![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Okay, there's recently been quite a few posts about the nature of the gay in the US force in Atlantis, several people pointing out that though the civilians are multi-national, the military are US Marines, which equals probable 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' rules, unless all the force sent to Atlantis were the 'problematic' lot, as has been theorised recently by a lot of people - Shep and Rodney being prime examples, followed by Weir and Carson. Problematic could quite easily equal gay for the US military - make sure no chance of trouble, etc. That's the first batch, anyway, until the Daedalus came. With the Daedalus, probable more stringent rules for military at least due to regular influx of new people and trying not to have Caldwell blow a gasket.
However. As of 2x17? (in no way a spoiler) One little detail walks across the screen about 22 minutes in and stays in shot for a good couple of minutes. A soldier in Atlantis gear with a BRITISH FLAG. That's right, the military presence is now *officially* multinational.
Which means, what with the various countries' approach to gays in the military? Atlantis can't have Don't Ask Don't Tell. The UK allows gays in military. The US is one of a slowly shrinking minority that don't, as more countries face up to how fucking impractical it is to lose good soldiers through sexual orientation. Our Prime Minister is rather big on gay rights issues. Our sodding Conservative party is now very big on gay rights and challenges the ruling party for more gay rights and better legislature. The various countries wouldn't let soldiers serve if they'd be discriminated against. (plus, er, not to mention? UK soldiers would be a more sensible choice for Atlantis, as it's mostly a peacekeeping with forays into strike force mission since the Daedalus came along - ours are more focussed on and have more training in peacekeeping than Marines do. It's a large part of our recruitment advertising. Must snicker.) Also, after reading through the literature at the Ministry of Defence? They allow civil partnerships (marriage sans church), which includes pension rights. (see here, section E.1)
I'm now imagining more... er... close-minded ranking members in the SGC lot going 'dammit, only allow soldiers from these countries :
Argentina, Belarus, Brazil, Croatia, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Luxembourg, North Korea, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Venezuela, and Yemen..'
I'm off to snicker.
ETA: add to this South Africans, Germans, Japanese and anyone else people spot in Atlantis. But also note? Several of these countries have no problem with gays in the military, and the ones not on that list up there just can't be bothered to make an issue of it. (Russia wavers a bit, but as long as you're a 'well-adjusted homosexual', you're fine. It's the ones with sexual identity problems they don't want. So no Furries, unless it's wartime and they're desperate for able bodies.)
However. As of 2x17? (in no way a spoiler) One little detail walks across the screen about 22 minutes in and stays in shot for a good couple of minutes. A soldier in Atlantis gear with a BRITISH FLAG. That's right, the military presence is now *officially* multinational.
Which means, what with the various countries' approach to gays in the military? Atlantis can't have Don't Ask Don't Tell. The UK allows gays in military. The US is one of a slowly shrinking minority that don't, as more countries face up to how fucking impractical it is to lose good soldiers through sexual orientation. Our Prime Minister is rather big on gay rights issues. Our sodding Conservative party is now very big on gay rights and challenges the ruling party for more gay rights and better legislature. The various countries wouldn't let soldiers serve if they'd be discriminated against. (plus, er, not to mention? UK soldiers would be a more sensible choice for Atlantis, as it's mostly a peacekeeping with forays into strike force mission since the Daedalus came along - ours are more focussed on and have more training in peacekeeping than Marines do. It's a large part of our recruitment advertising. Must snicker.) Also, after reading through the literature at the Ministry of Defence? They allow civil partnerships (marriage sans church), which includes pension rights. (see here, section E.1)
I'm now imagining more... er... close-minded ranking members in the SGC lot going 'dammit, only allow soldiers from these countries :
Argentina, Belarus, Brazil, Croatia, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Luxembourg, North Korea, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Venezuela, and Yemen..'
I'm off to snicker.
ETA: add to this South Africans, Germans, Japanese and anyone else people spot in Atlantis. But also note? Several of these countries have no problem with gays in the military, and the ones not on that list up there just can't be bothered to make an issue of it. (Russia wavers a bit, but as long as you're a 'well-adjusted homosexual', you're fine. It's the ones with sexual identity problems they don't want. So no Furries, unless it's wartime and they're desperate for able bodies.)
