That’s what a new unclassified study of Pashtun men reveals. Just don’t call them gay.Īn unclassified study from a military research unit in southern Afghanistan details how homosexual behavior is unusually common among men in the large ethnic group known as Pashtuns - though they seem to be in complete denial about it. For these Afghan soldiers, however, having sex regularly with other men is no big deal. You need only watch the CNN clip below, where three gay American troops speak of the need to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, to understand the difficulties of being gay in the U.S. Which can get in the way of, say, preventing STDs. But Afghanistan’s “gay” soldiers have a different battle: Despite regularly having sex with other men and shunning women, many of these male soldiers refuse to identify as gay.
America’s gay soldiers have a unique struggle on their hands: Whether to hide or be open about their sexuality, and invite the risks and rewards that come along with that decision.
