Won't Someone Please Think of the Children?

[JimBenArm]

Here's a picture of Ike at this year's Richmond, MO Mushroom Festival Parade.
He's not a bad guy, just a bit out-of-touch with things now. Plus, I think he may have had a stroke, because he could not lift his right arm to shake hands when we met him.

PS, I'm one of the other old coots in this picture...

 

[RoboTimbo]

Not much point to wearing fishnets if you're just going to wear jeans over them.

 

[JimBenArm]

I was thinking of the children...

 

[Harpyja]

I think it's just a sex question.

My mother didn't want to explain to my little sister about our neighbors (they're gay) because she felt like she wasn't ready to learn about sex yet, so she told them they were room mates. Eventually, when she started using "gay" as a slur (all her friends were doing it, and obviously they have no idea what it means, they simply pick it up from older people) I pulled her aside and explained it to her.

She doesn't use it anymore. Admittedly, it's a hard habit to break for her - for good or for bad, we pick things up from others, and as long as it seems like it's okay we'll do it, especially if we're young and don't know better. I'm not saying it's right, I'm saying that's just the way things are. Eventually she'll probably end up making friends with a lesbian girl or a gay boy, and she'll realize it's hurtful.

We love our neighbors. They're head of our community and throw some rockin' parties. They're just awesome people to be around, to. They're fantastic gardeners. If you get to know them I wouldn't see you ever having a thing against them.

 

[KodeBlue]

Why do folks always assume that children are straight?

 

[sgtbaker]

Why do folks always assume that children are straight?

That's actually an amazing point. Perhaps children who actually are homosexual wouldn't be so afraid and ashamed of who they are if it was treated like it should be, a personal preference.

 

[Nosi]

I think it's just a sex question.

My mother didn't want to explain to my little sister about our neighbors (they're gay) because she felt like she wasn't ready to learn about sex yet, so she told them they were room mates. Eventually, when she started using "gay" as a slur (all her friends were doing it, and obviously they have no idea what it means, they simply pick it up from older people) I pulled her aside and explained it to her.

She doesn't use it anymore. Admittedly, it's a hard habit to break for her - for good or for bad, we pick things up from others, and as long as it seems like it's okay we'll do it, especially if we're young and don't know better. I'm not saying it's right, I'm saying that's just the way things are. Eventually she'll probably end up making friends with a lesbian girl or a gay boy, and she'll realize it's hurtful.

We love our neighbors. They're head of our community and throw some rockin' parties. They're just awesome people to be around, to. They're fantastic gardeners. If you get to know them I wouldn't see you ever having a thing against them.

You will never guess where I learned my most OFF COLOR gay jokes. And fags used to be cigarettes.

 

[Tsukasa Buddha]

Why do folks always assume that children are straight?

Silly, children are innocent bundles of innocence. Thoughts of such naughty things don't even enter their heads until the age of sixteen or the legal approximate of the area.

 

[Achán hiNidráne]

"What do mommies and daddies say to their 7-year-old child?" he asked.

So, how many 7-year-olds serve in the armed forces?

 

[Jekyll's Guest]

It was. Before DADT it was an outright ban. It turned into gay folks deeply closeted can serve.

Well the army needs experts at camouflage, for snipers and such.

The deep south is just like Arakis, it's all about honing skills.

 

[Jekyll's Guest]

So, how many 7-year-olds serve in the armed forces?

Not enough.

God damn liberals are making this country soft.

I can barely get enough replacement kids for my fireworks factory either.

Why do they hate America?

 

[GrandMasterFox]

Sorry for a stupid question yet again, but do kids even ask these things today?

I mean I never had "the talk" with my parents. I already knew everything there was to know between the internet and tv.

Are you saying that without DADT, kids won't notice homosexuality?
They don't watch will & grace? or any other tv show that has a homosexual character in them?

 

[JoeyDonuts]

Or maybe he's afraid of what the question would be. "Should Uncle Jay have been in the Navy instead?"

