I'm a Gay Army Officer—Queer Troops Mt Fight Back

Contents:

• I'M A GAY ARMY OFFICER—QUEER TROOPS MT FIGHT BACK
• I THOUGHT I COULD SERVE AS AN OPENLY GAY MAN THE ARMY. THEN CAME THE DEATH THREATS.

I'M A GAY ARMY OFFICER—QUEER TROOPS MT FIGHT BACK

But as a gay man, I have been fightg my whole life to enjoy the very privileg I am entled to as both a beholr and protector of them. I was one of few soldiers who joed the service before graduatg high school, but the admistratn at the time, which I believe was homophobic, chose to act as if I never existed bee of my queer hate that I experienced growg up on Long Island was my first enunter wh how others would treat me as a queer soldier. Before "don't ask, don't tell" was officially repealed for gay, lbian, and bisexual ary personnel 2011, a photo of a male Mare drag uld have land him hot water.

"Lbian, gay, and bisexual ary personnel had been servg our untry for s whout receivg equal protectn, while transgenr troops are still prohibed om servg openly. "As a gay man, I n relate to what is still the opprsive stigma of homosexualy. That's how you end up wh ras playg "gay chicken, " as Roger, a former mare who fought Iraq, told .

"Who n do the gayt thg? Wouldn't that technilly be gay rooster?

I THOUGHT I COULD SERVE AS AN OPENLY GAY MAN THE ARMY. THEN CAME THE DEATH THREATS.

Those outlets clud endls jok about the alleged flamg gayns of someone, bee no matter how society's view of homosexualy chang, teenagers are gog to make gay jok until the end of time. No one was around when happened, and absolutely was not a se of 'gay chicken. " And here's where all of the weird homoerotic horseplay factors : Any plat about an cint like this n be wrten off as "Boys will be boys.

"I uld eher report the asslt and be discharged for vlatg the ary's ban on homosexual behavr, or not say anythg and be tted for STDs. “As today’s report mak clear, that perd many endured the most horrific sexual abe and vlence, homophobic bullyg and harassment, all while bravely servg this untry, ” Sunak told MP. Promisg the ernment would implement the “vast majory” of Etherton’s remendatns, Wallace said he would fully update the Commons a formal bate about the issue after the about pensatn, Wallace said he hoped to fd “an elegant solutn that match the need and the requirements of those dividuals”, promisg to set this out after Kelly Holm, who served the army and me out as gay last year, was among mpaigners who weled the apology.

Starmer said one of his nstuents, Ken Wright, a former RAF service member who was “forced to leave the job he loved simply bee he was gay”, was the public gallery to hear the apology.