QSU Event Summary
So, I'm in the QSU (Queer Student Union) at UVa, and they always have some pretty interesting seminars. (Video Game Wednesdays are always win) The problem is, I am usually busy with school and...school. Basically. SCHOOL.
There was a really neat seminar today that I made extra sure I made time for- it was a reception and lecture for this military guy (Colonel Leonard) who had worked for the intelligence department, jumps from helicopters, teaches SCUBA diving, was sent overseas as a military representative to some of the embassies. All sorts of cool stuff. And if he hasn't pwned you already, he has a degree in law.
So he's finally retired and now that he's out from under the hanging blade, he's like "Hey, guess what, guys? I'm kick-ass! And I'm gay. What now?!"
He told us about his experiences in the military and talked a little bit about what he does now. He volunteers in a legal service for people effected by DADT. D00d, DADT totally SUCKS. I mean, I never knew how vicious it was. I never even thought it was a law- I thought it was just an unspoken agreement. I don't ask about you, you don't say anything. It's all good. I thought it was more of a protectionary clause to keep sexual minorities from getting hate bashed.
Nope. Lies.
Or rather, half truths.
The people from other countries that attended the meeting expressed concise thoughtful opinions that America was governed by a bunch of backwards freaks. All their countries had no such law, and they had trouble grasping the fact that unions were not acknowledged, death of a soldier in combat did not entitle a partner to benefits. (partner could not even exist, according to DADT, which will be discussed later)
One of the students that attended came on a scholarship from the Israeli military. Not knowing he was gay, the U.S. military gave him a scholarship to come over here for service for a year. Israel has an open policy, apparently. As he told it, one of the higher up tactical officers just got married to his boyfriend in Canada. And of course, because we are all mature worldly individuals, we all said "Canada! LOL! Of course."
This is how DADT goes down: The soldier in question says NOTHING. If he/she says anything at ANY time and someone can prove that they're gay or they get it in writing from an email or blog, etc. the soldier is FIRED on the spot. I did NOT know about this part of the act. Totally stupid! And after getting kicked out of the military, the guy/girl has to schlep around in civilian jobs with a "Warning: gay person" discharge in hand. Good luck getting a job there.
And Clinton was really duped when he agreed to the compromise of DADT, because before that, there wasn't actually a law restricting this kind of stuff. Now that he had to sign one into effect, it will take a WHOLE lot to get it reversed. And like segregation, someone can't just set up a case to challenge the law (like Brown v. Board of Education and the like) because the courts don't want to deal with it. They pass it off as a government and military court issue and not their field. Why? Associations, I don't know.
There is one case in Florida of a retired Air Force nurse who has had all these commendations for bravery and dedication to her work. She even got a commendation signed by Bush (ironic). So she was lined up for retirement when someone found out she was a lesbian. So she got fired. No benefits. Nothing. The standard argument is that people like her are "detrimental to moral and troop cohesion," but the woman's been saving lives and air lifting people out of Afghanistan and Iraq. Yeah, really detrimental and harmful to society there. I'm waiting to see what will happen with this case. She got turned down by the judge in Florida, so she appealed to a three judge panel in the ninth district (good choice), and the judges sided with her, for once. Usually they don't even try to look like they're listening. The case happened in May, so we'll see how it processes.
Leonard's experiences were interesting too. When he was in the foreign embassies, the way he put it "if you weren't a monk already, you had to really be a monk over there," because everyone's always in everyone else's business and trying to get dirt on other countries' personnel. He had no personal life whatsoever. He doesn't have one now . He was in the army for 20 years, so he really couldn't do any, as he put it "gay acts" (I love quoting him. He is hilarious) such as dating, etc. And worst of all, he couldn't apply for certain jobs he wanted or was nominated for because part of the hiring process was a lie detector test and "in those days they would just flat out ask you." I think I saw the most disappointment in him then. (like all those AU Stargate fanfictions where McKay is in some other job because some unexpected happenstance prevented him from pursuing astrophysics/mechanical engineering)
Soo, let's end it on a happy Stargate note. It was an interesting seminar, and above were just a few points (watered down into FM speak) that were in the lecture. Also thanks to my friends in the QSU (there are a lot of engineers in there. Coincidence?...) who helped me study for Chemistry. Damn you, lattice energy and Lewis Dot Diagrams. I do not want to interpret your bonds and lone electron pairs into trigonal pyramidal structures. Your angles are less than 109.5 and shame me.
