Advocacy group: Navy stops discharge of sailor in sleepover

[Tx4obama]

Source: CNN

(CNN) -- The Navy has halted discharge proceedings against a sailor who was found asleep in the same bed with another male sailor, according to a announcement Friday by Servicemembers United, the nation's largest organization of gay and lesbian troops and veterans.

Petty Officer Stephen Jones, who is stationed at the Naval Nuclear Power Training Command in Charleston, South Carolina, has said that the Navy's effort to discharge him for "unprofessional conduct" was a trumped-up charge based on the command's suspicion that he might be gay.

Jones also said the nonjudicial punishment for unprofessional conduct was a maneuver around the "don't ask, don't tell" repeal that President Obama signed into law in December.

SNIP

Alexander Nicholson, executive director of Servicemembers United, said the Navy "undoubtedly did the right thing in reversing its decision," made in March, to discharge Jones, who dozed off beside another male sailor while watching television on February 5.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/04/08/sailor.sleepover/index.html

[SkyDaddy7]

1. Obviously, I need to read the entire article but...

When I was in the military we use to sleep in the same beds on many occasions when there was simply not enough room. Like when we would all go party in Tijuana & could only afford one hotel room...So, two guys sleeping in the same bed is not a sign they are gay at all!

However, I will say this there were some guys who were so homophobic they would sleep on the nasty hotel floor before sleeping on the same bed with another guy even when it was a queen or king size bed! Or perhaps they were gay & were going overboard to hide it?

[Chef Eric]

2. "In the navy, you can sail the seven seas..." nt

[Earth_First]

3. Not amusing... n/t

[No Elephants]

4. GOOD!

[cutlassmama]

5. you know my sons used to watch TV together and fall asleep in the same

bed. It happens. It doesn't mean anything sexual was going on at all.

[crickets]

6. Good for Jones.

Good for him for standing up for himself.

Jones also said the nonjudicial punishment for unprofessional conduct was a maneuver around the "don't ask, don't tell" repeal

He was also canny enough to realize that not contesting the charge might set a harmful precedent that could affect others. Smart man. Here's hoping he has a long and illustrious career.