DOD holds 1st LGBT pride event in Kandahar, Afghanistan

reply to post by Domo1


sk0rpi0n : Is this so important to the US that they feel the compulsion to parade it in a foreign country where they are at war?

Well for the gay members in the military and the command, obviously yes, it is important.

This IS a real issue. What you're denouncing is the celebration of that issue being resolved.

Except, at the time of the Afghan war.... gays were NOT barred from joining the military in the first place... so there was nothing to be "resolved" or "celebrated". They were "equal" and on par with straight soldiers all along... so it is a non-issue.

But then again, there are some people who feel the need to let everybody know what their sexual orientations are, regardless of the situation.

Thinking from conspiracy, I am bit skeptical about how much of the OP's clip can possibly be from an airstrip in Kandahar.

Can anybody validate this?

I'm not saying they didn't have an event based on gay pride, but that footage looks like stock footage from other gay marches.
I see huge and old buildings in the background.

Then, despite my unwavering commitment to gay people having equal economic and social rights (including fighting in an army), I'm wondering whether the gay symbolism going across the world isn't fusing gay and lesbian people with America.

Is this going to make gay and lesbian clubs and events targets for terrorists?

We've been targets already anyway, so how can it get worse?

In Cape Town we already had urban terror by Islamists in the late 1990s, including a gay bar in Cape Town (the Blah Bar).
news.bbc.co.uk...

So I guess we have always been targets, regardless of what we do.

So maybe I shouldn't be coy about saying: "GO US GO!"

It's all a bit strange, but to me it is the right side, and if the US is so bad, why are there so many Muslims living there unmolested?

Well, I'd say everybody should support the rebuilding of Afghanistan to its former glory.
Let that country finally have some of the peace and prosperity it deserves.
Soldiers will always have parties before they leave.
It's a good sign.

For those who are oppressed and abused.

This is a sign that America isn't controlled by Christianity just like theirs is controlled by Islam. Is a good symbol to the world that equal rights isn't just a catchphrase.

I'm not saying this is bad but I find it very strange.

We don't even have equal right for gays fully established in our own country, why would they do this?

As a distraction?

You know what... I'm not even going to think about it.

At least they weren't shooting people.

I can't help but to wonder if it has something to do with Russia.
Russia is kinda anti-gay at the moment... So I just wonder if it is to rally gay support in Afghanistan for pro-democracy and against socialism in Russia.

I don't know.... everything is propaganda these days.

reply to post by sk0rpi0n

Except, at the time of the Afghan war.... gays were NOT barred from joining the military in the first place... so there was nothing to be "resolved" or "celebrated". They were "equal" and on par with straight soldiers all along... so it is a non-issue.

I don't agree with this revisionism.

Afghanistan was invaded under Operation Enduring Freedom in October 2001 (by the US and some other countries).
en.wikipedia.org...

At that stage "don't ask; don't tell" for gay and lesbian personnel was still firmly established in the US military, with all of its unpleasant ramifications.
Up to 13 000 people lost their jobs simply because they were gay under "Don't ask; don't tell", which might sound trivial unless one considers that some poor communities in the US depend on military employment of some form, and also gain access to higher education through this.

When I joined ATS the issue of gays in the military was a hotly debated concern, and I debated with many brilliant members on that issue.

It was only repealed in 2010 (effectively in 2011).
www.usni.org...

reply to post by halfoldman

Afghanistan was invaded under Operation Enduring Freedom in October 2001 (by the US and some other countries).

At that stage "don't ask; don't tell" for gay and lesbian personnel was still firmly established in the US military, with all of its unpleasant ramifications.

Well, its still NOT the same as outright banning gays from joining the army. They were still allowed to join the armed forces.

Just because "dont ask, dont tell" was repealed, doesn't mean they have a license to hold gay pride parades in the middle of a warzone.

Also, I thought soldiers took pride in just being soldiers and serving their countries. (Regardless of the actual reasons for war.) So these kinds of events makes zero sense.

reply to post by sk0rpi0n

Well, yeah, they were effectively banned from joining the military, unless one assumes one can hire a gay person but never expect them to act gay or say they are gay.

