Steve Lundeberg

Unless you’ve just been rescued from an island, you probably noticed that the somewhat tired topic of gays in the military was back in the news last week.

Before we continue, a few personal facts:

– I am not gay.

– I have never served in the military.

– Among my friends are military people, gay people, and somewhat homophobic people.

On the topic of homophobia, I think it’s fair to say that I grew up in a fairly anti-gay time and place (1960s and ’70s Milwaukie). Or maybe, to be fair, it wasn’t that different from most places back then.

Either way, kids suspected of being gay — not the word we used, btw; and in those days, there was even a clothing store in Milwaukie called the Gay Blade — were often teased and otherwise picked on, though not violently, at least not that I knew of. I was far from the worst offender, but I was at times an offender, and for that I am now profoundly sorry.

And somewhere along the way from there to here, it just stopped mattering to me what someone’s sexual orientation was, though I’m not completely sure why. Maybe my indifference came about after growing so tired of hearing the right-most factions of the GOP spend so much time speaking out against gay marriage, as if that were the single most important issue facing the country.

Anyway, at some point I simply decided I didn’t care anymore what consenting adults did in on their own time and in private. And if what they’re doing is a sin — not saying it is, just making a point — well, then that’s between them and God; it’s none of my business and none of yours either.

As for the military …

Like I said, I have never served, but I think if I were serving, I would welcome anyone who was willing to defend our country and could do the job. Is there another line of work that could possibly be more results oriented than the military? Think about it: Even if homosexuality makes your skin crawl, who would you rather have fighting alongside you: A squared-away gay soldier, sailor, airman or Marine, or a heterosexual screw-up?

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