From: b645zaw@utarlg.uta.edu (Stephen Tice)
Subject: Open The Gates -- Tearing down the wall of Social Taboo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: The University of Texas at Arlington
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 18:37:00 GMT

President Clinton is right to push for alllowing Gays
to be public about being who they are. The same under-
lying principle applies to drug users, or anyone forced 
underground by intolerance. One need not condone the acts
of another, to still accept them as individuals -- no 
matter what those acts have been.

It's good when we can talk openly about social and sex
practices which are a hazard to individuals and society 
because of disease. That's not possible when a person
can't admit to being susceptible to such practices.

The same thing applies to drug users. A large number of 
people are forced to associate with the more criminal and
abusive elements in society exclusively -- because they 
can't talk about the experiences they've gotten caught up 
in. Others are shut off from relating how they are dealing 
with, or have overcome addictions to alcohol, pills, coke, 
pot, steroids, and such -- because of the same social stigmas.

Likewise, almost any "victimless crime" or "social taboo"
is made worse for all of us, when frank and honest admission 
of being so involved is not allowed. Such as "going against
the war," "smoking pot," "experimenting with life-style
options," "getting caught up in the debt grind," "compulsive
eating or not eating," "being lazy or not exercising," 
"buying sex," "feeling attracted to `problematic matters',"
or "avoiding responsible concerns." The list goes on and on.

Similarly, there should be no social stigma or reprisal against 
people who *have been* involved in theft, abortion, violence, 
abuse, parental neglect, and so on. Which is not to say that 
continuing to perform such acts be condoned. As long as people 
can't talk about such problems openly -- they can't be worked 
out. And besides being caught up with hardened criminals, they 
also are caught in the trap of some people whose rehabilitative
or corrective job interests are against their becoming any better. 

(More bluntly, there'd be a lot fewer lawyers, psychologists, 
prison administrators and such, if criminals could be more
open about what they've done.)

(But none of what I've asserted means that *repeat* offenses 
should not carry ever more severe consequences.) 

The matters of taboo and criminality are closely related, which
is another discussion; returning to the military...

In the interest of uniformity in our all-too-huge military (and
crucial to it's effectiveness) anything which disrupts that uni-
formity threatens it's good order and discipline. Better is to 
allow people to put their inclinations out on the table so that 
such matters may be dealt with -- in order to promote discipline 
when and where required, such as in combat. 

In the military, there is no problem with being Gay, only with 
acting Gay where inappropriate. I might have said the same thing 
about sex distinct uniforms in the military -- there should be 
one uniform for all -- publicly or on the job, and regardless of 
who you are privately. I would say the same thing for wearing 
perfume, or smoking, or being fat, or oddly groomed for anyone 
in the military. There's a time and place for everything. 

The more open the discussion, the better we can come to mutual
agreement about what works where, and what doesn't. For these 
reasons -- I now support bringing the matter of being Gay out
into public discussion in the military. And it is not lost on 
me that people like Bill Clinton and Anne Richards know what 
it's like to have to keep quite about matters considered taboo 
by most.

So by all means then -- open the gates. This matter goes far
beyond just sex practices -- anything which is underground or 
taboo simply can't be worked out in the best interest of all
concerned. Uniformity in the volunteer military should be a
matter of mutual agreement -- wherever it makes a difference.
Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc,alt.pagan,talk.religion.misc,talk.abortion