Paradox of gender politics today
We live in strange times...
As the current media discussion shows, much of the military AND even more of the general public now favors ending the compromise of DADT -- don't ask don't tell.
It was -- you gentle readers will recall -- the Clinton administration's uninspired response to the bankrupt anti-gay policy on military service. Okay, we got us some pervy guys 'n girls in this here Army, but if we don't pry into who they are (at least we say we won't) and they aren't really really conspicuous, well, guess they can keep doin' it.
Yep, "uninspired," for sure! Downright misbegotten.
But a funny (peculiar, not ha-ha) thing happened on the way to TWO awful wars: the public actually learned there was nothing to fear from gays/lesbians in our armed forces. As the new Pentagon survey shows, our personnel who actually know gays and lesbians in their units -- those who weren't drummed out by the willful misapplication of DADT -- well, damn, THESE folks actually liked the experience! And had the guts to say so in an official survey...itself no small advance!
Not coincidentally, younger American civilians also are abandoning their prejudiced parents' hostility to -- gasp! -- queers. Gender hypocracy is dying, folks.
And all this good news is emerging just as the electoral BAD news of 4 weeks ago is being translated into a more conservative Congress. Shall we think of the House of So-Called Representatives as woebegone ducks, both lame and gay?
So, it appears, the self-conflicted legislators -- already confronted with fiscal realities contradicting their campaign platitudes -- must also cope with military AND popular realities on DADT.
I understand there are not a few Tea Party folks who see that the anti-gay farce is stupid. Now, if we could just get some Republican Latinos to come along...
As the current media discussion shows, much of the military AND even more of the general public now favors ending the compromise of DADT -- don't ask don't tell.
It was -- you gentle readers will recall -- the Clinton administration's uninspired response to the bankrupt anti-gay policy on military service. Okay, we got us some pervy guys 'n girls in this here Army, but if we don't pry into who they are (at least we say we won't) and they aren't really really conspicuous, well, guess they can keep doin' it.
Yep, "uninspired," for sure! Downright misbegotten.
But a funny (peculiar, not ha-ha) thing happened on the way to TWO awful wars: the public actually learned there was nothing to fear from gays/lesbians in our armed forces. As the new Pentagon survey shows, our personnel who actually know gays and lesbians in their units -- those who weren't drummed out by the willful misapplication of DADT -- well, damn, THESE folks actually liked the experience! And had the guts to say so in an official survey...itself no small advance!
Not coincidentally, younger American civilians also are abandoning their prejudiced parents' hostility to -- gasp! -- queers. Gender hypocracy is dying, folks.
And all this good news is emerging just as the electoral BAD news of 4 weeks ago is being translated into a more conservative Congress. Shall we think of the House of So-Called Representatives as woebegone ducks, both lame and gay?
So, it appears, the self-conflicted legislators -- already confronted with fiscal realities contradicting their campaign platitudes -- must also cope with military AND popular realities on DADT.
I understand there are not a few Tea Party folks who see that the anti-gay farce is stupid. Now, if we could just get some Republican Latinos to come along...