But alas it has.
When people were discussing the repeal of DADT, it was always pointed out that the aim was just to have things be "business as usual" and that the rather more overt things that cause older men like me to get all pissed off and cranky-would not happen.
But just as we saw when the combat exclusion laws were repealed-what the promoters of social change said, versus what they meant, were two entirely different things.
"We just want to be treated like the men".-That's what our feminist sisters told us some 20+ years ago. We didn't listen long enough though to hear the second half of the sentence however: "While we do our damnedest to eleminate everything that made it fun to be a man!".
And now we get to see the second act of this social change:
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — The Defense Department on Thursday announced it is allowing service members to march in uniform in a gay pride parade for the first time in U.S. history.
In a memorandum sent military-wide, the department said it was making an exception to its policy that generally bars troops from marching in uniform in parades unless individuals get approval from their commanders.
The Defense Department said it was making the exception for San Diego’s Gay Pride Parade that will take place Saturday because organizers had encouraged military personnel to march in their uniform and the event was getting national attention.
Regardless of how you feel about DADT or about the integration of women in to warships-the Hatch Act and other prohibitions on doing things in uniform existed for a reason. And like it or not-there is no such thing as a "non-political" Gay Pride Parade; or for that matter a "non political" feminist March either. This also is not a left or right, GOP vs Democratic issue either. It's a sign of seeing some standards enforced brutally-even though they clearly cross lines that the service have no business crossing; but at the same time allowing other "protected" classes to literally get away with equally bad conduct. Even if a Republican were in the White House, this type of thing could happen-and has happened. Don't understand my point? By way of illustration here is an example of the problem taken to its most ridiculous extreme. I decide to attend a rally supporting the legalization of prostitution in uniform. A TV camera picks up my well groomed image and broadcasts for all to see.
What do you think would happen? It certainly would not be a commendatory action, that I can assure you.
But here-we have people getting official encouragement to do things that are at best-probably political. Just like we have flag officers encouraging the same type of conduct for women in the Navy. No one however, supports anything to help men be men however. They just get the kick in the ass-repeatedly.
But hey-its a global force for good.
Good post skippy. ONce when I was on C7F, the BLR pulled into Nagoya, and at that time one of the events going on nearby was an annual Fertility Festival. The one where the men marched around the street carrying a huge "dildo" as it were and the little statues were for sale. Of course, that area was put off limits to personnel, and not really advertised. But, they made sure to find us an orphanage to paint. Seems they were too gun shy to have normal heterosexual males let loose on the local ladies. But yet as you point out, it's fine to participate in this parade in uniform.
I wonder, if one went into a "lady boy" bar in Thailand, would they be charged with TIP? I know they are still sending sailors to mast here in Yoko for visiting the female massage places in the Honch, but at least you can march in a "sex parade" in uniform without any fear.