What is Marine Corps boot camp really like? According to an email that a current recruit sent to a bunch of his friends, it's a lot of being called a "faggot" by your drill instructors. And, if you happen to be brown-skinned, a lot of being called "terrorist." Not to mention "beast mode" workouts.

Under "don't ask, don't tell," West Point cadets were forced to keep their sexuality a secret, or risk expulsion.

Unlike many militaries around the world — including, until recently, the Armed Forces of the United States — the Israeli Defense Forces have long been proud of their gay and lesbian service members.

Speaking with CNN's Brooke Baldwin on this morning's Starting Point, the Republican Virginia delegate who successfully rallied his party to oppose the appointment of gay Richmond prosecutor Tracy Thorne-Begland to General District Court judge said he didn't see the parallels between previous rights movements and the gay rights movement because "sodomy is not a civil right."

It's too bad the world is going to end next year, because sometimes it seems like it might actually be kind of okay: this is a video of Petty Officer 2nd Class Marissa Gaeta, chosen by raffle to receive the ritual first homecoming kiss, greeting her fiancée Citlalic Snell on the pier—the first same-sex homecoming kiss in Navy history. The couple met in boot camp and kept their relationship secret until the September repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell. "It's nice to be able to be myself," says Gaeta. [Virginian-Pilot]

Sgt. Matthew W. Simmons, an active duty member of the Marine Corps Band, may be breathing a bit easier today because a military court ruled that it was fine and dandy that he filmed some gay porn movies wearing pieces of his Marine uniform. Wow, "don't ask, don't tell" fell and now soldiers making gay porn is just hunky dory.

The gay soldier known as AreYouSurprised caused an internet sensation when he publicly came out to his father on YouTube last week to celebrate the end of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Now it's time to come out to his mother. It doesn't go as well.

Last night's tragicomic GOP debate crowd YouTube moment, aside from every time Rick Perry got the mic in the second half, involved a gay soldier asking about the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal and getting loud boos from a handful of cretins in the audience.

Republican presidential debate audiences, what with their cheering executions and telling the uninsured to just go and die already, sure are great, aren't they? At tonight's Fox News/Google debate in Florida, the crowd stuck with tradition by booing a gay soldier who'd asked about the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal. Come for the booing, stay for Rick Santorum equating being gay to "sex."

Two months after its repeal was certified by President Obama, today marked the official end of the nearly 18-year-old "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy precluding gays from serving openly in the military. On tonight's Daily Show, Jon Stewart celebrated the end of DADT by shaming it for existing in the first place: "That's how ridiculous this policy was... the apology for the affront is, 'All right, sorry, you can go to Afghanistan and fight for your country!'"

To celebrate the end of the military's ban against openly gay servicemembers, a gay soldier stationed in Germany decided to come out to his family and the world in the most public way possible: by recording a video and posting it on the internet. It's the sweetest thing we've seen in a long time.

Yes, homosexuals, you can openly serve in your nation's military starting tomorrow. There's even a letter on officially Army stationery and everything. That seems so fancy and...well, gay!

President Obama certified the Pentagon's official notice of readiness to end the ban on gays in the military today. Members of the armed forces can start shouting about their gayness from the highest Afghani hilltops on September 20.

The Pentagon says it will "immediately" comply with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling that the military must lift its ban on openly gay service members. President Obama repealed the policy last year, though the repeal wasn't immediate. [NJ]

The Navy is getting a special reward for shooting Osama Bin Laden: Gay marriage! Navy chaplains will be, officially, allowed to officiate same-sex marriages after Don't Ask Don't Tell ends this summer. The news came in a memo, which also covered the possibility of using base facilities for the events:

It seems as though Marine Corps Gen. James Amos (pictured, third from left), a onetime outspoken opponent of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell repeal, has had a change of heart. Where only recently he was testifying that letting gay soldiers serve openly would have a "strong potential for disruption at the small unit level," today he told the House Armed Services Committee that "the clear majority of [feedback] is very positive." Which means gay soldiers could serve openly as soon as this June. Ha! Suck on it, House Armed Services Committee.

"Scientists" say that recent mass bird deaths aren't out of the ordinary. "Respected prophet" Cindy Jacobs says repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell caused the bird deaths. Who do you believe? Before you answer, look at Cindy's outfit. [via]

Former vice presidential candidate and reality television star Sarah Palin has remained quiet over the recent repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell. But she may have just made a statement... by re-Tweeting a conservative lesbian's columnist's Tweet about 'homos.'

The National Review's Jonah Goldberg thinks recent advancements in the cause of gay rights are ironic, since serving in the military and getting married are normal, whereas gays are freaky and wear ballgags all the time. Joke's on you, gays!