MILITARY MONDAY

A FEW MORE

MILITARY MONDAY

‘Don’t Ask’ Discharges Rise 11% Since 2004

The U.S. armed forces discharged 742 gay service members last year, an average of about two per day, according to new data from the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.

SLDN spokesperson Steve Ralls said the tally, confirmed by the Pentagon and the Department of Defense, represents a loss of 386 from the Army, 88 from the Air Force, 177 Navy personnel, 75 Marines and 16 from the Coast Guard.

Those numbers are up 11 percent from 2004, when 668 personnel were discharged. Since the military began discharging gays in 1994 under the policy, more than 11,000 men and women have been removed from the military.

Ralls said the military does not generally reveal the circumstances leading to the discharges. But the losses are believed to include gay service members who out themselves as well as straight service members who pretend to be gay to avoid serving in the Middle East.

“There’s no doubt that there are service members who use ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ to avoid their service obligations,” Ralls said. “However, that’s a very strong argument for repealing the law. That would close that loophole and force them to fulfill their obligation to the country.”

SLDN is a national, nonprofit organization that seeks to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” It also provides legal services to military personnel affected by the 1993 policy that bars open gays from serving.

Aaron Belkin, director of the Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military at the University of California, said evidence indicates about 40 percent of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” discharges are service members using the policy as their get out of Iraq free card.

“These patterns started showing up even before [Sept. 11, 2001],” he said. “Now that there’s a war on, you could certainly hypothesize there are those who want to avoid the war.”

He said accounts from discharged service members, lawyers and others show just 10 percent to 15 percent of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” discharges involve a gay service member’s involuntary discovery.

Belkin said the remaining cases involve service members who seek discharge because they face abuse in their unit, or want out of the military. Researchers believe the number of those cases are equally split, but aren’t sure.

Military experts and former service members said “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” discharges include heterosexual men and women who pretend to be gay to escape the armed forces.

“There’s no question about that,” Belkin said. “It’s a loophole that gays and straights use to avoid military service.”

David R. Segal, director of the Center for Research on Military Organization at the University of Maryland, agreed.

“There are a significant number of straight soldiers,” he said, “particularly those who joined before the global war on terror, who are finding the military is not doing what they signed up to do.”

By JOSHUA LYNSEN
Monday, June 19, 2006



Group Alleges Govt. Spied on Homosexual Protesters

A homosexual activist group, seeking the elimination of the Pentagon's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, continues to allege that the Bush administration conducted domestic spying on homosexual and anti-war student protesters in New York and California. But a spokesman for the activist group admits he has no evidence to back up the charge.

The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) has filed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests in order to obtain any federal documents referring to the investigation and/or surveillance of the New York University (NYU) homosexual advocacy group OUTlaw and the University of California at Santa Cruz group Students Against War.

The NYU group protested the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and military recruitment policies on Feb. 4, 2005, and the UC-Santa Cruz group conducted a similar demonstration as well as a homosexual "kiss-in" on April 5, 2005. The Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy prohibits members of the U.S. military from disclosing their homosexuality, but it also blocks military supervisors from investigating or asking if a service member is homosexual




New York considers opposition to army gay policy

he Servicemembers Legal Defence Network (SLDN) is applauding the recent New York state resolution calling for the repeal of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ban on openly lesbian, gay and bisexual personnel.

The resolution, introduced by New York State Senator Thomas Duane, calls on New York's Congressional Delegation to support the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, a bill that would repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

The resolution is sponsored by the New York chapter of the American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER-NY), an association of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender veterans.



Logo cable channel turns to gay ghosts, soldiers


LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Logo, the cable network catering to gay and lesbian viewers, unveiled on Wednesday a series development slate that includes a sitcom featuring a gay ghost and a drama about homosexual men and women serving in the military.

Also on tap are a comedy prequel to the play and 2000 cult film "Sordid Lives" and a reality show that gives lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) participants an opportunity to confront friends and loved ones who have disowned them because of their sexuality.

"We're excited to be in business with such amazing storytellers and artists and share their enthusiasm for telling gay stories authentically," said Brian Graden, president of parent company MTV Networks Music Group Entertainment.

Logo executive Eileen Opatut added that the projects "represent Logo's commitment to investing in high-quality series."

In addition, each production will include content for online, wireless video and portable media players, Logo said.

The series projects in development include:

-- "The Service," a one-hour drama that looks at the lives of enlisted LGBT men and women at a military base, where they covertly combat rising persecution under new commanders.



