TV Last Night: 60 Minutes Show & Tell

I'm no political scientist or anthropologist (really!) so when I watch news coverage of gay issues, like last night's segment on "60 Minutes", I always watch it wondering, "how is this playing back home," assuming of course that "home" has bothered tuning in.

For the most part, I thought Lesley Stahl's report on self-outed Sgt. Darren Manzella was a great piece, pointing out what we all know to be the absurdity of the now 15-year old (!) "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Manzella decided to come out after receiving anonymous e-mails suggesting he "turn down the flame."  Thinking he was already under investigation, he reported the e-mails to his superiors ... only to ultimately be told to "get back to work".

Turns out that as the war rages on, and homosexuality becomes an increasingly known quantity in the armed forces, more and more "brass" are turning a blind eye to it. They would rather keep someone they know to be a good soldier than deal with an opening in their ranks.

Of course, there are 12,000 instances where that's NOT happened over the years, but the number of discharged gay soldiers is dropping as the Pentagon struggles to meet their recruiting needs. Here's an idea: how about NO gay people sign up for the military ? Let's all see what that does to the Pentagon's numbers. (Can we assume there are another 12,000 gay members currently serving under "DADT", another 20,000?)

Naturally, to keep things fair and balanced, Stahl interviewed two defenders of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", including presidential "hopeful" Duncan Hunter. I'm sure he saw this as a golden opportunity to get on a national stage and win some conservative converts, but really, how many people believe that the American family sits around the dinner table to discuss whether their son is going to enlist. What year is this?

I have only three problems with the report:

1) in discussing how the U.K. allows openly gay members to serve (note Hunter's assessment that European countries don't fight as hard U.S. soldiers do ... basically saying they are more gay than we are), Stahl notes how gay soldiers there are even allowed to march in pride parades. Queue the clip with two half-naked, masked and leashed guys watching the parade from the sidelines. THAT is where you lose the heartland. Not that it's Stahl's job to edit that out, but it's just so predictable that footage like that will make its way into a report like this when they just as easily could've shown a happy family of four.

2) Manzella brought along footage of himself making out with his boyfriend A.J. (This is home video he showed his superiors to "prove" he was gay, which they then dismissed saying there wasn't any evidence he was gay -- no wonder we haven't won this war). Manzella and A.J. do make a hot couple, and it might have been the first time some viewers in the "60 Minutes" demographic ever saw two good-looking, "normal" guys kissing. I'm just not sure it's necessary. So many people reduce being gay to purely sexual activity; do we really have to encourage that perception? Worth noting, the camera did pan back while showing this footage, and Stahl, bless her heart, didn't seem exactly comfortable watching it herself.

3) If all these critics of gays in the military are going to continue to insist that openly gay soldiers will disrupt cohesion in the ranks, find me some straight soldiers who can attest to this fact. It seems to me that as conservative as most in the military are, and as frat-boy and ass-backwards as many soldiers' views of the world may be -- when push comes to shove, they don't care who is driving their humvee, stitching their head back on or translating Arabic for them.

Despite these criticisms, I have to believe this report cast further light on the absurdity of "DADT". I mean, you can't do a story on it without exposing it to be the fallacy it is, and it is alternately entertaining, inspiring  and somewhat depressing to watch an older British gentleman (a former commander, I believe) point out how easily his country's armed forces have made this transition. But I know when I talk to mom about it, she's going to somehow work in the two fetishists. You can count on it.

Image courtesy CBS

Comments

[Cody Woods (SPC U.S. Army)]

As someone who was personally effected by DADT I would like to say one thing in regards to the comment about straight soldiers not caring under "3)". My entire unit, excluding myself, was heterosexual and when I was discharged based off this archaic policy my unit responded in a way that still brings tears to my eyes. They did not stop talking to me, and they did not belittle me. Instead they supported me. My unit, comprised of almost 40 people with about a 7 women to 33 men ratio, reached out to me. With emails, phone calls, and messages on myspace they let me know how much they loved me and missed me. They are from different back rounds and still they continue to call me a "brother in arms" even though I can no longer serve along side of them. It is true, from my personal experience, that straight soldiers do not care who they serve with. You become like a family and even the fact that you are gay can not break that bond. My commander, who I consider to be one of the most amazing people I have ever met, sat me down in her office with tears in her eyes and forced out my discharge, which you could tell was completely against her wishes. I look forward to the day that gays can serve openly alongside their brothers and sisters in arms... and maybe a day when I can rejoin my unit with those I have grown to love, care about, and respect!

[SGT Smokey J. R.]

