Another sleepless morning again.
Just got news from 365gay.com that Thailand has removed its restriction on gays and transsexuals serving in the military as of yesterday. It's about time for Thailand, where both gay and transgender cultures are in full bloom - though transgender people, by virtue of being labeled "mentally disordered" under the old regulations, were pretty much limited to entertainment jobs. (In fact this is a topic that I will most likely touch upon as I send Sarah to Thailand for her own surgery in my novel.)
If a Third World nation like Thailand can make this move though, why not the only Western democracy that hasn't done so yet - the United States of America? America asks me to unconditionally support the "President" and be patriotic, but when I am not even allowed to serve in the military, I have one less way of serving the country, and one less incentive to be patriotic. Besides, what about all these avenues of opportunity that military service opens up to straights, like scholarships and career opportunities in the civilian world, not to mention the perception of discipline and morality? (And for foreigners, a fast-track path to US citizenship.)
I don't consider military an option for me anyway, but this nevertheless is a question I must ask.
On an unrelated note, it looks like I found a transgender bar in Las Vegas, Las Vegas Lounge, where I will need to spend time this weekend, meeting people for the purposes of my novel.
