There are stalls in mens and womens bathrooms, so why not in unisex ones?

But I am totally against unisex bathrooms. Why? Cause men go in,do it, and get out. Women socialize, and I dont want to socialize when I am doing it.

I was just making sure before I committed myself to something. It's like making a wish to a genie... you'd better spell out all parts of the wish, or you're not going to like what you get.

You have a good point. Where would we gossip about men if we can't gossip in the bathroom? That would be a sad day indeed. On the other hand, Since the bathrooms would be open to all, it would even out the lines a bit. When I think of all the things I've missed waiting in line at the bathroom...

Sugar High, just a thought...  If you found out that one of your roommates was actually a guy, would that bother you?

Sorry Ted, but I lived with a guy this summer and two other girls. My female roommate was gay. We slept in the same room and everything. I didn't mind my male roommie coming in and using the bathroom sink while I was in the shower. We left the bathroom door open because there were four people, one bathroom, and we all had places to go. We didn't use the toilet while another person was showering, but that was more because the water would turn to ice...

I think the reason I couldn't understand the problem is that 1. There were only four of us. 2. We had relatively low stress. 3. We didn't actually shower together. 4. I never had to be completely nude around anyone.

Like I said, I've roomed with lesbians before. One of them told me she thought I was hot, and it was too bad I wasn't gay. I never felt that she was eyeing me or coming on to me. I assumed that people in the military were too busy to be checking out their peers in the shower or latrine. If you say it is otherwise, then I have no reason to doubt, or to realize that there are legitimate problems with openly homosexual soldiers.

My comfort levels with the opposite sex and with the gay community are easy for me to maintain. I haven't had any problems, and therefore my "open mindedness" has not been challenged. I can easily realize that not everyone has had my positive experiences and will not have my comfort levels.

And, I honestly had (and probably still don't have)a good idea of what military life is like. That's why I asked.

I suppose I should have titled this "I honestly don't understand" as opposed to "I honestly don't see the problem". A small matter of semantics, but I fear it has led to a misinterpretation of my goal.

This is the common denominator of the people who support having openly gay people in the military. It really is a lifestyle and living conditions unlike anything you will encounter in the civilian world. Having served in the Navy I can tell you that the living quarters and such on a ship leave absolutely no room for anything even remotely resembling privacy.

Unless you have personally experienced military life you are simply incapable of truly understanding it or the complications this can cause.

Fair enough Sugar High. As you point out, in your situation all four of you agreed on the limits according to your comfort levels. Military leaders are constantly forced to deal with the fact that people from all different backgrounds are forced together, in close quarters and expected to bring them together as a cohesive unit.

We like to imagine that we're all one military so we should be wiling to put aside our differences for the good of the unit, our branch and the USA, but we can't even expect that level of professionalism from our national leaders now can we. ;~D

I've been told that if the best way to understand those who are different from ourselves is to live with them. Well, I spent most my adult life in a forced "melting pot" and I'm here to tell you, "understanding" only happens if people want it.

I've also learned that in our PC society "acceptance" only seems to go one way. It's perfectly ok for a gay person to trash straights (or is homophobe a term of understanding and acceptance? Especially when used wrong), but a straight person can lose their job simply because they disagreed with gay people. We live in a world now where you can get canned for calling a woman "she" if that woman who wants to live as a man.

To tell you the truth, with all the problems forced acceptance is causing the civilian world, it's easy to see why there are problems with it in the military.

People talk about how they don't want to be bogged down with labels. It's my experience that people offended by labels are just as quick to use them as anyone else.

Lucky Guy!

Lucky Guy!

I don't know how much he loved living in the estrogen ocean... but we got a few laughs out of it.

I'm glad those of you with military experience have responded to this. Especially since my only knowledge of military life comes from M*A*S*H... and yes, I realize that isn't accurate.
I also understand about some people being able to bash some groups, while other groups are not allowed to bash at all. I wrote something about this a loooooong time ago, about how men on TV are always made fun of, but it isn't ok for them to make fun of the women. Or how this one black girl from my sorority is the biggest racist I know... but people can't seem to say anything about it because she is black.

That is the true, ugly nature of Political Correctness. It's nothing more than a different brand of bigotry.

It's nothing more than a different brand of bigotry.

AMen!  Very well put.

Funny you should mention M*A*S*H in this context. A friend of mine in high school was probably the first person I knew who was gay. Her name was Wilma, but everyone called her "Willie". One of our "code words" for gay became, "getting the willies".

On an episode of M*A*S*H a patient came in who it turned out was gay. In one scene Radar was talking about how Frank Burns didn't want the troop as a patient...

Radar: "Maj Burns said the patients gives him the Willies."

Hmmmmm ;~D

Is it scary that I know exactly what episode you're talking about?

I knew there was a reason we get along. ;~D

No, since I have seen every one about 3 times now.

Wait! You are not an old fart like me!