This is an article from a gay Norwegian web site.

It deals with a young man who decided to come out to his fellow soldiers. I felt so happy after having read it, that I thought I would share it with you all.

Copyright belongs to gaysir.no, I've only translated.

http://www.gaysir.no/artikkel.cfm?CID=12715

The King's gay man

written by: Einar Lie Slangsvold

Jonas Borge saw no alternative other than telling the other Royal Guards that he was gay. The
reception he got could not have been better.

-During the first month I spent at the Royal Guard Academy at Terningmoen I tried making up
a story of a fictional girlfriend, but I quickly realized that it wouldn't work, Jonas
tells.

-It was hard, trying to hide a part of myself.

It did not take long until he decided to have a talk with his lieutenant.

-I grabbed the lieutenant right before he was about to walk off the shooting course, and
scheduled a meeting with him later that day, the boy from Halden explains.

Jonas Borge has just finished his first military service
Photo: Einar Lie Slangsvold

Only positive reactions

The lieutenant told him that he would in no way be considered a worse soldier due to his sexual
orientation, but still recommened that Jonas go see the military priest at the academy.

-She told me of the possible challenges one might have to face as a gay in the military, but she
was thrilled about the fact that I wanted to come out, he tells.

Jonas and the lieutenant agreed that they would adress the issue in the troop assembly the next
day.

The assembly started with the lieutenant giving info on what would occur during the next few
weeks of service. Then he let Jonas speak, so he could tell his fellow soldiers himself.

-I was incredibly nervous, but I told them that if anyone of them had a problem with my
sexuality, that they could tell me about it, so that we would be able to keep our distance from
each other, Jonas says.

After Jonas had made his speech, the lieutenant again adressed the group, and clearly stated that bullying in any form, was in no way accepted within the troop. No one in Jonas' troop reacted
negatively, and he would definately encourage other gays in the military to come out.

-Even though I got a good reception, someone else might get an entirely different one, he says, and adds that this is something that everyone has to think through on their own.

-But it's tiring being in the closet. You always have to be on guard. When people knew that I was gay, I felt I could relax more, Jonas tells.

-Matter of course

Jonas thinks it should be a matter of course that today's young soldiers do not carry predjudices or react negatively to fellow soldiers who happen to be gay.

-It's much more common today, to be openly homosexual then it was just a few years ago, so this shouldn't be a problem for young people today, says the 22-year-old, who finished his first military service just before New Year's.

Jonas feels he has gotten a good reception in the Norwegian Military. Here he is out on a drill.
Photo: Øystein Kløvstad Langberd/Soldatnytt.

From what Jonas can tell, 'homo' is a rarely used cuss word in the military.

-Some commanding officer could say that we did push-ups like a girl, or that our loading grip
was gay, but I managed to raise above such things.

The officer who had used such words, later apologized to Jonas, and said that sadly, he had been trained in a time when there were hardly any girls or gays in the military.

-It also happened that I played on gay predjudices, such as femininity and stupidity, he says.

The Guard's ball

Royal Guard Borge also attended the tradition-filled Royal Guard's Ball with a boy as his date.

-Yeah, I was under such peer-pressure from the troop that I just about had to, Jonas says and laughs.

He also wanted to end his year in the King's uniform with a bang.

Jonas admits that he was a bit nervous when he introduced his date to the Ball General and Chief of the Royal Guard, but the two of them told him very clearly that if any hints of bullying ocurred, that all doubt would go in his favor.

-In that way, maybe my date and I were put a bit more on the agenda than we wanted, but thankfully, it didn't affect the mood.

During the evening several other Guards wanted to talk to Jonas and introduced their dates to him.

-As the evening went on, and people started getting drunk I kept getting a lot of praise for having brought a boy as my date.

Jonas is left with happy memories and good experiences after a year in the King's uniform.
Photo: Einar Lie Slangsvold.

Self Development

After a year in the Royal Guard, Jonas is left with many good experiences and memories, and he thinks that the environment isn't as masculine as people make it out to be.

-You don't become Arnold Schwarzenegger by joining the Norwegian Military, he explains.

Jonas Borge feared it could be a year of hell, but afterwards he is sure that he has grown both physically and psychically from his year as a Royal Guard.

-The military is open for everyone, and maybe they should market this better, he says. He adds that he has never met gays who have steared clear of the military due to fear of discrimination.

-You get the world's smallest closet wardrobe! That might be a challenge, Jonas concludes, with a sparkle in his eye.

(extra information: In Norway, a lot of boys do their first military service when about 18-years-old, which lasts for a year. It is isn't quite mandatory these days, so a lot of boys skip it. As of last year, girls are also called in for the physical tests you take before they decide where to place you, but for girls it is very optional whether you wish to go into the military or not.)

so, if you live in a country where the military isn't quite this open-minded, just know that things are moving forward in the world. slowly but surely.