Military segregation means second-class citizenship
By Lino Zambrano
J.D. Whitlock’s well-intentioned arguments ("Gay activists must
seek ROTC compromise," Oct. 12) to revive Jim Crow segregation in
the U.S. Armed Forces with gays and lesbians segregated instead of
blacks is based on specious reasoning with a potential for
substantial mischief.
He believes that there exists an "invasion of privacy" when the
genitalia of heterosexual service personnel are exposed to the view
of homosexuals as well as heterosexuals in the showers or living
quarters.
As a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces, I would like to offer
some observations.
It is my sense that there are tens of thousands of gays and
lesbians on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces  perhaps
several hundred thousand.
It is likely that by now, J.D. Whitlock has had gay servicemen
sleeping and undressing in the same small berths with him and has
taken showers with several, if not dozens, of gay servicemen.
So why would J.D. Whitlock remain unaware of this "invasion of
privacy?" I suggest there are two possible reasons.
1.) Most of his gay servicemates who shower with him or see him
undressed do not find him sexually interesting. I do not say this
to be unpleasant. Constant exposure to naked bodies in
circumstances inappropriate for sexual contact results, in varying
degrees, in sexually desensitizing the gay and lesbian service
personnel in the inappropriate surroundings  much as male
gynecologists become sexually desensitized in professional
surroundings.
2.) Those homosexual service personnel who are not sexually
desensitized simply keep their eyes and their hands to
themselves.
Lifting the ban on openly gay and lesbian service personnel in
the U.S. Armed Forces would leave intact prohibitions against and
punishments for sexual expression in specifically designated areas,
e.g., barracks or naval vessels.
How servicemen and servicewomen, heterosexual or homosexual,
express themselves sexually elsewhere, on their free time, is their
business alone, not that of the U.S. Congress nor even that of
their fellow service personnel.
Several nations have lifted all prohibitions against the
complete integration of openly gay and lesbian service members in
their armed forces, e.g. France, Canada, Australia and the
Netherlands. None have reported any impairment of military
decorum.
The right to bear arms in the armed forces of the nation, on an
equal basis with one’s fellows, is an essential attribute of
first-class citizenship. Jim Crow segregation for gays and lesbians
in the U.S. Armed Forces would institutionalize second-class
citizenship in the United States.
Zambrano is a 1994 alumnus of the UCLA School of Public
Health.