UN Weapons inspector's resignation rejected

[Barry]

OPINION | Double Take

by Dylan Swizzler

December 05, 2002

 

Every other week, Dylan Swizzler takes a second look at developments in news, culture and entertainment as it relates to the GLBT community. It's commentary with a healthy dose of attitude! You can reach Dylan at [email protected].

 

I'm all for leather pride, but it really wrinkles my chaps the way the hullabaloo over U.N. weapons inspector Harvey John "Jack" McGeorge -- who, in his spare time, is a leader in the sadomasochism/ leather/fetish community -- underscores the hypocrisy of our political leaders.

 

According to the Washington Post, McGeorge is co-founder and former president of a Washington, D.C.-area "pansexual S&M group." He is also a former marine and Secret Service specialist who runs a company that offers bioterrorism research, analysis and training.

 

The United Nations thinks the latter qualifies McGeorge for the weapons inspection mission in Iraq. So does the State Department, which recommended McGeorge without a background check. After the S&M details surfaced in the Post, McGeorge offered to resign, but chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix would not have it, saying the candidate's private life had no bearing on the job at hand.

 

Too bad Blix isn't the U.S. secretary of defense.

 

Even in this time of war, lawmakers and leaders of the U.S. armed forces cannot come to Blix's conclusion: that well-qualified military personnel should not be fired because of their private sexual behavior.

 

The insanity of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy came into sharp focus last month with the announcement that the Army had fired seven linguists trained in Arabic because they are gay. Never mind that Arabic is probably the military's most strategic language need at the moment.

 

It's like a starving man refusing a free meal because it has too many carbs.

 

Some detractors of McGeorge's fitness to serve may point to the fact that he recently posted an online ad looking for a female slave, as reported by Salon. The arrangement was for private role-play, of course, but it nonetheless raised flags regarding sending him to Iraq, where women are already oppressed. Might he be tempted to dominate women at random?

 

That argument sounds like the old military standby that suggests having gay men share locker rooms or living quarters with straight men will unleash a torrent of unwanted homosexual advances. Reality check: Countless gay and straight people make myriads of choices every day about personal desires and impulses that demonstrate a thing called "self-control." If U.S. officials go along with Blix in trusting that McGeorge can keep his sexuality in check while on the job, the same principle should apply for gay and lesbian service members.

 

It's also worth noting that Blix, the official who has defended McGeorge most forcefully, is from Sweden, one of 24 countries that do not bar gay and lesbian personnel from the military.

 

Always playing leader, the United States should take a tip from the S&M playbook and be submissive for once; it could stand to learn a trick or two.

[ad rian]

>The United Nations thinks the latter qualifies McGeorge for

>the weapons inspection mission in Iraq. So does the State

>Department, which recommended McGeorge without a background

>check. After the S&M details surfaced in the Post, McGeorge

>offered to resign, but chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix

>would not have it, saying the candidate's private life had no

>bearing on the job at hand.

>

>Too bad Blix isn't the U.S. secretary of defense.

 

There may be no inconsistency as McGeorge says he likes heterosexual S&M not gay S&M so "don't ask/don't tell" would not arise.

[Guest]

>It's also worth noting that Blix, the official who has

>defended McGeorge most forcefully, is from Sweden, one of 24

>countries that do not bar gay and lesbian personnel from the

>military.

>

 

Sweden! One of the few countries to assist the Nazis without putting any of its troops on the line! I think you may have that gay-military relationship backwards. The US is one of the few countries which DOES ban gays from the military. I can't think of any non-muslim country, off-hand, which still bans gays from the military.

[ad rian]

>I

>can't think of any non-muslim country, off-hand, which still

>bans gays from the military.

 

I am still waiting to see the first out General or commander in Israel or elsewhere. (It seems that the citizen Generals in the Kenesset were not so pleased recently when a gay joined them in the club!) Could it be that "don't ask/don't tell" is simply more complex in other countries?

[eastbayguy]

>I am still waiting to see the first out General or commander

>in Israel or elsewhere. (It seems that the citizen Generals

>in the Kenesset were not so pleased recently when a gay joined

>them in the club!) Could it be that "don't ask/don't tell" is

>simply more complex in other countries?

 

The military in The Netherlands has a fair number of high ranking gay officers. Not sure if any have made flag rank or general officer yet. No doubt one of these guys will soon enough. One of these officers was recently profiled in a positive light on US television.

 

Gotta love the Dutch!

 

--EBG

[liubit]

>Gotta love the Dutch!

 

Yes...my boyfriend is Dutch! Adorable people... :9 :9