It was effectively saying we'll use gay labor when it pleases us (and take any young people), and when not we'll throw you on the street with a disreputable CV and reputation.

I guess it's what some religions still try to do.
But I feel a bit of deja vu here on a done issue.

Unfortunately I cannot dictate what the US army does, but if they have an event on their airfield that's their business.
Who will stop them?

In respect to gay labor I think it's great, but in respect to Geo-politics it might enrage the usual homophobes, but they're always enraged in any case.

1. A still from the video...



"Immigration Equality 6/26/2012"

And people think there's a "gay agenda". This is your "anti-gay agenda" at work. There was an "event" in Kandahar, not a parade. Don't worry, it wasn't very colorful or joyous. Whoever put that video together is clearly showing their bias (and their morals) by LYING about the event.

reply to post by sk0rpi0n

Originally posted by sk0rpi0n
Just because "dont ask, dont tell" was repealed, doesn't mean they have a license to hold gay pride parades in the middle of a warzone.

Uh... That's exactly what it means. But I have seen no indication that there was a "gay pride parade".

And if these people were holding a prayer meeting and celebrating their religion, this wouldn't even be a story. The idea that you would criticize our military members from finding something to celebrate and creating a little joy in their day, after all they've been through, makes me kind of sick.

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic

Whoever put that video together is clearly showing their bias (and their morals) by LYING about the event.

The editors of the video may have snuck in footage of a different parade....but that doesn't change the fact that this official website called "dodlive dot mil" confirms the event took place.
www.dodlive.mil...

Unless of course that site itself is a hoax. Good eye anyway.

Uh... That's exactly what it means. But I have seen no indication that there was a "gay pride parade".

The website I posted maintains that it was an "LGBT pride" event.

Service members deployed to Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan observed the first lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender pride event in a deployed environment. In this video service members discuss what pride means, what they hope to accomplish, and why it is important to fight for equality.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic

And if these people were holding a prayer meeting and celebrating their religion, this wouldn't even be a story. The idea that you would criticize our military members from finding something to celebrate and creating a little joy in their day, after all they've been through, makes me kind of sick.

edit on 7/7/2013 by Benevolent Heretic because: (no reason given)

Exactly. If this was happening around December, and this group was celebrating Christmas in a part of the world that doesn't worship Christ, would this be an issue?

reply to post by sk0rpi0n


That doesn't mean there was a parade. And what if there had been? Why do you care? Those soldiers want to have some fun by throwing a parade, so what???

Yes. It was an "EVENT". Do you have a problem with them having an event? You care what the Taliban are thinking? Since when? All of a sudden, when gay people start speaking, you're all concerned about how Muslims and the Taliban think of us?

Pffft!

If this were a Thanksgiving event, a religious event, a Twitter event, a "family" event, celebrating their spouses and children, a "dogs back home" event... would you have a problem with it? In fact, if it were an event celebrating ANYTHING other then LGBT, would this be news? Would you care? NO.

reply to post by sk0rpi0n


If this story is even true (which I have a hard time believing) I, for one, am glad that we're not going to be apologists to religious bigotry. I don't care which country you come from, bigotry is bigotry. The whole reason we're still over there is to liberate the people, yet 5 minutes in this thread insinuates that nobody actually gives a crap about that.

I can't help but think that If this was about women's rights or black's rights half the people on this thread wouldn't have posted things like, "people's rights are nice, but we have to respect the fact that the radicals within their religion only tolerate straight middle-eastern men."

Many of you people are cowards. Bigoted cowards. I know you don't feel ashamed because you're entirely oblivious to the disgusting treatment of your fellow human beings that you allow to continue with your passive-aggressive stance on homosexuality but that's okay, I'll feel ashamed for you.

Originally posted by neo96
That has ZERO PLACE IN A WAR ZONE.

The pandering has got to end.

Save the GD politics for the states.

Agreed.

So now. . . . in a war zone. . . . we have an event to celebrate who you're sleeping with.

This deserves a double-bunny facepalm.

After watching the video, I believe that I am seeing nothing more than AFN crap propaganda pushing the agenda of, “Look at us! We are now so enlightened!”

This was an interview piece, nothing more. I would rather see the actual event on video (not archive footage from the states). I’m also wondering how they got the word out.

