Zhandos Bolatbek
While the US is attempting to bridge the gap between civilians’ and military’s attitude towards members of LGBT community, Russia is staunchly trying to retain and conserve the old attitudes of its military toward members of the LGBT community. As Huffington Post reports, central administration in Defense Ministry of the Russian Federation “has developed a technical guide” featuring “physical examination”. This physical examination will include checking for tattoos in especially sensitive areas, such as sexual organs, buttocks and areas near the face. The justification for these kind of examinations seem to be stemming from the assumption that tattoos are a proxy for low level of cultural and educational levels, according to the guide. St. Petersburg Times stated that the presence of tattoos in these sensitive parts of the body may reveal “sexual deviations”. The guide also states that in the case when the influence is found to be external, it would demonstrate recruit’s “malleability” and “disposition to submit to another’s will”. The move by the Russian Defense Ministry seems to reflect the wider Russian agenda to suppress any LGBT movement, with the major legislation on anti-gay propaganda already in place. Whether the new guide will contribute to the anti-LGBT agenda is highly doubtful, since it is very difficult to discern “sexual deviations” from tattoos in recruits’ sensitive parts of their bodies.
These measures show how the Russian government is averse to give way for more tolerance of LGBT recruits in the army which stands in sharp contrast with the US military. As Feaver and Kohn found out there was a considerable gap between civilian population and the military where the former was much more tolerant towards LGBT serving in the military and the latter was somewhat disapproving. There was also “Don’t ask, don’t tell Act” which required that the recruits and officers kept their sexual orientation secret. However, since the publication of Feaver and Kohn’s findings “Don’t ask, don’t tell Act” was repealed and gave the right of LGBT recruits to openly disclose their sexual orientation. This indicates how Russian and American attitudes diverge in terms of views on LGBT people in the military. Although there seems to be strong intolerance towards LGBT people in the Russian army, UN’s 2007 report indicates that homosexuality and male prostitution is “quite common within Russia’s military”. It seems that attitudes towards LGBT people in the military will not change in the near time, since Kremlin is pushing for it and has the support of influential Russian Orthodox Church.
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While the US is attempting to bridge the gap between civilians’ and military’s attitude towards members of LGBT community, Russia is staunchly trying to retain and conserve the old attitudes of its military toward members of the LGBT community. As Huffington Post reports, central administration in Defense Ministry of the Russian Federation “has developed a technical guide” featuring “physical examination”. This physical examination will include checking for tattoos in especially sensitive areas, such as sexual organs, buttocks and areas near the face. The justification for these kind of examinations seem to be stemming from the assumption that tattoos are a proxy for low level of cultural and educational levels, according to the guide. St. Petersburg Times stated that the presence of tattoos in these sensitive parts of the body may reveal “sexual deviations”. The guide also states that in the case when the influence is found to be external, it would demonstrate recruit’s “malleability” and “disposition to submit to another’s will”. The move by the Russian Defense Ministry seems to reflect the wider Russian agenda to suppress any LGBT movement, with the major legislation on anti-gay propaganda already in place. Whether the new guide will contribute to the anti-LGBT agenda is highly doubtful, since it is very difficult to discern “sexual deviations” from tattoos in recruits’ sensitive parts of their bodies.
These measures show how the Russian government is averse to give way for more tolerance of LGBT recruits in the army which stands in sharp contrast with the US military. As Feaver and Kohn found out there was a considerable gap between civilian population and the military where the former was much more tolerant towards LGBT serving in the military and the latter was somewhat disapproving. There was also “Don’t ask, don’t tell Act” which required that the recruits and officers kept their sexual orientation secret. However, since the publication of Feaver and Kohn’s findings “Don’t ask, don’t tell Act” was repealed and gave the right of LGBT recruits to openly disclose their sexual orientation. This indicates how Russian and American attitudes diverge in terms of views on LGBT people in the military. Although there seems to be strong intolerance towards LGBT people in the Russian army, UN’s 2007 report indicates that homosexuality and male prostitution is “quite common within Russia’s military”. It seems that attitudes towards LGBT people in the military will not change in the near time, since Kremlin is pushing for it and has the support of influential Russian Orthodox Church.
_________
Reference:
Feaver,
Peter, and Richard H. Kohn, ed. 2001. Soldiers and Civilians: The
Civil-Military
Gap
and American National Security. MIT Press.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/24/russia-gay-tattoo-check-soldiers-military-laws_n_2545637.html
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