Q-What did one gay sperm say to the other gay sperm?
A-How are we suposed to find an egg in all of this shit?

Speedo Sunday

This was by far the most embarrassing moment of my life. I have always been a good swimmer and am often down at the local pool. When I was 14 I joined the school swimming team, and was really looking forward to my first practice. The day before the first practice, my friend told me that the team operated a Speedo only policy, so I apprehensively went out and bought one. I had never worn one before, so was really nervous about wearing it, especially in front of all my friends. On the day of the practice, I went early and got used to wearing it before they all came. I had a shower and then went out and sat on the side of the pool.

About 10 minutes later both the boys and girls team arrived and to my horror none of the guys were wearing Speedos. They immediately made fun of me, and pointed at my withering crotch. I went bright red, and when I stood up to get in the pool, one of the guys playfully grabbed my butt. I ignored it and got in to the pool as if nothing had happened.

That was to be only the start of it. I saw one of my friends whisper something to one of the fit girls, and she immediately swam towards me. She swam right up to me and without any warning grabbed my crotch and started feeling my penis. Being a normal teenager I started getting an erection, although when she tried to pull my trunks off I resisted. She screamed that I had a boner and within a minute the lifeguard blew her whistle, thinking somebody was hurt.

I tried to get out concealing my crotch, however that soon failed when some of the guys grabbed my arms and held them behind my back, placing by bulge in full view of all of the laughing girls. As if that wasn't bad enough, one of them grabbed my trunks from behind, pulling them down below my knees. I was completely mortified that I was fully exposed and my penis went within a matter of seconds from being semi erect to shrivelled up. I tried to struggle, but only ended up making matters worse, as I saw my crush get a full view of all my parts, from back and front. I then managed to cover my crotch with my hands, although they quickly managed to prise my hands apart. After about two minutes (it seemed like an hour)I managed to get my Speedo back on, although by that point everybody had seen everything.

At least I got one of the guys back by stealing his towel in the showers and forcing him to run naked through the changing rooms to get it back.

Random acts of guyness

Tropical sex disease surfaces in Toronto

An outbreak of a sexually transmitted disease usually seen only in the tropics has public health officials worried it is yet another signal that HIV infections are about to rise.

Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV), caused by a bacteria that is part of the chlamydia family, is normally confined to the tropics of Africa, South America, Asia and the Caribbean. By the end of 2005 there were 30 recorded cases of LGV in Toronto.

"This is a new thing," said Dr. Robert Remis, a University of Toronto HIV/AIDS researcher. "It's hard to diagnose and it's a rather painful condition."

The city is already in the grip of a syphilis outbreak, and both diseases are associated with an increased risk for HIV and AIDS.



Dr. Kelly MacDonald, chair of the Ontario HIV Treatment Network, said the two outbreaks are a serious concern.

"It's a marker for high-risk sex and partner change," she said. "In every study with explosive rates of HIV you see syphilis."

And LGV is a "tropical disease we shouldn't see" in Toronto, she added. "It means the rate of partner change is extremely high. Things like syphilis and LGV should be the first things we get under control," said MacDonald, a microbiologist at Mount Sinai Hospital.

LGV symptoms appear three to 30 days after exposure. It starts with a painless sore on the vagina, penis, rectum or oral cavity. The condition can be cured with three weeks of antibiotics, but left untreated it can cause scarring, deformity and, in rare cases, hepatitis and meningoencephalitis (infection of the brain and spinal cord tissues).



China Shuts Down Gay Web Sites

he Chinese government has begun a "clean-up" of gay Web sites an English language Chinese newspaper reported Friday.

The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post says that China's internet domain-name registration company has shut down several popular gay Web sites under what the paper said was pressure from police.

The registration company is controlled by the government.

All of the sites were forums where people could post information. One of the sites, tzgay.ful.cn received 100,000 hits per day. It was frequently used by people to discuss coming out.

Another of the closed sides, chinagay.ful.cn, disseminated information on safe-sex. Since it opened last February it has had about 400,000 the Morning Post said.

Following the crackdown other forums sites have begun purging LGBT content.



In Toronto, all but one of the 30 cases were found in gay or bisexual men, said Dr. Rita Shahin, associate medical officer of health. Cases of LGV have been recently reported in gay men in the Netherlands and other European countries.

The current syphilis outbreak started in May 2002, mostly in gay or bisexual men, and peaked in 2004 with 368 cases. Last year there were 241.

