And I've always been at the vanguard of promoting radio programming that would attract a homosexual audience. That audience segment is politically powerful and wealthy and enormously supportive of sponsors who pay for the kind of programming they would listen to. That only makes clear commercial sense.
Whether or not I agree with their lifestyle is irrelevant.
During those years, I had to discipline or release from employment proportionately many more heterosexuals than homosexuals for a wide variety of reasons, not the least of which involved sexual relationships.
Hetero DJ's, for some reason, all seemed to be highly sexed and attracted to younger partners. This occasionally led to situations that could have had disasterous consequences for the station.
As tawdry as it sounds, two of the statements most said to newly employed DJ's was for them to keep in mind that "16 will get you 20" and "keep your pecker in your pants." I saw way too many guys lose their careers and, sometimes, their freedom, because they couldn't stay away from a teenage listener they met on the request lines.
Homosexual air talents back in my management days, for the most part, were more circumspect about their relationships and lifestyle. I never had to release from employment one single gay employee because of a sexual issue. I can't imagine what it's like these days.
Which brings me to my four years in the USArmy and a story I've never told anyone before, not my wife, not my grown children, not one single friend.
I was the NCOIC of the AV section of our detachment at Tan Son Nhut AB, outside Saigon. I had one "employee" who was the repairman shared between the photo side and the AV side. I was also the barracks NCOIC of the entire group of photogs and print and chem lab guys, in charge of them and their behavior when we were off duty, and responsible for seeing that they got to our place of work in the morning and then home again in the evening in a 2 1/2-ton truck assigned to me. I also slept in the same barracks.
I've always been easily awakened. One night, about 2AM, my eyes opened and I saw one of our chem lab guys get out of his bunk and walk to the end of the barracks, across from me, and get into bed with one of our photo printing guys, an effeminate young man who really should never have been drafted.
I know what happened there, I could hear the sounds. Was it rape? Was it consensual? I don't know. To my discredit, I did nothing at the moment. I was a 20-year old manager of men and equipment and totally unprepared and untrained for this. I guess I was also pretty naiive.
I was the only guy in the barracks who had a weapon, but the thought of slamming on the lights and holding one of my own men at bay with a .45 while he was having sex with another one of my men was something I thought was just not right.
I went back to sleep, as quickly as I could. The next morning, first thing, I met with our OIC, explained embarassedly what had happened, and by lunch, a vehicle had come from Long Binh to take the perp back to our HQ under guard. He was reassigned the next day to 69th Signal's Long Lines unit on the DMZ.
Don't ask, don't tell? How about don't do? How about that whole keeping your pecker in your pants thing?
We have a great number of highly skilled and brave troops, some of whom are homosexual. Their sexuality has nothing to do with their service unless they commit a criminal act because of it.
Leave them alone and let them fight their wars. Leave DADT in place.
Discuss on the STL Media Message Board. (Registration Required)
