Where does this "If you're gay they won't get you" stuff come from?

[Joacheme Misrahe]

I've been reading posts in which people say "Just tell them you're gay and they'll leave you alone".

I'm 20 and I AM gay. *Every time* I get a call from a recruiter I tell them so and EVERY TIME I get a response along the lines of "Who cares? Just don't tell. That's no reason you can't join". They frankly don't care and want you to join anyway. They've been giving me a call every three or so months for the past two years since HS and I've yet to get one that cares.

Further I have a few friends who are also gay and serving right now. From what I gather they don't care unless you end up on national news and they can't ignore it.

[ibegurpard]

1. Oh, they'll be very glad to DRAFT you if it comes down to that.

Bank on it.

[Ravenseye]

2. Tell em you blew out your knee

Say that you blew out your knee playing sports, and you can't even run at a trot anymore without severe pain.

[Kikosexy2]

3. They're...

desperate right now... so being gay just doesn't cut the mustard to be excused. So you can prance around in a tutu and high heels and tote a gun.

[HockeyMom]

5. M*A*S*H

Remember Corp. Klinger and his wedding dresses and tutus? How he couldn't get out? lol That was supposed to be the KOREAN WAR, not even Nam.

[ET Awful]

9. Yeah, but Klinger was known for trying to lie his way out, he wasn't

just trying to get them to believe he was gay. If he was really gay, they might have let him go. . . but he tried to eat a jeep, told them his mother was dying, told them his sister was dying, told them his mother was dying and his sister was pregnant, then that his sister was dying and his mother was pregnant, then that half the family was dying and the other half was pregnant . . . it goes on :).

If he'd just been gay, he could've gone home. But he was bucking for the psychological discharge instead, he wanted them to believe he was crazy :).

[XemaSab]

8. Like this?

[KurtNYC]

4. That's national news (ironically) - "Don't ask don't tell" suspended

interesting.

[geek tragedy]

6. Tell him he has a really sexy voice. eom

[Wildewolfe]

7. The one good thing that may come out of all of this...

Is acceptance of Gay and Lesbian service members in the Armed forces.

We've come a long way from where we were to where we are now, but this recruiting crisis might be what finally "outs" the service.

Twenty years ago when I was on active duty, a person discovered to be gay was court martialed and was out of the service in less than 24 hours from discovery (I saw it happen many times).

Tolerance is a slow process, look for silver linings to dark clouds always...;)

[newyawker99]

17. Hi Wildewolfe!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Ian David]

10. There was an article in last issue of 2600 on how to get out of the army

I can't find the article online.

[Warren DeMontague]

11. Beggars can't be choosers.

Why not just tell them to fuck off- you're not interested in being cannon fodder for some bullshit oil war.

Edit: And while you're at it, give them the phone numbers for the college republicans and similar organizations in your area. They supported the assholes who brought us this war, they can damn well go fight it.

[Joacheme Misrahe]

14. Why would I tell them to fuck off?

The soldiers who call are serving which admittedly is more than I've done. I respect them for that, and therefore I'm not going to tell them to f-off. I don't like them calling, but at the same time I know they've been ordered to recruit and they're getting pressured from above for the numbers. I'm sure if it were up to them they'd be less pushy.

[Warren DeMontague]

18. Okay, well, be nice the first time.

Then if they keep calling back, well, *I* would tell them to fuck off. Sorry, I just would. If someone kept showing up at my door trying to talk me into throwing my body into a meat grinder, I would have the same reaction. I'm not real sympathetic to telemarketers or door-to-door religious proseltyzers, either. I guess I'm just turning into a curmudgeonly old man. But, you're the one who is frustrated with the situation, hence the thread, right? If they won't take a friendly "no" (or a friendly "No, I'm gay" for that matter) I personally think it's justified to tell them to fuck off. The fact that they are shilling for the military doesn't give them a free pass. But, to each his own.

I respect the folks who are serving, but across the board, of late, army recruiters have been engaged in less-than-honorable tactics vis a vis getting kids to join. I understand that it's their job and it's getting harder, but my sympathy is limited because the policy driving the situation is so fucked up.

[Joacheme Misrahe]

19. The thing is it's not always the same one

It's like different ones take turns at you, and it seems they each have a different strategy.

For example one tried the "You can do what you love doing in the army" approach. Another tried the "You can show how much your love your country" approach.

[Warren DeMontague]

20. Weird.

I can't even imagine. Most phone companies have number blocking services- maybe you can try that.

If they had been harassing me at age 20, my reaction probably would have been something like "Can you hold on? I'm kind of in the middle, here- I've got to get some water for the gravity bong"

Thank God I'm not draft age, anymore. Phew.

[Warren DeMontague]

21. Or say "Actually, because I love my country so much

I'm going to stay here and work my ass off to return sane, decent political leadership to it"

[Warren DeMontague]

12. Put em on hold and make them listen to the Grateful Dead

Like, a nice, long 35 minute Dark Star jam from 1974...

[kcass1954]

13. My son told me that he and his friend would skip into the draft board...

holding hands to get out. I told him that I didn't think that would work. I think that they'll get desperate and take everybody they can, and whoever survives gets a dishonorable!

[Joacheme Misrahe]

15. Do you know any gay people?

No kidding that wouldn't work. We don't "hold hands and skip" when we walk. Nor as an above poster suggested prance around in pink tutus. Only in some right wingers uninformed mind would that classify you as gay.

[Kraklen]

16. Right. An uninformed right winger.

Like a recruiter.