There was a really neat seminar today that I made extra sure I made time for- it was a reception and lecture for this military guy (Colonel Leonard) who had worked for the intelligence department, jumps from helicopters, teaches SCUBA diving, was sent overseas as a military representative to some of the embassies. All sorts of cool stuff. And if he hasn't pwned you already, he has a degree in law.
So he's finally retired and now that he's out from under the hanging blade, he's like "Hey, guess what, guys? I'm kick-ass! And I'm gay. What now?!"
He told us about his experiences in the military and talked a little bit about what he does now. He volunteers in a legal service for people effected by DADT. D00d, DADT totally SUCKS. I mean, I never knew how vicious it was. I never even thought it was a law- I thought it was just an unspoken agreement. I don't ask about you, you don't say anything. It's all good. I thought it was more of a protectionary clause to keep sexual minorities from getting hate bashed.
Nope. Lies.
Or rather, half truths.
The people from other countries that attended the meeting expressed concise thoughtful opinions that America was governed by a bunch of backwards freaks. All their countries had no such law, and they had trouble grasping the fact that unions were not acknowledged, death of a soldier in combat did not entitle a partner to benefits. (partner could not even exist, according to DADT, which will be discussed later)
One of the students that attended came on a scholarship from the Israeli military. Not knowing he was gay, the U.S. military gave him a scholarship to come over here for service for a year. Israel has an open policy, apparently. As he told it, one of the higher up tactical officers just got married to his boyfriend in Canada. And of course, because we are all mature worldly individuals, we all said "Canada! LOL! Of course."
This is how DADT goes down: The soldier in question says NOTHING. If he/she says anything at ANY time and someone can prove that they're gay or they get it in writing from an email or blog, etc. the soldier is FIRED on the spot. I did NOT know about this part of the act. Totally stupid! And after getting kicked out of the military, the guy/girl has to schlep around in civilian jobs with a "Warning: gay person" discharge in hand. Good luck getting a job there.
And Clinton was really duped when he agreed to the compromise of DADT, because before that, there wasn't actually a law restricting this kind of stuff. Now that he had to sign one into effect, it will take a WHOLE lot to get it reversed. And like segregation, someone can't just set up a case to challenge the law (like Brown v. Board of Education and the like) because the courts don't want to deal with it. They pass it off as a government and military court issue and not their field. Why? Associations, I don't know.
There is one case in Florida of a retired Air Force nurse who has had all these commendations for bravery and dedication to her work. She even got a commendation signed by Bush (ironic). So she was lined up for retirement when someone found out she was a lesbian. So she got fired. No benefits. Nothing. The standard argument is that people like her are "detrimental to moral and troop cohesion," but the woman's been saving lives and air lifting people out of Afghanistan and Iraq. Yeah, really detrimental and harmful to society there. I'm waiting to see what will happen with this case. She got turned down by the judge in Florida, so she appealed to a three judge panel in the ninth district (good choice), and the judges sided with her, for once. Usually they don't even try to look like they're listening. The case happened in May, so we'll see how it processes.
Leonard's experiences were interesting too. When he was in the foreign embassies, the way he put it "if you weren't a monk already, you had to really be a monk over there," because everyone's always in everyone else's business and trying to get dirt on other countries' personnel. He had no personal life whatsoever. He doesn't have one now . He was in the army for 20 years, so he really couldn't do any, as he put it "gay acts" (I love quoting him. He is hilarious) such as dating, etc. And worst of all, he couldn't apply for certain jobs he wanted or was nominated for because part of the hiring process was a lie detector test and "in those days they would just flat out ask you." I think I saw the most disappointment in him then. (like all those AU Stargate fanfictions where McKay is in some other job because some unexpected happenstance prevented him from pursuing astrophysics/mechanical engineering)
Soo, let's end it on a happy Stargate note. It was an interesting seminar, and above were just a few points (watered down into FM speak) that were in the lecture. Also thanks to my friends in the QSU (there are a lot of engineers in there. Coincidence?...) who helped me study for Chemistry. Damn you, lattice energy and Lewis Dot Diagrams. I do not want to interpret your bonds and lone electron pairs into trigonal pyramidal structures. Your angles are less than 109.5 and shame me.