Comments on: Dispatches from Left Field: The Gay, It’s Catching http://thenewgay.net/2009/08/the-gay-its-catching.html For Everyone Over the Rainbow Fri, 25 May 2012 18:04:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Francis L. Holland http://thenewgay.net/2009/08/the-gay-its-catching.html#comment-13781 Francis L. Holland Fri, 07 Aug 2009 04:47:36 +0000 http://thenewgay.net/?p=12199#comment-13781 Funny you mention catching they gay, because I just read a letter from someone who seemed deathly afraid it could happen to him. Many gays enter the military in their teens and are faced with "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", a policy under which the dismissal of gays from the military has increased rather than decreased. If you want someone to blame for this horrible policy, look no further than ex-military people who raised their voices in apparent unison back in 1993, demanding that Clinton not allow gays to participate in the military. Here's just one example from back then and it comes from a surprising source: Markos Moulitsas, the owner of the DailyKos blog, who was in the military before he started his DailyKos blog. Here's what he wrote and published at his college newspaper for other teenaged gays to read: <b><a href="http://www.northernstar.info/article.php?id=16416&old=1" rel="nofollow">"Military Right</a> By MARKOS C.A. MOULITSAS It's truly disturbing how much ado has been made over Bill Clinton's campaign promise to lift the ban on homosexuals from the U.S. military. It's ironic how it has taken a president who has never served in the military to make a promise that affects the military in such a negative manner. Those who have served in the military, such as myself, understand the demands and pressures of military life are incompatible with allowing integration with homosexuals. I'm neither socially conservative or prejudiced, and neither is liberal columnist Mike Royko, Gen. Colin Powell, and influential liberal Democrats Sam Nunn and Les Aspin, all who've come out against lifting the ban. Under military circumstances, as much has to be done as possible to focus the unit's mission and keep disciplinary problems to a minimum. Worrying about whether the known homosexual sleeping next to you is watching as you change your underwear may seem trivial as you read this, but to the soldier who's short-tempered after three weeks in the field and four hours of daily sleep, it becomes a matter of great importance to his pride and sensibilities. And in any case, there aren't many people who would change clothes in a group of co-workers if members of the opposite sex were in the same room watching. There is something inherently uncomfortable about it. Such fears would go a long way in disrupting efficiency and morale in a unit. <a href="http://www.northernstar.info/article.php?id=16416&old=1" rel="nofollow">MARKOS C.A. MOULITSAS Undecided Freshman"<a></b> Funny you mention catching they gay, because I just read a letter from someone who seemed deathly afraid it could happen to him.

Many gays enter the military in their teens and are faced with “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, a policy under which the dismissal of gays from the military has increased rather than decreased.

If you want someone to blame for this horrible policy, look no further than ex-military people who raised their voices in apparent unison back in 1993, demanding that Clinton not allow gays to participate in the military. Here’s just one example from back then and it comes from a surprising source: Markos Moulitsas, the owner of the DailyKos blog, who was in the military before he started his DailyKos blog. Here’s what he wrote and published at his college newspaper for other teenaged gays to read:

“Military Right

By MARKOS C.A. MOULITSAS

It’s truly disturbing how much ado has been made over Bill Clinton’s campaign promise to lift the ban on homosexuals from the U.S. military. It’s ironic how it has taken a president who has never served in the military to make a promise that affects the military in such a negative manner.

Those who have served in the military, such as myself, understand the demands and pressures of military life are incompatible with allowing integration with homosexuals. I’m neither socially conservative or prejudiced, and neither is liberal columnist Mike Royko, Gen. Colin Powell, and influential liberal Democrats Sam Nunn and Les Aspin, all who’ve come out against lifting the ban.

Under military circumstances, as much has to be done as possible to focus the unit’s mission and keep disciplinary problems to a minimum. Worrying about whether the known homosexual sleeping next to you is watching as you change your underwear may seem trivial as you read this, but to the soldier who’s short-tempered after three weeks in the field and four hours of daily sleep, it becomes a matter of great importance to his pride and sensibilities. And in any case, there aren’t many people who would change clothes in a group of co-workers if members of the opposite sex were in the same room watching. There is something inherently uncomfortable about it.

Such fears would go a long way in disrupting efficiency and morale in a unit.