Oh right. Let's chime in on how DADT is stupid and then jump right into how the US Navy would somehow be more accepting of homosexuals. I personally know of no less than three people who got kicked out when they were witnessed in a public display of affection, on their own time and not in uniform, by another sailor in the command. Two of them: holding hands with another man. The other: seen kissing another woman on the cheek and embracing them too closely than was comfortable for the "observer." She admitted being a lesbian after being railroaded by our CMC for something as innocuous as this. She pretty much said "**** ya'll" and got out. I can't blame her, but she has NO GI Bill benefits now. NONE, after 12 years of bustin' knuckles and being the best damned sailor her country could have asked of her, career ended because she had the unmitigated audacity to show affection to the person of the same sex on her own damned time.

In each case, they were railroaded out as quietly as possible. There wasn't any big spectacle of condemning homosexuality, it wasn't a show of any sort: just unceremoniously told "thanks for playing" and hit the bricks. One of them - the lesbian - was the best gunner's mate I've ever seen.

The US Navy is no more accepting of homosexuals than any other branch. Hell, in my opinion, it might actually be a little worse in its conduct strictly because of the old ******** stereotype.

I probably should mention that I'm no longer AD, and the avatar is an older picture.

_{And besides, after you "shift colors" the lines dividing sexual orientation get a little bit hazy...}

 

[Tatyana]

I am confused. How hard is it to explain to a 7 year old that two people love each other? That conversation will typically go something like this

"Mommy, why are those two men holding hands?"
"Because they love each other"
"I thought boys had to love girls?"
"Not always. Sometimes, boys love other boys, or girls love other girls."
"I think I will only love a girl."
"OK, if that's what you want."

Man, how can anyone deal with such confusion?

ETA: Keep in mind, this is all codespeak for "Parents won't be able to get away with telling their kids that gay people are bad, bad, bad!" Recall the objection to gay marriage that "gay marriage might be taught in school." What does that really mean? It means that schools might teach that it is legally acceptable for gay people to get married. What's wrong with that? I mean, it's true. But because it doesn't condemn gay marriage, that means it must be endorsing it.

If kids see that gay people are out and about and happy, then parents won't be able to perpetuate the lie that being gay is bad. That's the problem.

The top bit is pretty much the conversation my mother had with me (except the falling in love bit).

I find it perplexing that this is still an issue.

 

[Jekyll's Guest]

The US Navy is no more accepting of homosexuals than any other branch. Hell, in my opinion, it might actually be a little worse in its conduct strictly because of the old ******** stereotype.

I'll second this. If anything the Navy has, in the past, been quite anti-gay.

Check out this old recruitment video. I hope they've become more accepting of homosexuals since then.

 

[luchog]

I'll second this. If anything the Navy has, in the past, been quite anti-gay.

Which is part of the reason that Navy == Teh Gay has been a running joke in the other services, particularly the Army, at least as long as I've been alive.

 

[Jekyll's Guest]

Which is part of the reason that Navy == Teh Gay has been a running joke in the other services, particularly the Army, at least as long as I've been alive.

Well, that and the fact that for the majority of naval existence it was hundreds of men alone on a ship together for up to a year at a time. Prisons have a reputation for homosexual behavior too.

The reason the army doesn't have the same reputation is that soldiers always had semi-regular access to women.

 

[JoeyDonuts]

The reason the army doesn't have the same reputation is that soldiers always had semi-regular access to women.

Actually, the only exclusively male units that are still in existence are nuclear submarines, Perry-class frigates, and the special warfare community.

And there's talk of integrating them as well.

Which has led to a lot of underway shenanigans. My old boat was no exception.

 

[Jekyll's Guest]

Actually, the only exclusively male units that are still in existence are nuclear submarines, Perry-class frigates, and the special warfare community.

And there's talk of integrating them as well.

Which has led to a lot of underway shenanigans. My old boat was no exception.

Oh i know. I was simply explaining the reasons the stereotype got started, and that you can't shake something that ingrained in the popular folklore so easily.

I wonder if male-female sex shenanigans on voyages cause more or less disruption than the old male-male ones did?

Pregnancy and sexual harassment suits are two problems they certainly didn't have in the olden days.

 

[JoeyDonuts]

I wonder if male-female sex shenanigans on voyages cause more or less disruption than the old male-male ones did?

Superficially, I'd say more simply because of the pregnancy aspect. I can think of a few females that missed deployments because they got pregnant, forcing the command to either go without or scramble to find a female for that billet, which almost never happened. Most of the time the workcenters were just down a body.