Media, Military, Society

Army General Introduces His Husband At Major Military Conference

14-DECEMBER-2012---Col-Randy-S--TaylorRainbowFlagThere was a moment this week that many thought they would never see. Brig. Gen. Randy S. Taylor rose to address a major conference and introducing his spouse. However in this case his spouse was his husband Lucas who was sitting in the same row with Defense Secretary Ashton Carter Army Secretary John McHugh and other senior officials. Taylor has served 27 years through the ban on gays, the “don’t ask don’t tell policy,” and now the new policy of openness. He and Lucas have had an 18-year relationship.

Taylor discussed the sacrifices that Lucas made for his career and how they both bet everything on the Army. The bet paid off.

This week also saw the adoption of a new policy barring discrimination against members of the U.S. military based on their sexual orientation. Sexual orientation now joins discrimination based on race, gender and other protected categories.

The event itself is notable as the Pentagon’s 4th Gay Pride celebration that featured a gay Marine officer, a gay Army sergeant who is a criminal investigator, a lesbian chaplain and a transgender, Amanda Simpson, who is executive director of the Army’s Office of Energy Initiatives.

Carter set the perfect tone and told the crowd that “We need to be a meritocracy.” Indeed, our military will only stay competitive if we take the best and brightest from our ranks. Many gay and lesbian citizens have answered that call throughout history and they have now achieved true equal status with their peers in service.

Source: Washington Times

203 thoughts on “Army General Introduces His Husband At Major Military Conference”

  1. bam bam:

    It is true that a virus load below the test’s sensitivity threshold, such as early in infection, will yield a false positive. That is why the practice of donating blood to get yourself tested without having to ask for an HIV test is not recommended.

    I do not have any information on how often false negatives happen.

  3. @KarenS

    No, sadly the conversion party stuff is true, and has been going on for years. You should check out that video link above. The documentary is called “The Gift” and it is not a homophobic type thing. It’s just a very sad reality. It only lasts an hour, and while you watch it you won’t know whether to shake your head in disbelief, or just cry.

    Like I have said numerous times, about 80 gay men today will become infected with HIV all so that their “lover” can have a particular kind of org*sm without a condom. About 24 or more of that 80 will be teenagers. That’s over twice the number of gay men that John Wayne Gacy killed so he could get his kicks. And it will happen again tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after. . .

    Squeeky Fromm
    Girl Reporter

  4. I. Annie

    You keep mentioning that there are regular blood tests given, especially before a soldier is deployed. I’m sure that I don’t need to remind you, but from everything that I have read in the past, there is a latency period in which the virus, allegedly, cannot be detected in the blood stream. If I am correct, and memory serves me, there could be a six month window between actual introduction of the virus (infection) and detection, using current blood tests. Correct me if I am wrong. I am sure that you, or somebody, will. Basically, then ,if a soldier is HIV positive, and the blood test is administered prior to deployment, the test could yield a false negative due to the fact that the virus was present, yet just undetectable.

  6. Squeeky:

    I was sure that you were referring to an urban legend with “conversion parties.” Having worked on an AIDS clinical trial, there is NO WAY that anyone besides a homicidal maniac or suicidal person would do this to themselves or others on purpose.

    So I looked it up and found this:

    http://aids.about.com/od/safersexresources/a/barebacking.htm

    I think I actually yelled at my computer. What . . . the . . . HECK!!!! Idiots! THIS is exactly why, on another thread, I talked about the false promise of health that the latest HIV drugs provide. It is still a fatal disease for which there IS NO CURE. And if you’ve read the case histories, as an optimistic patient begins the one-way, inevitable slide to death, some of which include tragic neurological complications such as these:

    http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/nervous_system_disorders/neurological_complications_of_hiv_134,46/

    Cheating on your unsuspecting partner and then bringing home HIV is a selfish, hateful thing to do to someone you supposedly love.

    Someone would have to be completely ignorant of the disease, and have serious psychological issues, to deliberately contract this disease. And they are a murderer, literally, if they deliberately give it to someone else.

    This disease should be dead and gone by now. We have the tools to get rid of it – monogamy, safe sex, and abstain from IV drugs. If you don’t value yourself enough to protect your own health, then you are not mentally fit to be in a relationship or sexually active. If your partner in a supposedly monogamous relationship cheats on you without your knowledge, then that’s on him or her. But if you engage in reckless behavior without taking the slightest precaution to preserve your own health, that’s irresponsible. And it’s a selfish thing to do to your family and friends who care about you.

