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Pentagon: Gays Are "Sick"

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by ghostofjk, Jun 20, 2006.

  1. ghostofjk

    ghostofjk New Member

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    Pentagon Lists Homosexuality as Disorder
    By Lolita C. Baldor
    The Associated Press

    Washington - A Pentagon document classifies homosexuality as a mental disorder, decades after mental health experts abandoned that position.

    The document outlines retirement or other discharge policies for service members with physical disabilities, and in a section on defects lists homosexuality alongside mental retardation and personality disorders.

    Critics said the reference underscores the Pentagon's failing policies on gays, and adds to a culture that has created uncertainty and insecurity around the treatment of homosexual service members, leading to anti-gay harassment.

    Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Jeremy M. Martin said the policy document is under review.

    The Pentagon has a "don't ask, don't tell" policy that prohibits the military from inquiring about the sex lives of service members but requires discharges of those who openly acknowledge being gay.

    The Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military, at the University of California at Santa Barbara, uncovered the document and pointed to it as further proof that the military deserves failing grades for its treatment of gays.

    Nathaniel Frank, senior research fellow at the center, said, "The policy reflects the department's continued misunderstanding of homosexuality and makes it more difficult for gays and lesbians to access mental health services."

    The document, called a Defense Department Instruction, was condemned by medical professionals, members of Congress and other experts, including the American Psychiatric Association.

    "It is disappointing that certain Department of Defense instructions include homosexuality as a 'mental disorder' more than 30 years after the mental health community recognized that such a classification was a mistake," said Rep. Marty Meehan, D-Mass.

    Congress members noted that other Pentagon regulations dealing with mental health do not include homosexuality on any lists of psychological disorders. And in a letter to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Monday, nine lawmakers asked for a full review of all documents and policies to ensure they reflect that same standard.

    "Based on scientific and medical evidence the APA declassified homosexuality as a mental disorder in 1973 - a position shared by all other major health and mental health organizations based on their own review of the science," James H. Scully Jr., head of the psychiatric association, said in a letter to the Defense Department's top doctor earlier this month.

    There were 726 military members discharged under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy during the budget year that ended last Sept. 30. That marked the first year since 2001 that the total had increased. The number of discharges had declined each year since it peaked at 1,227 in 2001, and had fallen to 653 in 2004.
     
  2. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    This just in: smoking aids in digestion.

    Every time we think we take some steps forward as a country, we take one 40-year step back.
    This is openness and democracy and anti-oppression type of government policy that we are helping to spread across the globe?
     
  3. larkinmj

    larkinmj New Member

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    This is absurd, and only serves to justify the military's harassment of gay service members. I would be interested in what "references" this directive uses to support its conclusion- perhaps some of that nonsense on the Focus on the Family website.
    When I was in the military, I was disgusted to see some of our best people "outed" and given administrative discharges because they were gay (this was before "don't ask, don't tell".) And "don't ask, don't tell" is still a repressive policy, and it was an ill-conceived compromise by Clinton who capitulated to the conservatives rather than upholding his promise to lift the ban on gays in the military.
    Not only does this ridiculous policy paper (which disregards the opinions of the professional community of psychologists and psychiatrists) serve to make it more difficult for gay service members; it will certainly be used, as a document from an "official" source, to justify discrimination against gays in general.
     
  4. Mirza

    Mirza New Member

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    Finally, proof that homosexuality is a mental disease!


    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(larkinmj @ Jun 21 2006, 10:15 AM) [snapback]274629[/snapback]</div>
     
  5. Marlin

    Marlin New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ghostofjk @ Jun 20 2006, 06:18 PM) [snapback]274316[/snapback]</div>
    Hmmm, how would classifiying homosexuality as a "mental disorder" make it difficult for gays and lesbians to access mental health services? Seems like it would make it easier.
     
  6. larkinmj

    larkinmj New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Marlin @ Jun 21 2006, 02:41 PM) [snapback]274768[/snapback]</div>
    Suppose a gay service member goes to a military hospital to seek treatment for a disorder not related to their sexuality (depression, for instance.) It would be difficult for a patient to not disclose sexuality to a mental health professional, even if it was unrelated to their problem. But now the military medical professional is obligated to follow a Pentagon directive which states that homosexuality is a medical disorder, despite what their medical training tells them and despite the opinion that has been agreed upon by their professional organization. The mental health professional would be required to treat the individual as if he/she has a mental disorder and it would be entered into their medical record. I don't know the details of the directive, but it might lead to that service member getting a discharge (either medical or administrative.)
    As a result, I would suspect that many gay service members who suffer from depression, PTSD, etc. will avoid seeking treatment.
     
  7. Marlin

    Marlin New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(larkinmj @ Jun 21 2006, 02:54 PM) [snapback]274777[/snapback]</div>
    That makes sense. I understand now.
     
  8. Traanya Drinker

    Traanya Drinker New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Marlin @ Jun 21 2006, 12:05 PM) [snapback]274782[/snapback]</div>
    Exactly. It's not a mental disorder. Just a disorder period.
     
  9. seasidetraveler

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    Why are we STILL talking about homosexuality on PriusChat?
     
  10. Jeannie

    Jeannie Proud Prius Granny

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Marlin @ Jun 21 2006, 02:41 PM) [snapback]274768[/snapback]</div>
    If the mental health professional treating someone is a member of the military or an employee of the military, they may be required to reveal things uncovered in therapy that would normally be protected in a health professional - client relationship. If that equates to 'telling' under the "don't ask/don't tell" policy, that could mean dismissal from the military.

