I do not wish to bring my religious beliefs into the argument; religion tends to create radical extremes that, ironically, go against the basic precepts of most religions in the world.

What I do wish to comment on, and I am against openly gay individuals serving in the military, is the fact that I would feel most uncomfortable in certain situations, such as showering, wondering if any of the men showering near me is gay.

Gay men are attracted to the male body and, although I would not expect them to do something irrational in such an environment, I do not like the thought that my body is on display for them. I am 100 percent heterosexual and, if men and women were allowed to shower together, I can assure you that I would glance at the naked women who were near me; that is what I am attracted to, the female body. It does not mean I would do anything stupid, but I would certainly take in their naked beauty. Similarly, I am certain a naked gay man would “check out” his naked fellow servicemembers whenever he could.

If we are to allow openly gay individuals in the military, then we need to protect such concerns by having separate billeting, bathroom and shower facilities. If done, I would have no issues with gays serving in the military. Otherwise, it is no different than having all billets/showers and bathrooms designated unisex in the military. We already segregate sexuality between males and females; we would need to do the same with gay/nongay if we are to allow openly gay individuals in the military. Doing so is not discriminatory; sexual preference is not the same as our ethnic or racial differences, neither of which involves the sexual mechanics or exposure of our bodies.