New twist on the DADT policy

| September 18, 2009

Sniper sent me this story about Bethany Smith (aka Skyler James). It seems Ms. Smith, or Mr. James, was stationed at Fort Campbell a few years back when she was spotted in a local mall holding hands with another woman. Smith tells this story to the Canadian Broadcast Corporation;

“I had to endure not only verbal and physical harassment, but death threats and harassment letters on my door every day,” Smith told reporters Tuesday outside the court. Following the hearing, she said she was staying positive and hoping for the best.

Smith, who now lives in Ottawa, said she was treated as “less than human” by other soldiers at the base in Fort Campbell, Ky., after they saw her holding hands with another woman at a local mall and found out she was a lesbian. One soldier who worked with her on the base’s fleet of vehicles would pick her up, shake her and throw her to the ground on a daily basis, she told CBC News.

“There were sergeants standing around laughing with him,” she added.

I find that REAL hard to believe – sergeants laughing at one soldier manhandling another? I’ve known some shitbags before, but none that would do that. No matter what their respective sexual orientation.

Fearing for her life, she asked her first sergeant for a discharge, which is usually granted automatically to soldiers who admit to homosexuality.

“He told me straight up, ‘We’ll figure out the paperwork when we get back from deployment,” she recalled. At the time, Smith was scheduled to be sent to Afghanistan.

So, she went to Canada instead. Now the Canadians have refused her refugee status and she’s working her way through the courts. These deserters tend towards hyperbole in their defense in foreign courts. Andre Shepherd tells the Germans he’ll be put to death if he returns, and Ms. Smith/Mr. James claims she/he will be tortured by her peers.

I’ll tell you, I have lesbian tendencies, too, and I’ve never been persecuted for them.

Usually, gays are complaining that they’re getting tossed out of the military because of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and this one complains that she wasn’t tossed out. Can you guys tell us when we’re supposed to throw you out and when we have to let you stay – the rest of us are confused.

In related news, 1stCavRVN sent me a link to a Free Republic discussion about new legislation the Canadian Liberals are trying to get through the legislature that would make Canada a safe haven for US deserters.

The bill, introduced by the Liberal Party’s Gerard Kennedy, would allow other countries’ military deserters to stay in Canada if their refusal to serve is based on sincere moral, political or religious objections.

Parliament has already voted twice to support war resisters, but those were non-binding motions.

Kennedy’s bill would be binding because it would amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

Well, it doesn’t say US deserters, but unless the Russians have a deserter problem, or the North Pole, who else would desert to Canada? In my opinion, they should keep them. Who cares? All of the resisters who’ve fled to Canada were dirt bags anyway. Let the Canadian tax payers support that fat-ass baby-factory Kimberly Rivera and her lay-about husband and dumbass Corey Glass who absconded to Canada and the Army isn’t even looking for him.

If Canadians are willing to support those scroungy dirt balls, let ’em.

Category: Antiwar crowd, Phony soldiers

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Jen

I think the issue here is an openly gay person was fit for deployment and that it was likely James would be booted out aferwards for violating DADT (beforehand). I think the real question is whether or not being gay is incompatible with military service. not kicking openly gay people out until after deployment seems to undercut the argument for DADT. it seems combat would be the place that morale and cohesion would be needed most.

dutch508

Is she/he a member of IVAW?

Ben

Her story sounds about as believable as the rest of the IVAW…which is to say, not at all.

B Woodman

Deserters to Canada.
Do they have any work skills? Do they have any work ETHIC? If they did, I don’t think they would desert.

You’re right. Let Canada go broke supporting their dead asses.

ArmySergeant

I don’t know if she is a member of the IVAW, but I have heard no reference to any opposition to the Iraq War, so I’m not sure why you would assume that.

If it’s a crack on IVAW because we actually treat gay people like real people with equal rights and don’t chase them out of our organization on tar-covered rails, then you’re just a jerk.

Joe Wilson

Agreed with AS, as long as you just hate America in general, and think Venezuela is a much better place to live, than IVAW will treat you entirely equal. They only run out combat vets who think that the troops aren’t the enemy.

TSO

That was me incidentally, forgot to change name back.

ArmySergeant

I have uncovered the conspiracy of why Joe WIlson would shout at Obama! It was not in fact him but famed combat vet TSO!

*plays dramatic music*

I will also note that I do not hate America, and think Venezuela is a shitty place to live. However, I’m sure that TSO is going to counter by asking how well I’ve been treated.

dutch508

My question had more to do with the fact she/he didn’t got to Iraq, and thus should be elected to a board position in the IVAW, rather than a slur towards her/his preference in nookie.

Me personally, I don’t care if you prefer to sodomize a goat with salad tongs as long as you do your gawddamm job. But I am sure you’ll find that I am a racist, homophobic, right-wing, baby-killer regardless of my views on all sorts of things. It makes it easier for you to demonize the otherside if you toss stereotypes on them rather than debate the facts…

if there are any in this case.

TSO

I didn’t even need to ask. Everyone here but you already knows the answer hon.

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[…] in order to be discharged. But this isn’t a new phenomenon – some of you may remember Bethany Smith/Skyler James who absconded to Canada when the soldier wasn’t discharged when she/he outed […]