"It's a true epidemic and related to an increasing rate of unsafe sexual behaviour," said Remis.



QM2 sets course for all-gay cruise

THE Queen Mary 2, the world's largest ocean liner, is chartering a cruise for gays and lesbians only.

The 2,620-capacity liner will depart New York next year for a six-day cruise to Southampton.

A spokesman said it was "a onceina-lifetime trip that takes the best the straight world has to offer and makes it even better".




Judge calls men 'salvageable,' sentences them to 90 days in jail, year of house arrest, five years of probation, 500 hours of community service

State District Judge Michael Vigil declined Friday to send the two men most culpable in the beating of two gay men last year to the state penitentiary.

"You both would be ruined if I sent you to prison," Vigil told Isaia Medina, 20, and Gabriel Maturin, 21. "I would be throwing you away. I don't want to do that."

Instead, Vigil sentenced Medina and Maturin to 90 days in the Santa Fe County jail, followed by a year of house arrest during which they will have to spend weekends in jail. After that, each man will spend five years on probation and have to perform 500 hours of community service, which will include completing a curriculum on tolerance, talking to high school and college students about tolerance and working with the group, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.

Friday Whitey

Debate on Showing Underwear

GAINESVILLE, FL (AP) -- Gainesville's Public Safety Committee got an unusual request this week from a citizen: stop young men from wearing pants below the waist.

The chairwoman of the city's Black on Black Crime Taskforce took the matter before the committee yesterday. She says the trend of drooping drawers is a disgrace and sets a bad example.

The committee, however, says that the individuals were doing nothing wrong by showing their underwear and that it would be very difficult to tailor a statute to curtail the practice.

The community activist says she'll take her request to Tallahassee next.



McCORMACK UNNERVED BY UNDERWEAR SCENE

Former WILL & GRACE star ERIC McCORMACK is mortified he has to appear in his new New York City play in nothing but his underwear.
The actor will appear in the play SOME GIRL(S) and has one scene where he
is nearly naked onstage with actress FRAN DRESCHER.
He explains, "I haven't eaten in a month and a half! "I'm not only in my underwear, it's a small stage and I'm standing right there.
"The front row, they get a good shot!" McCormack was used to playing impeccably groomed gay man WILL TRUMAN on the hit show and claims he has to maintain his high standard.
He adds, "You can't just say, 'I'm playing a straight guy now, so I can look like crap!'"



Married men change their underwear twice as often as single men.



Percentage of Men who...
Prefer Boxers: 25%
Prefer Briefs: 32%
Prefer Boxer Briefs: 28%
Prefer Thongs: 4%
Prefer Other Styles: 4%
Prefer to Wear Nothing: 7%




Freshpair.com link

On August 9th, National Underwear Day will be taking Manhattan by storm for the fourth year in a row. This year will be our biggest and best event yet, with more sponsors, underwear giveaways, contests, and surprises. National Underwear Day is the day when underwear becomes not just the first thing you put on and the last thing you take off, but the most important thing you wear all day.

So, make sure you're wearing a fresh pair.

Vintage Thursday

Studio 54 was a legendary New York City disco located on West 54th Street in Manhattan. It opened on April 26, 1977 and closed in March 1986. It currently serves as a venue for the Roundabout Theatre Company, with a 900 seat theatre equipped with two full service bars.

A successor club, Studio 54, Las Vegas opened its doors in December 1997.













The theater originated as the Gallo Opera House in 1927, and over the course of the next decade changed its name several times, being known as the New Yorker Theatre in 1930, the Casino de Paris in 1933, the Palladium Theater in 1936 and in the Federal Music Theater in 1937; later that year, it was changed back to the New Yorker Theater. This name would remain until CBS purchased the facility in the 1950s, renaming it Studio 52.

From the 1950s to the mid-1970s, CBS used the location as a radio and TV stage that housed such shows as What's My Line?, The $64,000 Question, Password, Beat the Clock, The Jack Benny Show, I've Got a Secret, and Captain Kangaroo. The soap opera Love of Life was produced there until 1975.

In 1976, CBS concentrated most of its New York broadcast functions around the corner to its storied Ed Sullivan Theater (CBS-TV Studio 50) or west to the CBS Broadcast Center, and sold Studio 52. The building was purchased and renamed for its street address (254 West 54th Street), a location already noted for another tenant in the building, famed disco record label West End Records.



