Sexual Orientation and Military Service

[Bren122]

The ideology behind the pairing system in the Sacred Band was that you were less likely to run away and leave your lover in danger. There is some evidence that the Sacred Band also contained a number of women at certain times. It is thought that homosexuality amongst warrior groups was quite common; it should be remembered that the bulk of the armies of most city states were in fact militia. The warrior groups, like the Sacred Band, were regarded as being separate from general society and thus opportunities to marry were less common.
What really surprises me about this current debate is that we have countless examples of men and women who have served long and distinguished careers and only outed themselves when they left the service. What is it exactly that makes people believe that being homosexual also means that you can't keep your hands to yourself?

[DuncanONeil]

More so in the navies!

The ideology behind the pairing system in the Sacred Band was that you were less likely to run away and leave your lover in danger. There is some evidence that the Sacred Band also contained a number of women at certain times. It is thought that homosexuality amongst warrior groups was quite common; it should be remembered that the bulk of the armies of most city states were in fact militia. The warrior groups, like the Sacred Band, were regarded as being separate from general society and thus opportunities to marry were less common.
What really surprises me about this current debate is that we have countless examples of men and women who have served long and distinguished careers and only outed themselves when they left the service. What is it exactly that makes people believe that being homosexual also means that you can't keep your hands to yourself?