So… the Pentagon is conducting a survey of troops—all presumed to be straight—to find out how they feel about serving with the gays if and when DADT is repealed. John at Americablog has discovered that you don’t have to be straight—or in the military—to participate in the online part of the survey:
So much for the Defense Department’s super secret $4.5 million survey of the troops to ask them how they feel about repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” I, an avowed gay activist, just took the online chat part of the survey—three times in fact. Perhaps DOD should reconsider just how good and informative, and accurate, this survey is. (They also might want to get their money back.)
In a nutshell, I was able to get three different PIN numbers to gain access to the online chat part of the survey three times, as three different people. Two of those times I was on the same computer, meaning there are no adequate safeguards to stop people from taking the survey multiple times – hell, I was logged in to the two surveys at the same time. And one of the three times, I was able to have a kid, who isn’t military, participate in the survey, answering questions from a real human being (apparently) in a chat room of sorts. My intent – to find out whether or not the survey is secure, whether or not it can be hacked (well, this isn’t even hacking). It’s not, and it can.
Go read the whole post. And for the record: I don’t like showering with strange gay men myself. Or strange straight men. That’s why I have no plans to join the military.
$4.5mil for that? Jesus I’d love to get a defense department contract, it seems like they’re the most easy to fleece suckers in the world anymore and they have deep, deep pockets.
I’m conflicted; on the one hand I hate Dan Savage, on the other hand I like showering with gay men.
So, is the problem simply that all the straight men aren’t comfortable having shower sex with all those gay men around? I guess I’m confused about what normally goes on in military showers.
Graham – didn’t you just tell Dan to ‘hit the showers’ a few days ago? Were you really saying he should come hit the shower at your place?
For the record, I am a fan of both of you guys.
Gays already serve in the military, and (hopefully,) shower there too. The only question is: Will it somehow be different if the men are openly gay, or is it better if you don’t know?
(Like Dan, I dislike showering with other men, regardless of their sexual orientation. Put some curtains up.)
What about the lesbians? Do the military planners just assume in that the women in the military are already rubbing each other down and participating in gay sex in military showers?