If You're in the Military Stay Away from Community Theater!!

[WindyCityActor]

Posted: 7/27/06 at 11:30am

Army dismisses gay Arabic linguist 'outed' by e-mail

http://famulus.msnbc.com/famulusgen/ap07-27-004342.asp?t=apnew&vts=72720060054

On Dec. 2, investigators formally interviewed Copas and asked if he understood the military's policy on homosexuals, if he had any close acquaintances who were gay, and if he was involved in community theater. He answered affirmatively.

"Involved in Communiity Theatre?!?!"

What were some of the other questions I wonder?!?!

Updated On: 7/27/06 at 11:30 AM

[TxTwoStep]

Posted: 7/27/06 at 11:36am

let's hope their intelligence indicated a suspect involved in such activity, and they are not equating community theatre with terrorism or so-called "recruitment and conversion."

[Elphaba]

Posted: 7/27/06 at 11:39am

interesting....especially with so many Army Theater Centers doing plays, almost entirely with military personel as the actors......

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 7/27/06 at 11:39am

More of the military should do a production of Godspell.

[Calvin]

Posted: 7/27/06 at 12:04pm

I don't know. I heard Zarqawi once made a fabulous Ali Hakim.

[DayDreamer]

Posted: 7/27/06 at 12:04pm

Interestingly enough, I find that there are more straight men than gay men in community theater. At least in the NW.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 7/27/06 at 12:05pm

They just think they're straight, Dreamer

[DayDreamer]

Posted: 7/27/06 at 12:14pm

*ponders*

*inquisitively* Really?

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 7/27/06 at 12:17pm

In community theater there's more acting offstage than on...

[DayDreamer]

Posted: 7/27/06 at 12:19pm

... and there's this cute married Navy guy in my show...

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 7/27/06 at 12:19pm

**Dottie starts thinking about his days in community theatre...**

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 7/27/06 at 12:20pm

Dreamer...you could totally have him!

[DayDreamer]

Posted: 7/27/06 at 12:22pm

*starts scheming*

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/27/06 at 1:00pm

I heard about this-- One of the ways they tested him was to ask him if he'd ever seen the show "Less Miser-Ables" and when he corrected their pronounciation they "Knew".

I am not making that up.

[jimnysf]

Posted: 7/27/06 at 1:07pm

How idiotic. The military does not have enough foreign language specialists yet they have ousted this guy and several others for being gay. God Bless America!

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 7/27/06 at 1:15pm

I continue to be amazed at how any gay person could willingly involve themselves with such an obviously homophobic organization as the military. Why would anyone do that to themselves?

[Calvin]

Posted: 7/27/06 at 1:17pm

One of the ways they tested him was to ask him if he'd ever seen the show "Less Miser-Ables" and when he corrected their pronounciation they "Knew".

Because obviously, a linguistic specialist would be have no idea how to pronounce French words unless he was gay.

[Magdalene]

Posted: 7/27/06 at 1:24pm

Was this in the Onion? It seems a tad ridiculous....

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/27/06 at 2:41pm

The Onion! This is real-life for some people, Magdalene!

I really wish you would educate yourself as to what people outside your limited experience go through--like women in small towns and gay men and women.

55 qualified Arabic translators have been dismissed since Don't Ask/Don't Tell was instituted. (And spare me the lectures about Clinton--Clinton was premature in saying that gays-in-the-military should be legal and was forced to accept DADT as a compromise.)

At any rate, a lager percentage of the 55 have been dismissed after 9/11, which is when we have needed their expertise and dedication the most.

Here is the press release from the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.

Educate yourself.

Please.

===

July 27, 2006

Army Dismisses Gay Arabic Linguist ‘Outed’ By Anonymous Email Campaign

The U.S. Army recently discharged a highly regarded Arabic linguist who was the target of an anonymous email ‘outing’ campaign. Former Sergeant Bleu Copas was stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., and was a member of the prestigious 82nd Airborne Division. A decorated Sergeant who received impressive performance reviews, Copas also performed in the 82nd Airborne Chorus. His dismissal, under the federal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” ban on lesbian, gay and bisexual personnel, brings the total number of Arabic language specialists dismissed under the ban to at least fifty-five. Neither Copas nor his command know who was the source of the email campaign.

“'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' has become a far too effective, and convenient
weapon of vengeance in our armed forces,” said Sharra
E. Greer, director for law and policy for Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), which provided legal counsel to Copas. “Anyone with an axe to grind – a former partner or roommate, or an angry relative, for example – can end an otherwise promising career simply by employing rumor and hearsay. Service members like Sergeant Copas, who are making important contributions to our national defense, are finding themselves increasingly vulnerable under the law. The only way to protect our men and women in uniform from such insidious outing campaigns is to repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' once and for all.”

In August 2005, an anonymous individual emailed Copas’s unit, alleging there was an online profile of a unit member identifying them as gay. Despite clear instructions that investigations into sexual orientation are only to be commenced when a service member’s command has “credible evidence” indicating the service member is gay, Copas’s command nonetheless asked him about his sexual orientation and went on to launch a full investigation into allegations about him. The command-appointed investigating officer interviewing Copas asked such questions as, “Do you work off duty with the local community theater?” and “Do you know or are you aware of anyone who believes you are a homosexual?” He also recommended conducting “an inquiry…into the possibility of further homosexual conduct by member(s) of the (unit).” Despite never learning who made the original allegations against him, Sergeant Copas was dismissed from the Army in January.

“The ban on gay service members serves no purpose except to further discrimination at the expense of our military readiness,” said Copas. “Most troops care about their colleagues’ job performance, not their sexual orientation, and this law is past due for repeal. Those of us who want to serve our country should not be barred from doing so simply because of outdated prejudice. The gay ban punishes every service member, even those who never tell and the straight troops who lose trusted, and trained, fellow soldiers.”

Since 1993, more than 11,000 service members have been dismissed under the gay ban, according to the Department of Defense. A February 2005 report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported that the Pentagon has fired 322 language specialists who “had . . . skills in a foreign language that DoD had considered to be especially important.” The report also found that nearly 800 specialists, including intelligence analysts, divers and combat controllers, were fired despite having “some training in an occupation identified . . . as ‘critical.’” The House of Representatives is currently considering legislation to repeal the law, with 119 bi-partisan Members supporting the measure.

For more information on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” visit www.sldn.org.

Updated On: 7/27/06 at 02:41 PM

[robbiej]

Posted: 7/27/06 at 2:41pm

I was once in a hottub with three gay guys who all just got out of the armed forces. I asked why they subjected themselves to that and they all three responded, 'It's the only way we were able to go to college.'

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Posted: 7/27/06 at 2:46pm

Fleet Week, Robbie?

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 7/27/06 at 2:49pm

I was going to ask if they were casting for Recruits #9.

[RobbO]

Posted: 7/27/06 at 2:51pm

i was going to ask if it was a tuesday.

[TxTwoStep]

Posted: 7/27/06 at 3:51pm

PJ, perhaps the query of The Onion as a source was in regard to the mention of the pronunciation of LES MISERABLES as a tell-tale sign.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 7/27/06 at 3:52pm

We'd like to thank you William Clinton
For really showing us the way
You dirty rat, you bureaucrat
You made us what we are today.