WASHINGTON -- As many as 95 percent of Marines would be uncomfortable serving alongside openly gay troops, the retiring commandant of the Marine Corps told Fox News in an exclusive interview.
Gen. James Conway told Fox News' Jennifer Griffin that a majority of his men and women think a repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy barring gays from serving openly will be problematic, so he has to believe that, too.
"When we take a survey of our Marines, by and large, they say that they are concerned that it will cause potential problems with regard to their order and discipline -- that it will impact their sense of unit cohesion," Conway said.
Gen. Conway was the first member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to speak out against a repeal earlier this year after Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen publicly endorsed President Obama's desire to change the law.
Conway plans to retire Oct. 22 after 40 years of service with the Marines. He's only the second Marines chief ever to serve his entire tenure as commandant during wartime.
And wartime, he said, is "probably not the time" to change the military's policy on gays.
Right now, there are 20,000 Marines serving in Afghanistan. Conway told Fox he "wouldn't hazard a guess" as to how many are gay, but he think it's a small percentage, in the "low single digits."
Conway says these few gays don't cause a problem now because their homosexuality is not known publicly. But he said if their sexuality does become public, "90 to 95 percent of the Marines" he has informally surveyed are concerned about the consequences. Conway cited impromptu surveys he has conducted by a "show of hands" among Marines at town hall style meetings.
Late Thursday, Obama's Justice Department requested that California U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips allow the military to continue enforcing the gay ban during the appeal of her landmark ruling Tuesday, which declared the law unconstitutional.
The move amounted to an admission from the White House that they would not let this policy be legislated in the courts, that it had to be decided by Congress. Congress has failed once already this year to pass a change the law, even with a majority of Democrats in both houses and with public opinion polls that slant heavily toward a repeal.
Gen. Conway agrees that only the Congress should have that ability. "I think that the Congress represents the will of the people," he said. "And we are a nation of laws. The military abides by the laws. And I think we would be much more comfortable, if it's going to change, it comes as a result of the change to the law, not an independent judicial determination in a district somewhere in California."
Meanwhile the military finds itself in the awkward position of having to abide by an injunction that calls on the government "immediately to suspend or discontinue any investigation or discharge, separation or other proceeding that may have been commenced under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
Conway says this unfortunately creates "an element of uncertainty" among commanders in the field about how they should handle existing cases.
GAY-FEARING sailors could be encouraged to act like homosexuals in bizarre drama sessions, it emerged last night.
A Navy boss revealed he aimed to set up therapy lessons to change “old-fashioned” attitudes in the Senior Service.
Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral Adrian Johns said his staff were investigating “drama-based training resources” to help alter crews’ perceptions of shipmates.
And he even joked that Trafalgar hero Lord Nelson may have been “ahead of his time” when he famously asked Captain Hardy to kiss him on his deathbed.
Chopper pilot Admiral Johns ? an Iraq war hero and the Royal Navy’s personnel boss spelled out his ideas at a conference about gays in the workplace.
Gays were allowed to serve in the military from 2000 after a European Court of Human Rights ruling which saw some top brass resign.
The admiral, who commanded an aircraft carrier, said in London: “I believe there is a generation in the Navy who are probably reluctant about a lot of issues.
“My policy team is investigating the feasibility of utilising drama-based training resources to reach some of those whose culture and behaviour need to be brought into line with 21st century thinking.
"Concerned about the consequences" is not the same thing as "uncomfortable serving with." In fact, it could mean just the opposite.
If the number is accurate, we should disband the Marine Corps.
Don't blame gays blame everyone else. Only gays should have rights
I'm sure the toughest of the tough, fighting at the sharp end so the ordinaries at home don't have to, will really welcome liberals telling them what to think before making them feel like scum for being heretical thought criminals.
And besides, if the homosexuality isn't flaunted, who's to know? After all, I doubt many gays who had snuck into the Marines unknown would walk and talk like pansies.
Still, I wouldn't put it past the weird-beards to 'compromise' by trying to reprogram the Marines before forcing them to make friends with homosexuals and act like them under threat of punishment.
UK SAILORS QUEENING IT UP BY ORDER: Navy's gay drama classes | The Sun |News
I'm sure the toughest of the tough, fighting at the sharp end so the ordinaries at home don't have to, will really welcome liberals telling them what to think before making them feel like scum for being heretical thought criminals.
And besides, if the homosexuality isn't flaunted, who's to know? After all, I doubt many gays who had snuck into the Marines unknown would walk and talk like pansies.
Still, I wouldn't put it past the weird-beards to 'compromise' by trying to reprogram the Marines before forcing them to make friends with homosexuals and act like them under threat of punishment.
UK SAILORS QUEENING IT UP BY ORDER: Navy's gay drama classes | The Sun |News
Just so we are all clear, he's posting an article from a "Newspaper" which has a front cover that looks something like this:
It supports his viewpoint, therefore it's reliable.
Just FYI, this thread is a hoax. The pentagon just did a huge survey and found that the majority wanted gay people to serve openly in the military. Duh. How could anybody really believe that 95% of our soldiers were bigots? That's ridiculous.
Wow, this is shocking, so much for LGBT rights in the military. Despite this, I still believe they should repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, what are your thoughts on this?
Marines Chief Warns Most Are Uncomfortable Serving With Openly Gay Troops - FoxNews.com
Well, if you don't understand the difference between an anonymous survey done with a huge number of people from all branches of the military and one officer doing an anecdotal "show of hands" measurement in front of a large group of people with probably the strongest peer-pressure effect on the planet... you might get confused.
There's a difference between "flaunting" and "being forced to hide it for fear of being ****ing discharged."
Nobody's forcing anybody to be friends, where the hell did you get that idea? What they WILL be forced to do is BE PROFESSIONALS and DO THEIR JOBS. If that's too much for them, then they shouldn't be there in the first place.
As long as KKK members are professional and do their jobs, it's all good?
Just so we are all clear, he's posting an article from a "Newspaper" which has a front cover that looks something like this:
It supports his viewpoint, therefore it's reliable.
There's a difference between "flaunting" and "being forced to hide it for fear of being ****ing discharged."
"Concerned about the consequences" is not the same thing as "uncomfortable serving with." In fact, it could mean just the opposite.
If the number is accurate, we should disband the Marine Corps.
As long as KKK members are professional and do their jobs, it's all good?
Wow, this is shocking, so much for LGBT rights in the military. Despite this, I still believe they should repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, what are your thoughts on this?
Marines Chief Warns Most Are Uncomfortable Serving With Openly Gay Troops - FoxNews.com
They should have the same rights as everyone else, since they pay their taxes and work like everyone else.
But what they don't have are the rights to marry the person they love and serve their nation if they choose to.
The 95% number really seems dishonest to me. I don't see it being that drastically high.
It appears that the general pulled the 95% figure out of his ass.
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