    The military doesn't have to be "nice" in determining that a 'disorder' prevents someone from carrying out their duties and dismissing them from the service rather than finding the person an assignment where the 'disorder' doesn't constitute a 'risk'. Through my involvement in a diabetes forum, I learned of a career navy man who developed 'Type 1' diabetes (often called Juvenile Diabetes) in his late 30's, quite possibly as an allergic reaction to some paint or cleaning chemical that was used on his ship. (Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease that kills off the islets in the pancreas that produce insulin). He was trying to appeal the dismissal, saying he could easily work in an 'office' job on a base, for example. (I don't know if the appeal worked, btw.)

    I've heard that many police and fire professionals refuse to seek counselling help after being involved in a traumatic incident, fearing that the confidentiality won't hold, even when they're assured that it will. So I can easily understand someone gay in the US military being reluctant to seek mental health care when it's warranted, even if the 'problem' has absolutely no relationship to the person's sexual preference.
     
  11. Bob Allen

    Bob Allen Captainbaba

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(remaxmanager @ Jun 22 2006, 04:26 AM) [snapback]274829[/snapback]</div>

    Good question. Seems that most of the talk about homosexuality is coming from heterosexuals. The Pentagon position is totally consistent with its demonstrated anti-intellectualism, ignorance of history and culture, and, given the pre-eminent US position on the world stage, a remarkably provincial and xenophobic mindset. By the way, a big reason for the shortage of Arabic speakers in Iraq is that the Army discharged most of them because they were gay. Go figure.
    B
     
  12. imntacrook

    imntacrook New Member

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    The job of the military is to protect this country. It is not a social experiment, it is not a feel good organization. Their mission is to pound the enemy into submission as fast as the politicians will let them. If you don't think sticking your d**k in another guys *ss isn't sick or a mental disorder, what is?
     
  13. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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  14. imntacrook

    imntacrook New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hyo silver @ Jun 23 2006, 05:04 PM) [snapback]275991[/snapback]</div>
    Yes, I believe bigotry is also a sickness.
     
  15. sdsteve

    sdsteve New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(imntacrook @ Jun 23 2006, 02:38 PM) [snapback]276000[/snapback]</div>
    Hmm... so when are you checking yourself in? Sounds like you are bigotted against gays.

    Unless you are a world expert, it's not your place or mine to rule homesexuality as a "sickness". Instead, it is our job as citizens to promote American Values, one of which is equality for EVERYONE - gay, straight, male, female, white, black, christian or muslim. This is what makes us different from groups like the Taliban or any other oppressive society. While I may not choose to follow thier lifestyle (or many other lifestyles for that matter), as an American I have to support thier right to choose it. It is our military's job to fight to protect that freedom of choice when threatened. Unfortunately, with people like you, it's being threatened from right here in our own country.
     
  16. larkinmj

    larkinmj New Member

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    There is a difference between sexual activity and sexual orientation. It is pretty much agreed upon by everyone that any kind of sexual activity does not belong in a barracks or on a ship (now that women are in more and more combat billets, that applies to hetero sex as well as gay sex.) That does not mean that gay men and women cannot serve in the military.
    When I was on active duty (early 1980s), women were still prohibited from many roles, and there was still a mindset that they could not serve in combat, on ships, etc. The military eventually came around, although they were slower than the rest of society. Going back a few years before that, racial segregation was rampant in the military. And if prohibitions against gays serving in the military are removed, they will learn to deal with that as well, although it may take awhile. The military forces of many other countries allow gay men and women to serve, and thay have not experienced any ill effects as a result.
     
  17. Mystery Squid

    Mystery Squid Junior Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(larkinmj @ Jun 23 2006, 10:23 PM) [snapback]276121[/snapback]</div>
    [​IMG]
     
  18. Subversive

    Subversive New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(imntacrook @ Jun 23 2006, 04:30 PM) [snapback]275972[/snapback]</div>
    Ok, well let's break this down.

    First, "social experiment?" Ok, so do you think is was wrong to not only allow Blacks into the military, but to allow them to serve alongside Whites? I'm not talking now--I'm talking back when the military was first being racially integrated? Would that have qualified as a "social experiment" of the kind that you consider to be so inappropriate for the military? Sure it all turned out ok and there are very few problems with it now, but do you think it was irresponsible for the military to ever adopt the policy in the first place?

    Second, anal sex. I'm just wondering, do you think it is sick or a mental disorder when heterosexual couples do this? How about when heterosexual couples have oral sex? How about when heterosexual couples have genital-to-genital sex and the woman enjoys it? You know, there was a time when women who enjoyed having sex were considered sick or mentally ill--were the people who thought that wrong? In any case, it's my impression that a large number of gay men do not actually have anal sex at all (and perhaps some of them, just like some heterosexuals, consider it to be "sick").
     
  19. Jeannie

    Jeannie Proud Prius Granny

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(San Diego Steve @ Jun 23 2006, 05:52 PM) [snapback]276010[/snapback]</div>
    I think most bigots believe their views are justified. It's OBVIOUS that <group x> are bad, wrong, less than human, etc., but if you say anything against <group y> you're a bigot.

    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(larkinmj @ Jun 23 2006, 10:23 PM) [snapback]276121[/snapback]</div>
    I agree! Your example of the thoughts on women in the military 20-30 years ago points out an unspoken assumption that either men are promiscuous by nature or that they are incapable of resisting 'temptation'. Personally, I know many men who are either celibate or faithful in a committed relationship, both of which are choices that people can and do make.
     
  20. MarinJohn

    MarinJohn Senior Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(San Diego Steve @ Jun 23 2006, 02:52 PM) [snapback]276010[/snapback]</div>
    Very well said. Thanks for typing my thoughts.