Don't Want Pregnancy in the Military? Enlist the Gays!

by Maia Spotts · 2009-12-24 05:30:00 UTC
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The Army. Be all that you can be. Just don't be gay. Or pregnant.

Major General Tony Cucolo, who commands soldiers in Northern Iraq, has set out some new guidelines. No drinking, no drugs, no porn, no pregnancy. Sounds like middle school. Except if you break any of these rules while stationed in Northern Iraq, you don't get sent to the principal's office. You get court-martialed. That's right, folks, getting pregnant, or impregnating a soldier, while stationed in Iraq can now be charged as a criminal offense in the US Army.

Major Cucolo claims that the pregnancy provision was "meant to prevent losing soldiers at a time when troop strength is stretched thin." After incurring the wrath of the National Organization for Women, he stated he would never actually subject a pregnant soldier and her XY-chromosome partner to the criminal charges he instituted, but he's leaving it on the books as is. So far seven soldiers have been punished under the new provision, receiving letters of reprimand that will remain in their files.

Maj. Gen. Cucolo seems the perfect candidate to help repeal DADT. Opening the recruitment office doors to gays would increase the number of able-bodied soldiers, resulting in more translators, more intelligence officers, more of those very human resources he's hankering after these days. But one thing that certainly wouldn't increase with the introduction of gay soldiers is the number of unwanted pregnancies. Four women have been pulled from the battlefield due to pregnancy under Cucolo's new rule. Over 13,000 soldiers have been pulled from the battlefield due to sexual orientation under DADT. At least 65,000 gay soldiers currently enlisted run the risk of discharge under DADT. If Maj. Gen. Cucolo is worried about healthy, capable soldiers being rendered unable to fight by something other than enemy combat, it looks like he picked the wrong battle.

Let's call him out. Ask him to support the repeal of DADT.


(Photo courtesy of kmohman's photostream on Flickr)

Maia Spotts is one part of a two mom, two kid household and hopes to change the way in which this country defines the strong American family.
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