MARKOS C.A. MOULITSAS

Undecided

Freshman”

]]> By: Hans http://thenewgay.net/2009/08/the-gay-its-catching.html#comment-13728 Hans Wed, 05 Aug 2009 22:01:20 +0000 http://thenewgay.net/?p=12199#comment-13728 The parental reactions I've experienced (i.e. from parents of friends and boyfriends) have run the gamut from welcoming to somewhat less than welcoming, but there's one that was so disturbing that it always stuck with me... My friend Meghan's parents seemed so welcoming, and I'm told that when she mentioned to them that I was gay they weren't all that put off by it, despite being fairly devout Catholics. Here's what I found out later - They were being nice to me because they had a plan. See, Meghan was a bit of a wild one. At the time, she was pregnant with the child of a guy who had no plans to stick around. Her parents, mom in particular, decided that I was just about the most mentally stable and self-sufficient guy in her life, and that I needed to be brought into the fold. They wanted to convert me, to both Catholicism and heterosexuality, so that I could marry Meghan and care for her and her child. I cannot describe how off-guard this caught me when I found out. These people had been so nice and welcoming to me. I drank gin and tonics with her dad. Her mom would make cheerful small talk with me as she cooked dinner. There was NO indication that I could perceive of what they really had in mind. After Meghan filled me in on "Operation Breeder" (which she wanted nothing to do with) I never went back to that house, at least not when her parents were home. The parental reactions I’ve experienced (i.e. from parents of friends and boyfriends) have run the gamut from welcoming to somewhat less than welcoming, but there’s one that was so disturbing that it always stuck with me…

My friend Meghan’s parents seemed so welcoming, and I’m told that when she mentioned to them that I was gay they weren’t all that put off by it, despite being fairly devout Catholics. Here’s what I found out later – They were being nice to me because they had a plan. See, Meghan was a bit of a wild one. At the time, she was pregnant with the child of a guy who had no plans to stick around. Her parents, mom in particular, decided that I was just about the most mentally stable and self-sufficient guy in her life, and that I needed to be brought into the fold. They wanted to convert me, to both Catholicism and heterosexuality, so that I could marry Meghan and care for her and her child.

I cannot describe how off-guard this caught me when I found out. These people had been so nice and welcoming to me. I drank gin and tonics with her dad. Her mom would make cheerful small talk with me as she cooked dinner. There was NO indication that I could perceive of what they really had in mind. After Meghan filled me in on “Operation Breeder” (which she wanted nothing to do with) I never went back to that house, at least not when her parents were home.

]]> By: Invisible Queer http://thenewgay.net/2009/08/the-gay-its-catching.html#comment-13710 Invisible Queer Wed, 05 Aug 2009 17:20:49 +0000 http://thenewgay.net/?p=12199#comment-13710 "Regardless, her son is either gay or straight." Or, you know, bisexual. We do exist. “Regardless, her son is either gay or straight.” Or, you know, bisexual. We do exist.

]]> By: L.A. Rimbaud http://thenewgay.net/2009/08/the-gay-its-catching.html#comment-13709 L.A. Rimbaud Wed, 05 Aug 2009 17:10:47 +0000 http://thenewgay.net/?p=12199#comment-13709 Reminds me of how the parents of my sister's friend won't let her even consider going to college in San Francisco because they think she'll "turn into a lesbian". Makes me think of turning into a werewolf. Reminds me of how the parents of my sister’s friend won’t let her even consider going to college in San Francisco because they think she’ll “turn into a lesbian”. Makes me think of turning into a werewolf.

]]> By: John http://thenewgay.net/2009/08/the-gay-its-catching.html#comment-13706 John Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:25:40 +0000 http://thenewgay.net/?p=12199#comment-13706 Funny, I had a similar experience. Before going to college, I found out that my dorm had a reputation for being the "gay dorm" and, on my behalf no less, my mom placed some calls seeing if I could get a room somewhere else. I eventually did succumb to the gay, though of course not because I caught it from my friends. Like Matt, meeting gay people made me less afraid of who I already was, and in that respect, "made me gay," or better put, made me comfortable being gay. I possibly would have come out much later in life if not for living in that dorm. I wonder if Heather's son really is gay, and if Heather has some awareness of this somewhere in the back of her mind. In that case, her fears are somewhat rational, no? Her son will go to college, possibly meet nice, non-threatening, everyday gay people, and then he will realize that it's OK to be gay. What we "catch" when we're young and closeted and we meet gay people is not homosexual orientation, but acceptance. It's a good thing, of course. But if you're Heather, it's obviously quite terrifying. Good luck to them (and to that roommate who might have to deal with some serious homophobia). Funny, I had a similar experience. Before going to college, I found out that my dorm had a reputation for being the “gay dorm” and, on my behalf no less, my mom placed some calls seeing if I could get a room somewhere else. I eventually did succumb to the gay, though of course not because I caught it from my friends. Like Matt, meeting gay people made me less afraid of who I already was, and in that respect, “made me gay,” or better put, made me comfortable being gay. I possibly would have come out much later in life if not for living in that dorm.

I wonder if Heather’s son really is gay, and if Heather has some awareness of this somewhere in the back of her mind. In that case, her fears are somewhat rational, no? Her son will go to college, possibly meet nice, non-threatening, everyday gay people, and then he will realize that it’s OK to be gay. What we “catch” when we’re young and closeted and we meet gay people is not homosexual orientation, but acceptance. It’s a good thing, of course. But if you’re Heather, it’s obviously quite terrifying. Good luck to them (and to that roommate who might have to deal with some serious homophobia).

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