As a somewhat-openly gay Soldier serving under DADT AND currently deployed to Iraq I agree completely with the sentiments you expressed in your review. My 1SG knows I am gay, as well as most of my unit and quite a few members of the other units that make up my battalion. Every single one of these people that know (for a fact) are nothing but supportive of me. They know I know my job and I do it well and I couldnt ask for a tighter knit group of friends. This is my SECOND deployment with some of them. NEver once has "Unit Cohesion" been an issue. I would honestly love to know who the morons are that made up that lame excuse. I'd love to shake their hand and congratulate them on being one of the Most-Stupid-People in the USA. I love my country and everything it stands for that it was built upon and to tell ME that I don't have the RIGHT to serve, fight, and DIE for those beliefs goes against EVERYTHING they stand for. LIFE, LIBERTY, and the pursuit of HAPPINESS. If we're willing to stand up and answer the call when others will not or can not...... what's the big prob??? Time to finally FIX somethin fellas... its broke.

[Vance Gilbert]

I believe there was a general order by President Clinton that people were supposed to be protected from discrimination against them for their sexual orientation as covered by the Constitution of the United States of America. Nice to see that the military obeys orders that are supposed to be followed.

[Nick]

I was in the Air Force and got reclassed into Security Forces... so I told my Commander before the military I lived an "alternate Lifestyle" and it was worth it to hide it for the job I orginally enlisted for but Not to be a Military Cop. It took two months but they finally discharged me and they tried to take my roomate away from me... even though he didnt care! And for the remainder of the 2 months, I let EVERYONE who cared to know Know.... And I made more friends then I EVER have in my whole life. Times are changing and so shall the policies!

[clay]

The writer of this blog is totally off based. As a journalist and a gay man I felt Leslie Stahl's coverage was both fair and balanced. Remember, Mister Blogger, 60 minutes is a news program, not a format for propaganda. If your above mentioned suggestions had been included in the report it would have been a commercial for the gay rights movement...and that is not journalism. And as far as the gay kiss you pointed out...I had to watch it three times before I even saw it. The editor took a cut-away shot of the video playing in a monitor. So you had to really be looking for the kiss. I thought it tasteful.

[Stylus-X]

From what I am told there are thousands of LGBT folks serving our country in the armed forces. There are as many serving out country in other capacities. Yet those LGBT folks serving in the armed forces are showing a great lack of courage by staying in the closet. Stand up, be brave, come out.

[Stylus-X]

From what I am told there are thousands of LGBT folks serving our country in the armed forces. There are as many serving out country in other capacities. Yet those LGBT folks serving in the armed forces are showing a great lack of courage by staying in the closet. Stand up, be brave, come out.

[tball1962]

as a retired Air Force Sgt. i will tell you this they only go after one in ten. there is alot of LGBT in the US Military, and will always be no mater what the policy says. as in my case it was a family tradition.

[JAllenA]

I served in the USAF from 1982 until 1994. I was out completely and everyone knew I was gay, they didn't care. I did my job, and did it well, always had outstanding EPR's.

The only time we had issues with the gay folks and "unit cohesion" was when someone wanted out and played the gay card. Hell when i was in Saudi Arabia in Gulf 1 we had 3 STRAIGTS play the gay card to get sent home.

[sam]

Hallo. my name is sam. I live in Thailand

[gidderguy]

Finally, an article of substance on here. 'Bout time.

[phyllisschlaflyssonisqueer]

>Ever once has "Unit Cohesion" been an issue. I would honestly love to know who the morons are that made up that lame excuse.

Colin Powell was the primary pusher of this when he was on the Joint Chiefs, whether he invented the idea or not. But then he has a tendency to peddle obviously bad information that he later claims not to be responsible for.

Pretzeldential "hopeful" Hunter opines that gay servicemembers are different in the EU countries because they don't face genuine combat, only "peacekeeping" missions. Too bad the media here never mentions that Israel permits gays and lesbians to serve openly, (permits as part of required IDF service, that is.) And we all know how frivolous Israel's "peacekeeping" missions are....

[Greg Avery]

I applaud him completely! He also bears a striking resemblence to "Reed" on www.militaryclassified.com does he not?

[josh]

I suppose the military (Pentagon) supports the sailors involvement in paying for sex. After being out at sea for 30 days the ship pulls into an asian nation port . And the big thing is for all sailors to go pay for sex with an asian female. You would be surprised who is NOT paying for sex. In essence, prostitution is ok as long as you don't do it in the USA...double standards. So, I am not sure which makes more sense. I guess its ok also for all military guys to go find trashy females and have a "war" baby out of wedlock. The military to me when they speak they speak like a bafoon who has no fking clue what they are saying.