B. Daniel Blatt
Gay Patriot
12/17/2011
According to AP, the soldier “accused of leaking hundreds of thousands of sensitive items to” WikiLeaks, is using his sexual orientation as a defense:
The young Army intelligence specialist accused of passing government secrets spent his 24th birthday in court Saturday as his lawyers argued his status as a gay soldier before the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” played an important role in his actions.
Lawyers for Pfc. Bradley Manning began laying out a defense to show that his struggles as a gay soldier in an environment hostile to homosexuality contributed to mental and emotional problems that should have barred him from having access to sensitive material.
Gay groups should join us in denouncing this tactic. It makes gay people out to be not just victims, but individuals lacking any kind of moral fiber, willing to betray their country when the going gets tough. Tens of thousands of gay man and women served in the military in similarly “hostile” environments and did not break under pressure. Indeed, many, if not most, of these individuals distinguished themselves in our nation’s armed forces.
We should not stand by when a man uses his homosexuality as an excuse for betraying his country…
The article continues at Gay Patriot.
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