    I hate to see this disease ravaging the gay community, or anyone else. Love yourself. Protect yourself.

  7. “The incident took place at a formal military ball when a female captain and a female lieutenant, both in uniform on the dance floor, “engaged in prolonged French kissing, taking off each other’s uniform jackets, and other intimate conduct.”

    A witness described it this way: “It was a little more, like I said, a full-blown makeout, like, you know, they did not even realize what was going on around them; they were concentrating on each other. And it was creating a scene on the dance floor.”

    Another witness said: “I mean, they were, like, full-blown, like, making out, grabbing each other on the butt, stuff like that.”

    Regarding it as a violation of the military’s limits on public displays, Thomas More said, [Lt. Col. Christopher] Downey “took immediate action to stop the inappropriate behavior.”

    “He also attempted to prevent other soldiers from photographing and videotaping the officers’ inappropriate conduct, which he believed would embarrass the officers and affect the good order and discipline of his unit. In the process of lowering the camera of an enlisted soldier, the camera accidentally made contact with the soldier’s nose,” the legal team reported.

    The new military’s reaction? Convict the decorated officer of violating the military’s policy welcoming openly homosexual members and remove him from the service.
    But because of the pro-homosexual influence that pervaded the military’s decision-making process, Thomas More said, Downey “was ordered to face an Article 15 hearing for assault.”

    ALL MUST PRAISE TEH GAY.

  10. John530:

    “I was in the Marine Corps for 5 years and spent about half of that time in Iraq. I served with a couple of gay marines and none of the junior enlisted marines cared. Just like every other Marine, the only thing we cared about was whether or not you could perform your job. Their sexual orientation had no effect on unit cohesion.”

    I’m glad. The polls I’ve seen from a while ago seemed to show that the younger the soldier, the more relaxed the attitude about sexual orientation. At the risk of sounding salacious, can I ask how they’ve worked out the logistics of having gays in the military as far as showers and bunks? This may sound prudish, but I view gays logistically as I would people of the opposite sex. In other words, I would expect those identifying as gays to not shower with the straight guys just as women would not.

  11. bam bam:

    “While it is indisputable that gays have served in the military for years, my concern is that open declarations of that sexuality will contribute to problems, which I outlined above.”

    I, personally, support gays in the military as long as they meet the same fitness requirements as anyone else. In other words, no “lowering the bar” to get women in, for example. If all soldiers undergo blood born pathogen testing, then that addresses those concerns. But, of course, you’re going to have a bunch of guys living, showering, and sleeping in the same area together. You’re going to have the same logistical concerns that you would when women joined the military.

    I also, however, agree that we need to be able to have an open and honest discussion about what those changes mean. All points of view should be aired.

    I come from a military family. There were a lot of discussions when women joined the military, which I supported. It was pointed out that a woman captured by the enemy in many parts of the world is probably going to be sexually assaulted. I’ve known a man who served in a foreign army who listened to the brutal gang sexual assault and murder of one of his friends, while the army he served with sat there helplessly on the other side of a wall, forbidden to engage yet. Like it or not, that adds an issue to the men she serves with. What if a woman was wounded on the battlefield? Or there’s the trend of lowering physical fitness requirements just to fill a quota for women, and then you have soldiers who can’t make it. All of those discussions were working through the many changes that are already happening in the military.

    Too often, we shy away from the “messy” conversations that inevitably arise when there are major upheavals or changes.

    Perhaps Nick has a point, and the best way to wrangle out our feelings about change is to have a bunch of comedians like Chris Rock, Jay Leno, and Jerry Seinfeld have a no-PC-allowed comedian death match.

  12. @isaac

    If the facts conflict with your opinions, then maybe you need to reconsider your opinions. Nobody is perfect, and if you are wrong about something, there is no shame in changing your mind. It’s just what honest people do.

    Squeeky Fromm
    Girl Reporter

  13. @PaulCS

    Here is another, from a gay website, from November 2013:

    Sitting in a Tampa coffee shop, “Brandon” is visibly excited about his upcoming weekend plans. The 23 year old, a customer service representative for a cell phone carrier, hopes to achieve a very important goal on the upcoming Saturday night.

    “I’m going to finally get HIV!” he says with a smile. “I’ve tried before, but this is the first time I’m really boosting my chances.”

    Brandon, not his real name, shares that he has plans to attend a “Conversion Party” at a private residence in Hillsborough County. There, he adds, he will “bottom” for multiple partners, most of whom are already HIV-positive.

