I haven’t written much about the issue of gays in the military, because I genuinely didn’t have an opinion on the matter. On the one hand, I believe in equality for all, including gays, and didn’t see too many rational justifications for excluding them from the military. On the other hand, I have tremendous respect for the military, and they had some pretty strong opinions on the matter.
Especially the Marine Corps. I expected as much; I always figured that the Marines would object the most — right up until the decision was made. Then, once the discussion was over, they’d lead the way in finding ways to make it work.
Which is pretty much exactly what happened. The Marines had the most to say against the change in policy, and I found myself respecting what they said.
And then, today, on the first day in history in which the military officially doesn’t give a rip about the sexual orientation of its members, the Marine Corps sent a recruiter to a gay community center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Lou Gossett, Jr.’s line about Oklahoma from An Officer And A Gentleman seems slightly appropriate here.)
Apparently there were no formal recruits acquired on day one, but some very interesting dialogues were held. And some day, very soon, the phrase “militant lesbian” just might have a whole new meaning…
