Okay, correct me if I'm wrong... but gays and lesbians do NO HARM in the military. It is HOMOPHOBIA that does the harm. Morale would not waver, unit cohesion would not waver if we overcame homophobia. Gays and lesbians are not animals running around rampantly raping men and women, respectively. Come on! There are strict regulations about relationships in the military, are there not? Its not as though a man is going to put part of his unit in danger in efforts to save his partner-- and if so, it is an equally pressing matter with heterosexuals.
And what do you think our conservative Christian military chiefs think? Oh, because the majority of the military is "conservative" (I'd like to see the proof), America is for once in its horrible lifetime, going to serve the majority, instead of the minority?? That makes delightfully little sense. Politicians are always ready to appease the minority.
I don't understand it... Men can carry pictures of their wife or girlfriend, women of their boyfriend or husband, but if a man openly carries a picture of his boyfriend, domestic partner, or civil union partner, he can be dismissed?
What makes it any different? The fact that copulation doesn't lead to reproduction? Does that mean using birth control is wrong? Does that mean the infertile should be ostracized?
It can't be the fact that others aren't "openly heterosexual", because you are openly heterosexual every time you talk about your partner of the opposite sex. Every time you talk about the girl you fucked in high school... Maybe you don't realize it... Try talking about someone you're fond of in gender-neutral pronouns, and not mentioning their name.... It's not so easy, is it? Try avoiding the subject of significant others in casual conversation... not so easy...
And to think people can be dismissed from the military for saying "she" instead of "they"... Because that is being openly gay.
I lost a little respect for Romney, there; I respected his positions on gay rights, keeping them separate from his personal beliefs, as he should.