Studio 54 was operated by the flamboyant, openly gay, publicly visible Steve Rubell and retiring, straight silent partner Ian Schrager. Hedonistic Rubell was known for hand selecting guests from the always huge mobs outside, mixing beautiful "nobodies" with glamorous celebrities in the same venue. "Studio", as it came to be called, was notorious for the hedonism that went on within; the balconies were notorious for sexual encounters, and drug use was rampant. Its dance floor was decorated with a depiction of a Man in the Moon that included an animated coke spoon.

In 1979, Rubell and Schrager were arrested and charged for skimming $2.5 million, and the club was closed with one final party, called "The End of Modern-day Gomorrah", on February 4, 1980. New York lawyer Gary Naftalis successfully represented Schrager in the ensuring tax evasion prosecution. After its closing, cocaine and money were found in the club's walls.



The club reopened on September 12, 1981, when it was bought for $5 million by restaurant and nightclub owner Mark Fleischman. Celebrities continued to frequent the club, though the level of sensationalism was far toned down from its original levels. This second incarnation closed down in March 1986, due to changing tastes.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the venue was known as The Ritz, and hosted rock concerts. In 1994, after becoming a strip club for a few years, the club finally reopened with much fanfare with a live concert by disco stars Gloria Gaynor, Vicki Sue Robinson, and Sister Sledge. The club again went into bankruptcy the following year until 1998, when it was acquired by the Roundabout Theater Company and renamed The Roundabout Theater at Studio 54.



After the New York club closed down in 1995, Studio 54 moved to Las Vegas, located at the MGM Grand. Designed to be a replica of the original club, it has most of the original elements and equipment, including the "Man in the Moon" and the spoon - however the two are never displayed together. The club was visited on opening night by Elton John, one of the most frequent guests at the original location.

It has since become one of Las Vegas' most popular dance clubs, with a reputation for a strict door policy, but not as strict as the original's. However, the newer site is cause for contention amongst fans of the original location, who have charged that the Las Vegas venue is nothing more than Studio 54 in name only.



During its heyday it played a formative role in the growth of disco music and nightclub culture in general, and was one of the first nightclubs to blur the distinction between "straight" and "gay" nightlife.

The disco was depicted in the 1998 film 54 and was the model for the club featured in the movie, The Last Days of Disco. It was parodied in the 2002 movie Austin Powers in Goldmember as Studio 69.



STUDIO 54 FAN SITE

Wednesday Woody

Billy's father had a lot of guns around the house and was always telling Billy things about guns and how to take care of them, etc. Well, one day Billy was in the tub masturbating, and his mother walked in just as he was ejaculating. She stormed out, and Billy chased after her, saying, "I wasn't playing with myself! I was just cleaning it and it went off!"



"Sorry I'm late for work, boss, but I had to help my Uncle Jack off the horse."



Q: What's the difference between a sperm bank and a regular bank?
A: When you make a deposit at a sperm bank, you lose interest!



There once was a man whose religion said that he had to be naked all the time. Not wanting to go against his religion, he went everywhere naked — even to the supermarket. One day he went shopping for Lifesavers and gum. As he was heading toward the counter to pay for his candy, he saw three nuns come into the store. He thought, "I don't want these nuns to see me and preach to me about how I should wear clothes." Not having anywhere to hide, he stood very still and pretended to be a mannequin. The three nuns walked up to him and were very curious. The first one went up and yanked on the man's penis, and the man dropped the Lifesavers. The nun picked them up and showed them to the others saying, "Look, I got Lifesavers." The second nun went up to the man and pulled on his penis, and the man dropped his gum. The nun picked it up and said, "Look, I got gum." Not wanting to go home empty-handed, the last nun went up to the man, yanked on his penis, and said, "Look, I got hand lotion."



Two construction workers were working the high beams. One was on the third floor, one on the first. The guy on the third floor needed a handsaw, but with all the construction noise, the other guy couldn't hear him. So the guy on the third floor decided to use hand signals. He pointed to his eye for "I," he pointed to his knee for "need," then moved his hands back and forth for "handsaw." The guy on the first floor dropped his pants and started masturbating. The guy on the third floor ran down to the first floor and said, "What the hell are you doing? All I wanted was a handsaw!" The guy on the first floor said, "I just wanted to tell you I was coming."