There are plenty of Afghani Soldiers on those bases wandering about doing their daily business. I think that if was widely advertised, the likelihood of a green on blue attack would have been pretty high.

If you research any of the services PAO websites, all you see is feel good photos and videos. But rarely the truth.

Actually AFN was one of the reasons I started researching conspiracies back in the eighties becuase they were so bad at their job.

Just a thought...

The entire operation in Kandahar has a mission. Supposedly this mission is critical to the whole reason we are there in the first place. Yet it would seem we have time, energy, and money (they are all there on your dime) to instead have a celebration/parade/whatever for....what ever we want to classify this as.

So parts of DOMA got struck down. Great. The government has no business in that business anyway. Still, those folks have a mission which does not include festivities for every feel-good moment that comes along. Save the parades for the do-nothings back here in the states.

Perhaps we should ask ourselves whoever authorized this and thought it was a good idea, what do they plan on explaining to the families/friends of the next serviceman/woman KIA'ed. Sorry folks, we were too busy with the LGBT party (or the next ridiculous observance) to offer our full attention to the task at hand and your loved one suffered for that.

Originally posted by kaylaluv

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic

And if these people were holding a prayer meeting and celebrating their religion, this wouldn't even be a story. The idea that you would criticize our military members from finding something to celebrate and creating a little joy in their day, after all they've been through, makes me kind of sick.

edit on 7/7/2013 by Benevolent Heretic because: (no reason given)

Exactly. If this was happening around December, and this group was celebrating Christmas in a part of the world that doesn't worship Christ, would this be an issue?

If they were celebrating Christmas in an area of the world which not only didn't celebrate it BUT also detested it and actively resisted everything about it? Yes..It would be the same thing then.

This was as brain dead and tone deaf as our Activist-in-Chief bringing up gay issues in a join press conference with a nation's leader where it's outright illegal. He apparently figures if he can't ask real real nicely for the world to be his way, he'll force it. Nice move....for a tyrant on limited time for the world taking him at all seriously.

Then again, we're talking about a war zone that spawned crap like THIS:

Marines in Afghanistan have reportedly been told not to pass gas around Afghans to avoid offending the indigenous population. Marines Banned from Farting in Afghanistan

That’s right, now any leatherneck who lets one rip on patrol with Afghans nearby could receive a a talk from his superior officer.

The new flatulence restriction was first picked up by the Military Times, and has since become fodder for online discussion ranging from the curious to the ridiculous.

Source

When we're living under tin pot dictators who figure legislating a man's farts so as not to "offend" the enemy in a war zone is a good idea? We need to surrender our positions world wide, come home and just tell the world we'll be back when we have a President with a pair of balls bigger than BB's.

Homosexuals represent 5% of the overall population. For this ultra-minority, we're willing to infuriate foreign nations and provoke the enemy in a combat zone? When the hell did social engineering take priority over saving American lives and successfully getting out of Afghanistan?

It seems pandering is FAR more important than leading to this crew.

reply to post by ABNARTY

Originally posted by ABNARTY
Yet it would seem we have time, energy, and money (they are all there on your dime) to instead have a celebration/parade/whatever for....what ever we want to classify this as.

Hey, I know what you mean... Last year, they took the time and money to celebrate Thanksgiving, complete with all the trimmings! Tablecloths, decorations! And look at that spread! I didn't eat that well last Thanksgiving! And playing football on OUR DIME??? How dare they!

Thanksgiving in Kabul

Still, those folks have a mission which does not include festivities for every feel-good moment that comes along.

Amen!

Perhaps we should ask ourselves whoever authorized this and thought it was a good idea, what do they plan on explaining to the families/friends of the next serviceman/woman KIA'ed.

You got that right! Who authorized and approved these Santa hats and SINGING and where did they get the money for the candles???

Christmas in Afghanistan

What the...? Who PAID for this??? Why aren't they out fighting for our freedoms???

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic


Apologies, BH. I guess none of us realized that Gay Pride has been elevated to a National Holliday.

Please accept my humble apologies. I mean, if it is accepted in a war zone, then by all means, please have gay pride events held in similarly appropriate places, like funerals and brain surgeries and civil war re-enactments.