There is much ado about gays in the military these days, as though we’re blazing new ground. Well, the ancient Greeks beat us to it.
Here’s what Paul K. Davis, in his excellent book 100 Decisive Battles (1999) wrote about the Sacred Band of Thebes… “The Sacred Band of Thebes was founded in ancient Greece by the Theban leader Gorgidas …. It contained 300 men for whom Thebes provided training facilities and barracks. At first the Sacred Band did not distinguish itself in combat, possibly because Gorgidas placed its soldiers in the front ranks of the central Theban phalanx, where it was integrated with other soldiers. This did not allow the special training of the Band to be demonstrated because other less talented soldiers diluted the Band’s strength. The army therefore did not benefit from the striking power that the Band was supposed to provide. “The Sacred Band derived its reputation for outstanding fighting ability not only from its training, but from the makeup of the unit. The 300 soldiers were 150 homosexual couples. Homosexuality was not uncommon in ancient Greece and attracted no negative comment. The theory within this organization was that the desire to protect and impress one’s lover would bring out the best fighting spirit in each soldier. No one would dishonor himself or his partner by fleeing battle and bringing shame upon them both. Therefore, the unit would remain closely knit, as each soldier acted not only for himself but also his partner, as well as for the unit and army as a whole. “The Band remained the elite of the Theban army until both unit and army were defeated in 338 B.C. Thebes and Athens that year formed an alliance against the rising power of Macedonia under Phillip II. They marched to meet the Macedonians at Chaeronea, but could not withstand the power of the Macedonian army and the brilliance of its leader. The Macedonian victory brought Phillip to power in Greece while destroying the power of the city-states …. “The Sacred Band achieved its reputation by defeating the premiere army of ancient Greece, the Spartans, but they could not match the new organization and tactics introduced by Phillip, whose army, under his son Alexander, would conquer most of the known world. The Sacred Band existed for only a few decades and was never revived after its annihilation at Chaeronea.” The Netherlands was the first country in modern times to allow gays to serve in the military. That was in 1974. Since then, 43 countries have followed suit, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Norway, Russia, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and, as of 2011, the United States. The most prominent country that does not is the People’s Republic of China. It's interesting to note that the list above include countries that are almost entirely of the West or were once part of the British Empire -- the obvious exceptions being Russia and Israel. Most Islamic countries do not allow it. In fact, Allah expressly condemns homosexuality in the Qur-an: “Do you approach the males of humanity, leaving the wives Allah has created for you? Nay, You are a people who transgress.” (26:165-166) "Homosexuality is a moral disorder" wrote Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi of the Islamic Society of North America. "It is a moral disease, a sin and corruption... No person is born homosexual, just like no one is born a thief, a liar or murderer. People acquire these evil habits due to a lack of proper guidance and education." This seems to be the view of many Islamic fundamentalists as well. The high profile, politically-charged open acceptance of gays in the military is not couched in terms of making the military more efficient, but rather to make it resemble society. Which means the primary concern in this instance at least was not to create a better fighting force but rather a more politically correct one. Gorgidas' reasoning behind creating the Sacred Band and segregating it from the rest of his army would be considered outrageous today and yet by all accounts the Sacred Band was a formidable fighting force due not only to its training, which could have been bestowed upon any force regardless of sexual orientation, but also because of its members' unique loyalty and love for one another. How ironic in light of the current state of things. As recently as 1993, the year of the advent of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” it was said that homosexuality in the military would presents an unacceptable risk to morale, cohesion, and discipline. A common argument against gays serving in the U.S. military was that straight soldiers would be discomfited if they had to share a foxhole or a shower with a gay soldier. I find it hard to believe that a man secure in his own sexuality would be overly disturbed by this, even if there were advances involved. This is supported by a 2007 Zogby poll of more than 500 service members returning from Afghanistan and Iraq, three quarters of whom said they were okay with serving with gays. The fact is that a soldier's sexual orientation should not be an issue in the military, any more than his or her color should be. What should matter is whether the soldier can be depended upon by his superiors and fellow soldiers. Does he have the courage to defend his country in battle? Does he have the character to obey orders and the training and physical ability to carry out the tasks assigned him? Is he dedicated to his country to the extent that he would give his life to defend it? Personally I don't object to gays in the military. I assume there have been gays in the ranks of military units all over the world and down through the centuries. What I object to are those who use their gayness or the gayness of others to press a political agenda in the military. This is detrimental to the armed forces, and to the nation as a whole. |
An Ancient Precedent
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