Why are so many veterans homophobic?
I know it's not wise to stereotype folks, but it's hard to find ANY veterans who aren't homophobic. When I here the topic of gays in the military come up around veterans, it's almost an instantaneous response from them about how they regret that the "old days" are gone. They would tell stories about what they did to known or suspected gays in the military during the time of World War II. Let me tell you, it's not pretty. In the mildest form, they would beat the crap out of the person until he was either killed or was forced to leave the military, at which time he was given a dishonorable discharge under Section 8. In a combat situation, the gay soldier may never return from a field mission. It would never be proven how he died, but many suspected that it was our own men who killed him. There are a lot of stories just like this.
So, when I saw this story, I was hoping that maybe over time the attitudes have changed a bit. I was hoping that people would someday recognize that the gay soldier also risked his life for his country and many times had to be the most courageous of all, not only from the enemy, but from his fellow soldiers as well.
Well, that time has obviously not come. Their objection is that "soldiers should not be honored based on sexual orientation". I actually think that it's very important for gay soldiers to be recognized. It's important to the gay community to know that so many gay men and women risked their lives for this country. A memorial showing that is certainly not asking for too much.
The news source for this story was the Contra Costa Times:
SACRAMENTO - A small marker unveiled this week in Capitol Park was hailed by gay-rights advocates as the first such state-sanctioned landmark honoring gay and lesbian soldiers killed in action.
The tiny memorial -- about a foot long -- graces the walkway of the California Veterans Memorial and is engraved with an eagle and the words, "In Honor of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Veterans Killed in Action."
But while supporters applauded the pavement marker as symbolically historic and long overdue, some veterans groups blasted it as offensive and disgraceful, saying soldiers should not be honored based on sexual orientation.
Controversy also erupted over whether the marker truly was state sanctioned.
The memorial was installed without proper approvals from state agencies, and officials spent much of the day Tuesday pointing fingers of blame about what went wrong.
A spokesman for Maurice Johannessen, state secretary of veterans affairs, repeatedly said the former state senator had not approved the project and that proponents apparently had installed it without permission.
Johannessen had sent proponents a letter indicating the size, shape and color specifications for such a Capitol Park marker -- but he did not approve the plan, nor did he express support or opposition, said Andrew Kotch, Johannessen's spokesman.
The state Department of General Services and the Legislature's Joint Rules Committee, which maintain Capitol Park and oversee its development, respectively, denied receiving or approving any request for the marker.
The governor's office, contacted by the Sacramento Bee, vowed to sort out the confusion and called Johannessen. Later, Russ Lopez of the governor's office said Johannessen had, indeed, approved the marker but should have made sure it was reviewed by the Department of General Services as well.
"He kind of admits that he skipped a procedure here, but yes, it was approved by his office," said Russell Lopez, spokesman for Gov. Gray Davis.
Lopez said Davis was not personally involved in approving the memorial but that the governor supports the concept.
"The fact that these veterans who sacrificed their lives are members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community in no way lessens the fact that they are heroes and fought for their country," Lopez said.
About a dozen gay-rights supporters who attended Tuesday's unveiling were greeted by a bright flower wreath, reading: "To Our Departed LBGT Veterans."
A rainbow flag signifying gay pride was lifted to reveal the tiny memorial, whose $600 cost was paid by private donors.
"Without the contributions of each of us, our country would not be where it is today," said Mario Benfield of Alexander Hamilton American Legion Post 448, San Francisco.
Participants included gay Assembly Democrats Christine Kehoe of San Diego, Jackie Goldberg of Los Angeles, Mark Leno of San Francisco and John Laird of Santa Cruz.
"They served in silence," Kehoe said of gay soldiers. "We want the silence to end."
"Imagine fighting and dying on foreign shores for freedom and having to pretend you're someone else," Goldberg said. "We owe them an enormous debt."
Opponents called the marker a slap in the face. The California Veterans Memorial, built in 1997 and 1998 in tribute to soldiers of all wars, is no place to honor anyone whose sexual orientation is not welcomed by the military, they said.
"To single out such a group because of their sexual proclivities is inappropriate," said Bill Manes, spokesman for the California State Commanders Veterans Council, consisting of 20 statewide veterans organizations.
"Quite frankly, it's an oxymoron: A person who is gay or lesbian and admits to it is not a veteran," Manes said.
Sanford Ross of the Military Order of the Purple Heart said the marker is part of a statewide gay-rights agenda.
"They're trying to push their lifestyle to get accepted by society," he said.
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