Homosexuality and Military Service (Merged thread)

[Cannoneer No. 4]

"Why do you think U.S. troops aren't professional enough to serve with gays and lesbians?"

Question asked last night at Republican Debate by Brigadier General Keith Kerr, California State Military Reserve, (ret.)

Watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFHobluLlFg&feature=user 00:48

Duncan Hunter's response at 01:30

I believe in what Colin Powell said when he said that having openly homosexual people serving in the ranks would be bad for unit cohesion. And the reason for that, even though people point to the Israelis and point to the Brits and point to other people as having homosexuals serve, is that most Americans, most kids, who leave that breakfast table and go out and serve in the military and make that corporate decision with their family, most of them are conservatives, and they have conservative values, and they have Judeo-Christian values, and to force those people to work in a small tight unit with somebody who is openly homosexual, who goes against what they believe to be their principles, and it is their principles, is I think a disservice to them and I agree with Colin Powell that it would be bad for unit cohesion.

General Kerr has remained active on the issue since his groundbreaking 2003 disclosure and last summer took a position on a steering committee of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans who support New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton

Our troops are professional enough to tolerate all that duty demands. The question to me is, do we gain more good soldiers by tolerating open homosexuality than we lose?