Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 7, 1993 TAG: 9302080257
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: F-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: PAMELA PATTON
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
HOMOPHOBIA
I AM JUST loving the controversy surrounding gays in the military. I delight in news interviews of military men, from cadets on up, talking about things like "distractions" and "morale problems." I haven't happened upon any reports about servicewomen's feelings concerning lesbians, so I'll have to confine my writing to what I've heard from the men.These men! I heard a report where several soldiers candidly discussed their feelings about serving in the same unit with openly homosexual men. They talked about feeling uncomfortable, and related their fears regarding gay men's legendary sexual aggression.
I really shouldn't be having so much fun with these men's very real problems, but it's just so refreshing to hear men complaining about sexual harassment. It's even more fun watching a country so agitated over the horrible possibility that men may actually become victims of sexual harassment that they're willing to sabotage popular legislation like the Family Leave Bill, and violate the rights of a large number of citizens - anything to protect these poor fellows.
OK, soldiers, so you're uncomfortable when you're looked at by your comrades-in-arms as a sex object, rather than as just another member of the team. Talk to any woman who is employed in construction, or on a road crew, or in a factory, or in a male-dominated law firm or corporate office, or, for that matter, in the military. She can tell you what it's like.
For years, women have been told to put up with harassment - or get out. We were told that man were naturally sexual predators. They couldn't help themselves. And the fault was ours - the victims' - for leading them on by being where we shouldn't have been - in boardrooms, on submarines. The solution has been: Remove us victims from these situations. That would do away with the problem.
Now, though, the country seems to be placing the blame on the aggressors, rather than on the victims. Now the solution is to remove aggressors, and even potential aggressors, to protect victims - and potential victims.
I wonder whether behind all the talk about "discomfort" is the fear of being raped. I can understand how men would find it hard to discuss their fears about serving with, living with, dressing in front of, possibly unknowingly "leading on" men who may rape them.
I can understand because, as a woman, I face that fear every day. Every time we're out alone at night, or find ourselves isolated in the company of a strange man, we think about it. It's interesting to see men thinking about it, too.
Some women believe all men have the potential to rape. I don't. I think that's as ridiculous as believing that all homosexuals are potential rapists.
But we women still have to deal with men - all men, even at times when we don't know for sure if a particular man could harm us or not. We live with men, work with them, play with them. We live with our fears and uncertainties.
When a man breaks the rules, he should be punished. We can't blame all men for some men's violence and aggression. We all saw the commotion over the Tailhook incident. Should all servicemen be blamed for the sexual improprieties of some?
Just think what could happen if women demanded that all men be locked up from dusk to dawn. Think of the crime we would prevent! We could walk the streets again, without fear! But we know that we can't ignore the constitutional rights of innocent men just to prevent crime.
Same thing in the military. Sure, if there were no gay men in the military, there would be no homosexual rape or harassment in the service. Is it worth the price? Is denying good soldiers the right to serve their country just because they are gay worth it?
If the men in uniform get what they want - freedom from fear and uncertainty and "discomfort" - watch out. Because women have been asking for the same thing for a lot longer. And we're going to want it, too.
Pamela Patton lives in Buena Vista.