Little Johnny had become a real nuisance while his father was trying to concentrate on his Saturday afternoon poker game with friends and relatives. The father tried every way possible to get Johnny to occupy himself — television, ice cream, homework, video games — but the youngster insisted on running back and forth behind the players and calling out the cards they held. The other players became so annoyed that they threatened to quit the game and all go home. At this point, the boy's uncle stood up, took Johnny by the hand, and led him out of the room. The uncle soon returned back to the poker table without Johnny and without comment, and the game resumed. After the poker game ended — with Johnny still out of sight — the father asked the uncle, "What in the world did you do to Johnny?" "Not much," the uncle replied. "I just showed him how to masturbate."



A pregnant woman walks into a bank one day to withdraw some cash, when the bank is robbed. Bullets fly everywhere, and she herself gets three in the abdomen. She is immediately rushed to hospital with fear that her soon-to-be child is dead. The doctors find out that in fact she is pregnant with triplets, not one of whom is hurt. Yet the doctors cannot find the bullets anywhere. The woman later gives birth to three healthy children — two girls a boy.

Shortly after the triplets turned 12, the first girl comes running up to her mother, saying, "Mommy, mommy, I passed a bullet today in the toilet!" So the mother brings the child up in her lap and proceeds to tell her about the bank robbery 12 years ago. Shortly after that, the other girl comes running up saying "Mommy, mommy, I passed a bullet today!" So again the mother pulls the child up to her lap and tells her of the incident 12 years ago.

Later the boy runs up to his mom and says, "Mommy, mommy, you'll never guessed what happened today!" "Did you pass a bullet as well?" she asks. "No," he answers. "I was masturbating and I shot the dog!"

Tasty Tuesday

A Pizza Delivery Boy's Dream
By Robert


As a pizza delivery boy, Jonathan had seen plenty. Women in underwear, children in diapers - nothing surprised him, except for Mark.

Mark was a single business man who often ordered pizza from the Papa John's where Jonathan worked. Mark was new to the area and didn't know many people. What made it even tougher was that Mark was gay.

Mark was a handsome man. He stood 5'11" tall and worked out every day. Adding his brown hair and blue eyes made him totally hot. Jonathan was also attractive. At 6'0" tall, Jonathan was a college senior with red hair and was on the school gymnastics team.

Mark could remember vividly the first time he had seen Jonathan. Jonathan was standing at his door with a pizza. Mark was speechless. He couldn't stop staring at Jonathan's great package and tight bubble ass. Mark wanted Jonathan bad.



Mark finally decided to make his move. He called the Papa John's where Jonathan worked, placed an order, and specifically asked for Jonathan to deliver the pizza. Mark next undressed and waited for the delivery.

The doorbell rang. Mark's 7" of manhood began to swell. He checked the peep hole to make sure it was Jonathan. It was. "Damn he is fine," thought Mark to himself. He slowly opened the door. Jonathan was stunned to say the least. Mark knew at that instant he had Jonathan right where he wanted him. Mark invited him in. As Jonathan stepped inside, Mark shut the door behind him. Jonathan stared at Mark's built, naked body as they made their way into the kitchen. Mark saw the growing bulge in Jonathan's pants and decided to continue.

Mark slowly moved toward Jonathan and took the pizza out of his hands. Mark put his hand on Jonathan's bulge and began massaging his large cock. Mark took Jonathan's hand and placed it on his own growing cock. Jonathan began stroking Mark's dick. Mark pulled off Jonathan's shirt and began licking his nipples. Mark worked his way down Jonathan's body, taking off his pants and giving Jonathan's 9" cock a few sucks. "Let's go to the bedroom," Mark said.

"I've never done this before," admitted Jonathan.




"No problem. I'll tell you what to do." Mark laid down on his back and hung his head over the edge of the bed. "Fuck my face." Jonathan shoved his cock in Mark's mouth, Mark swallowing the whole thing. Jonathan began fucking Mark's face. In and out, in and out, faster, faster, faster.

"Oh shit! I'm gonna cum," yelled Jonathan. Jonathan made one final shove down Mark's throat. He emptied his load down Mark's throat, Mark swallowing every drop of cum.



"My turn," said Mark. "Lay down on your back and spread your legs. I want to see your asshole." Jonathan did as he was told. Mark lubed up his index finger with spit and stuck it up Jonathan's asshole to loosen it up. "Man that shit's tight," thought Mark. Mark rubbed some spit on his dick and Jonathan's asshole and went to work. Mark slowly worked his large cock up Jonathan's ass, Jonathan moaning in pain. Soon Jonathan loosened up and Mark picked up the pace. "Oh yeah! Oh yeah!" yelled Mark. Jonathan was beginning to enjoy this and began stroking his own now hard cock. "I'm gonna cum! I'm gonna cum!" Mark gave one final thrust up Jonathan, emptying his huge nuts.

