A gay soldier tells his story:
I’m ... not blind to the fact that a not insignificant number of straight soldiers will feel awkward and uncomfortable around gay soldiers at first, especially in showers and barracks where many fear living with an openly gay person. It will take time for peoplein the service and outto realize that professionalism and service always prevail in the military. Just look at how we handled the integration of African Americans and Jews into our ranks.
Indeed, if soldiering is about anything, it’s about facing fear. We train to do that which doesn’t come naturally. To charge into gunfire when every fiber of one’s being says to “run!” We do this in the name of preserving the country’s core values of openness and human dignity. We do this because we seek to make freedom more than a hollow word. This is what I’ve learned in the military and what I love about it most.