| christian grantham | |||
| Christian Grantham was a student activist in the late 90s and later was a consultant to domestic policy forums for the Clinton Administration as well as events for HRC and GLAAD. | |||
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latest posts
April 08, 2005
On the battlefield, soldiers talk openly about their families back home, and the military makes provisions to keep them in touch with their family support network and those they love. Gay and lesbian soldiers serving in the U.S. armed services are asked to sacrifice and suppress this network, not talk about their families with other soldiers, leave the family photos behind, and defend their country alone in silence.
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. ''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.
[Gay GI who got Purple Heart wants to serve openly - Chicago Sun Times - 04-08-05]
When I hear the Pentagon tell Congress about shortcomings in recruitment and the FBI tell Congress the agency's translation work load is critically under staffed, I have to wonder why discrimination against gays and lesbians in the War on Terror is a higher priority than fighting the real enemy.
filed under: Don't Ask, Don't Tell
