelevant.  There is no Read more

Choi to Rejoin Military Despite Mental, Political Issues

Former Army Lt Dan Choi announced in the Huffington Post that he intended to rejoin the military service now that DADT has been repealed.  Homosexuality aside, Choi may have other issues to overcome before the military will let him in.

Choi, originally promoted to “Mr.” below-the-zone for being homosexual, reportedly admitted to being “involuntarily committed” to a psychiatric ward due to Read more

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