Vitaliy Pakhnyushchyy
Go ahead. Ask, tell, and add a friend.
Now that Barack Obama has signed a new law repealing the U.S. military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, a new social network site called Out Military is promising to become the new Facebook for gay and lesbian soldiers.
(The site even looks like Facebook, with a strikingly similar blue banner and constant status updates from its members.)
Reuters reports the new website had only 53 members a little over a week after its launch, but its supporters anticipate the network is poised to take off once the military's new policy takes effect. In the meantime, those joining Out Military say they're not waiting and aren't afraid of possibly losing their jobs by outing themselves online.
"It gives people a social platform to communicate," Out Military member Kristin Orta told the news agency.
Another member, Vietnam veteran Bill Royal, who claims he was sexually abused during his time in the military, added: "I joined, more than anything, so that I could maybe help someone else."
The website's Bangor, Maine-based creator and designer John McKinnon told Reuters that while he's encouraging people to join, he doesn't recommend that they post revealing information before the repeal takes effect on an yet-to-be-determined date.
"[The site]might be just a little bit early, but it's not too early to join," he said.
That caveat might be a little late for those who've signed up using their full names.
But then, after nearly two decades of "don't ask, don't tell," can you blame them for being eager to spread the word?
Wency Leung