No protection
Guys, do you have to put it that way?
The British army joined in a gay pride march for the first time, an army spokesman said.
…
“We don’t really care what sexual orientation you are if you want to come and join us in the army,” said Logistics Corps warrant officer Lutha Magloire, 39, part of the Army’s Diversity Action and Recruitment Team.
“The army reflects society and we must recruit from all sections, so if there is prejudice in society it will be in the army also.
“But the army can only get better the more it represents all the community.”
I’m glad the armed forces in the UK are recruiting gays. Well, sort of. To me “gay-friendly” is a bit excessive. “If you can cut it and follow the rules, no one cares whether you’re gay” would be my version. But “the army can only get better the more it represents all the community” is a ridiculous statement. It goes beyond saying that the armed forces don’t want to shut out talented, qualified people. The army is not supposed to reflect civil society; it’s supposed to find ways to skim off the best people to defend the country from attack. Magloire’s comment may have just been tossed off, but it contributes to the impression that gays succeed in society when mere variety is valued over the ruthless pursuit of excellence. For the sake of the British, one can only hope that any gays who think the army’s gay-friendly recruiting policies mean they’re in for eased standards and hand-holding have those expectations summarily thrashed out of them when they hit training.
Oh, and happy belated Pride Day to Manchester. (Some of my people are from Lancashire. Actually, a friend of mine is home in Manchester right now, too, I think–I’ll have to ask him whether he went to Pride.)
(Via the Washington Blade )