Website to list gay-marriage foes

KnowThyNeighbor.org, a website that contains a searchable database of the names of Massachusetts and Florida residents who have signed a petition for a constitutional amendment to outlaw gay marriage, KnowThyNeighbor.org

MILITARY MONDAY

The U.S. military is aware of a rash of anti-gay killings in Iraq during the past eight months and is taking steps to curtail sectarian violence against all Iraqis, including gays, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. led multinational forces in Iraq.

“If someone is in danger of being slaughtered or persecuted, we do all we can to stop it,” said Army Maj. Joseph Todd Breasseale, chief of the Media Relations Division of the Multinational Corps in Iraq.
At least three men suspected of being gay were gunned down March 20 in the Iraqi city of Ramadi. U.S. forces say they are concerned about the rising number of anti-gay killings in Iraq



The father of a Marine whose funeral was picketed by an anti-gay group is taking them to court.

Albert Synder is seeking unspecified damages against Westboro Baptist Church, who picketed the funeral, accusing its members of "intentional and outrageous" conduct during his son's funeral service.

Mathew Snyder, 20, was killed in Iraq in a non combat vehicle accident in Al Anbar Province.

Craig Trebilcock, representing Mr Synder called the actions of the Westboro church "disruptive and mean-spirited”. The church believes that disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, AIDS, September 11th and military deaths in Iraq are due to the US's tolerance of homosexuality.

Shirley Phelps-Roper, an attorney and church member, said that the church would counter sue "for conspiracy to violate civil rights and violation of civil rights."

"If they think that coming after us is going to fix this, they are sadly mistaken,” Ms Phelps-Roper said. “We are people exercising protected rights of speech and religion."

Westboro Baptist, which has about 75 members has been causing enough distress picketing funerals that it has been restricted from doing so in 22 States. Members of the church have led over 22,000 demonstrations since 1991 but have only recently started picketing funerals.

Seven people marched on public city property outside Snyder's funeral waving placards declaring such messages as "Thank God for dead soldiers."

They also wrote about the family on the church's website, claiming that the soldier's parents; “taught Matthew to defy his creator, to divorce, and to commit adultery. They taught him how to support the largest paedophile machine in the history of the entire world, the Roman Catholic monstrosity”.



Wesley K Mitten, 21, is the 3rd solider from the 82nd Airborne Division to be charged with appearing on a gay military-themed website called Active Duty.

Mitten pleaded guilty to cocaine use, sodomy and conduct detrimental to the army. The soldier is one of seven men who were initially charged with violating the Uniform Code of Military justice.

On January 27th 2006, Fort Bragg in the US State of North Carolina announced that some of the men appearing on the ‘gay-for-pay’ website were from their 82nd Airborne Division.

All the soldiers involved were from the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment.

The videos on the Web site, Active Duty usually involve one or a group of military men enjoying solo or mutual masturbation and scenes of penetrative sex.

The dialogue often involves a discussion of the mens’ ‘experimental’ gay encounters.

In court, Mitten claimed the Web site's producer, Dink Flamingo contacted him through the Internet in 2005 and offered him $2,000 (£1,059) to perform in a gay porn shoot.

Mitten admitted to making an additional film, posing for erotic pictures and appearing live before a camera for online broadcasts. He earned $6,000 (£3,179) in three months.

"I am sorry for disgracing my family name and my unit," said Mitten, according to the Fayetteville Observer.

Richard Ashley was the first soldier charged in this case. He was sentenced to 90 days in prison, later reduced to 75 days. Ashley was also demoted to private and given a bad conduct discharge and a two-thirds reduction in pay.

Kagen B Mullen was also charged for appearing on the Web site. As part of a plea deal, prosecutors dropped the original charges of sodomy, pandering and adultery. Married with a young daughter, Mullen enlisted in the Army in 2004 and planned to serve for five years.

The 82nd Airborne said that the four other soldiers, whose names were not released, received non judicial punishment for appearing on the Web site.

They were reduced in rank to private, forfeited half a month's pay for two months, performed extra work and were restricted to Fort Bragg for 45 days.



The U.S. armed forces discharged 742 gay service members last year, an average of about two per day, according to new data from the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.