A 20-year-old Marine reservist who failed to report for duty with his unit revealed in his application for a conscientious objector discharge that he is gay - providing another way out if the military rejects his argument that killing is immoral. Lance Cpl. Stephen Funk turned himself in Tuesday to the Marines after being absent without leave since mid-February, when his support battalion was sent to Camp Pendleton. The Marines have assigned him to desk duty in San Jose while his case proceeds. Funk wrote in his 10-page discharge application that he's opposed to war and violence in all forms and that being gay has played a role in his moral development. "I believe that as a gay man, someone who is misunderstood by much of the general population, I have a great deal of experience with hatred and oppression," Funk wrote. "I was appalled by the amount of hatred I found in the military," he continued. "The military cultivates anti-gay sentiment among its enlisted but I also believe it perpetuates feelings of hatred against all that are different either culturally, ethnically or otherwise," in order to dehumanize potential enemies. Funk, whose father served in Vietnam, grew up in Washington state and enlisted when he was 19 and living on his own for the first time. He said he grew uncomfortable with the military when he was made to shout "Kill! Kill! Kill!" during a basic training exercise. Since his training, he said he's gone to every major anti-war rally in the San Francisco Bay area. Funk's lawyer, Stephen Collier, acknowledged that if the Marine Corps refuses to grant him conscientious objector status, Funk will likely be discharged for violating the "don't ask, don't tell" policy by declaring his homosexuality in the application. The policy allows gays and lesbians to serve as long as they keep quiet about their sexual orientation. "He's not in the closet, so we're not hiding it," Collier said. "There's a regulation that requires them to be truthful and complete in their application, and there's a regulation that requires him not to tell he's gay, and says 'if you do, you'll be discharged,' so there's a conflict there." Northwestern University sociology professor and military expert Charles Moskos, who helped write the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, said Funk's revelation may undermine his application. "As a legitimate conscientious objector he should try to defend his argument on moral and ethical grounds," he said. "Why do the double track?" The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which has tracked such discharges, believes the military eases its restrictions against homosexuals during wartime. In 2001, more than 1,200 service members were kicked out for being gay, but in 2002, after troops were deployed to Afghanistan, that number decreased to 906, according to spokesman Steve Ross. Conscientious objector applications, meanwhile, tend to increase during wartime. There were 111 granted during the 1991 Gulf War. Only 28 were granted last year, military officials said. It's unclear how many such applications have been filed since the Iraq war began, but non-profit groups that counsel people in the military about the process say they've handled more inquiries. The Marines say they'll treat Funk's case fairly. "The Marine Corps understands there are service members opposed to the war," Capt. Patrick O'Rourke, the unit spokesman, said after Funk turned himself in. O'Rourke did not immediately return a phone call Wednesday seeking comment about Funk's announcing he's gay.
heraldtribune.com
Serving the Herald-Tribune newspaper and SNN Channel 6 © Sarasota Herald-Tribune. All rights reserved.