    “I found several gift-givers willing to give me the bug,” Brandon explains. “I’m excited. It’s going to be a really hot night and it will accomplish something in the process.”

    http://www.watermarkonline.com/2013/11/20/to-achieve-a-positive-hiv-status-some-gay-men-proudly-practice-risky-behaviors/

    Squeeky Fromm
    Girl Reporter

  16. @bams

    Here’s another twist on your questions. Suppose some HIV positive troops sue, and win the right to serve on the battlefield, just like women (who can’t carry a 35 pound pack very far). Now, suppose there is a real shooting war, and some of the bloody HIV troops infect others. Will the Army report on it, or do you think they will cover it up???

    With the gay general above, what do you GUESS he would be likely to do??? Would he report discipline problems with gay soldiers—for example engaging in sex while on sentry duty, or would he cover it up??? And what about non-HIV illnesses. Because gay men are a veritable petri dish for funky diseases:

    Sexually Transmitted Diseases

    Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) have been increasing among gay and bisexual men, with recent increases in syphilis being documented across the country. In 2012, men who have sex with men (MSM) accounted for 75% of primary and secondary syphilis cases in the United States. MSM often are diagnosed with other STDs, including chlamydia and gonorrhea infections.

    HPV (Human Papillomavirus), the most common STD in the United States, is also a concern for MSM. Some types of HPV can cause genital and anal warts and some can lead to the development of anal and oral cancer. Men who have sex with men are 17 times more likely to develop anal cancer than heterosexual men. Men who are HIV-positive are even more likely than those who are uninfected to develop anal cancer.

    All gay and bisexual men should be tested at least annually for common STDs. The only way to know your STD status is to get tested (you can search for a testing site). Having an STD (like gonorrhea) makes it easier to get HIV, so it’s important to get tested to protect your health and the health of your partner. CDC recommends sexually active gay and bisexual men test for:

    HIV;
    Syphilis;
    Hepatitis B;
    Hepatitis C among gay men born from 1945 to 1965 or with risk behaviors;
    Chlamydia and gonorrhea of the rectum if you’ve had receptive anal sex, or been a “bottom” in the past year;
    Chlamydia and gonorrhea of the penis (urethra) if you have had insertive anal or oral sex in the past year;
    Gonorrhea of the throat if you’ve performed oral sex (i.e., your mouth on your partner’s penis, vagina, or anus) in the past year;
    And sometimes your health care provider may suggest a herpes blood test.

    Gay and bisexual men who have multiple or anonymous partners should be screened more frequently for STDs (i.e., at 3-to-6 month intervals). Your healthcare provider can offer you the best care if you discuss your sexual history openly. You should have a provider you are comfortable with. CDC’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Health Services page will help you find health services that are gay-friendly.

    http://www.cdc.gov/msmhealth/STD.htm

    Squeeky Fromm
    Girl Reporter

    1. Squeeky – I have always said we should put battalions of women together and only let them fight when they are PMSings. They would probably synch during basic.

      On another note. Since ISIS seems to like to rape woman captives, we could send women who had lots of STDs to be captured. Then, after being raped, the ISIS warriors would carry the diseases back home, would be a real mess. Same with gay soldiers and HIV. If they are wounded, ISIS are less likely to worry about pathogens and could get HIV. We could eventually wipe out ISIS. Long term solution. Give it some thought.

  17. Squeeky, you have stopped making sense a long time ago. All we hear from you now are your attempts to rationalize your racism and bigotry.

  18. Paul, neither are gay people killing other people, unless they are promiscuous and HIV positive and engage in unsafe sex. A heterosexual person can also pass HIV to people when engaging in IV drug use and unsafe sex.

    1. The problem is that there is a mindset in some in the gay community that they are not part of the community if they do NOT have HIV so they get it. Or their partner has HIV and they feel bad about it so they get it so they can have it together. Then there are the idiots who just think they are immortal and will never get it.

  19. @I.Annie

    If there were a Fatstapo, I am sure they would be pulling the same tricks as the Gaystapo. The Fatstapo would call anybody suggesting that fatness not be celebrated was a fatophobe. Sooo, thank you for agreeing that gay male behavior is destructive, and should not be encouraged anymore than we should encourage a fat person to eat a dozen donuts.

    Squeeky Fromm
    Girl Reporter

  20. BamBam,
    How in the world does an openly gay member of the military change the behavior of other military members toward them, when in the past they also knew they were gay and it was accepted? Why do you think that if a gay troop is out of the closet he wouldn’t be taken care of, that medics and fellow troops would shun him on the battlefield if injured? Again, they are tested for HIV BEFORE they deploy.

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