Matt wrote:Why wouldn't it work? Anything can "work". Depends on the definition of what is working.
So I'm forced to share quarters and community shower with someone of opposite sexuality, why couldn't I share living quarters and community showers with straight women?
On the same stance, I should able to share with lesbians too.
Isn't this what would be fair to all?
Why will no one answer this question?
I'll take a shot. You're right: anything
can work. It depends on the attitude of the people involved, and people do not change easily. Remember all the fuss in the Gulf War about allowing women to serve in combat -ready positions? Never mind that we already had female pilots who were better than most of the
male pilots flying combat for other nations. But everybody just didn't know if our delicate Western sensibilites could handle a female dying in combat, whether women had the physical/emotional "stamina" to perform in combat, whether a male's instinct's would kick in during a a crisis and he would worry more about protecting the female than accomplishing the mission, etc., etc. Bullsh*t, bullsh*t, bullsh*t
But guess what? Some of our women have died in combat since, and the whole system didn't come crashing down, did it? And they didn't have any qualms about stepping up to the plate when their time came. We all adapted and adjusted. Humans are actually quite good at this, but it's usually something we have to be pressured into doing by escalating circumstances or necessity, like oh say, global warming or race riots.
The fact is, Matt, there have always been gays in the military. There has never been a sizable army in history that didn't include gays and bisexuals. You already
were showering with gays. Any of them ever want to play drop the soap? No? So you think if they were now able to tell people they're gay, the U.S.M.C.J. is going totally out the window for these folks and there's going to be rampant buggery in the showers and you're going to have to wear a chastity belt or take sink baths?
Yeah, I've heard the "morale and discipline" argument, too. Illogical and irrelevant. The same thing was said about blacks sharing quarters with whites, women working/training in close quarters with men, yadda, yadda. Didn't happened, we adapted. And we''re still the meanest muthas in the Valley.
As to why both sexes can't share quarters and showers? Again, cultural attitudes. Military is always going to come up last in that race, too. In much of the world, communal bathing, even entire families together, is not an issue. Happens every day. Only reason it doesn't happen here is the culture."Mother Culture, Mother Church". But that's changing, too. Now you not only have coed dorms on many campuses, but even coed bathrooms. Seems to be working so far. American military might catch up in another hundred years. Fact is, humans only come with two kinds of equipment. You've seen one example of each, you've seen 'em all. What's the issue? Nothing, if you don't
let it bother you. Either you believe your ability to reason and free will can overcome your instincts, or you don't. What say ye, Free-Thinker?
Deep down, maybe you're wondering why you should be the one to just "get over it" and adapt, when the gays are the minority here? Simple answer is because your fears are illogical, and the gay people shouldn't have to live under a deception
just to make you and me feel more comfortable. If that argument applied, we shouldn't have integrated the military either, because it would inconvenience too many people and make them uncomfortable?
Let me put it to you another way, Matt: you're an atheist, like me. We're definitely in the minority. Is it right that
we atheists should have to hide who we are and censor our speech to make the numerically superior Believers feel more secure ? No? Should we be denied employment of any kind if we openly admit to what we are? Then why should our gay medic friend? He's not interested in fondling your dainties in the shower, Matt. All he wants is for his life to be a little easier and more fair, and who doesn't want that? If he does his job well and he does his best, what do I give a crap about his social life? Frankly, if I've got hunks of shrapnel embedded in me and third-degree burns, I'm going to be far more worried about how well he paid attention in AIT than whether he thinks I've got a cute ass.
Quit sweatin' it, man. Personally I don't dig the concept of hairy-man sex either, but that doesn't make it wrong or mean it should be illegal. It's not going to bring down civilization either. Fact is that gay folk are tired of the bs, and they ain't going back in the closet. Anybody who can't deal with that best start looking into religious communes.
