Gay Sailor Defends Capt. Honors

By Advocate.com Editors

At least one gay sailor has come forward to defend Capt. Owen Honors, who was second in command on the USS Enterprise when he produced several videos screened aboard the ship that some have found offensive and homophobic.

The sailor, identified by The Atlantic as Eric Prenger, sent a letter to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, an organization for gay and lesbian military personnel, after it voiced its outrage at the videos shown four years ago. Prenger wants the organization to retract its statements regarding Honors's videos, which caused him to be permanently removed from duty.

"As a gay man that served onboard the USS Enterprise during both the '06 and '07 deployments I was never once offended by Capt. Honors' choice of humor," he wrote. "I have begun to make contact with my fellow gay service members who were also on those deployments. We will band together to show our support for Capt. Honors."

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Navy Officer Removed From Post

By Advocate.com Editors

The Navy officer behind a series of videos featuring simulated sex and antigay slurs has been permanently removed from his post as commander of the USS Enterprise, according to ABC News.

ABC reported Tuesday morning that he had been temporarily relieved of duty pending an investigation. Tuesday afternoon two additional videos surfaced.

Admiral John C. Harvey Jr., commander of Fleet Forces Command in Norfolk, Va., said Honors's "profound lack of good judgment and professionalism while previously serving as executive officer on Enterprise calls into question his character and completely undermines his credibility to continue to serve effectively in command."

Honors will be replaced by Capt. Dee Mewbourne, who most recently commanded the carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The videos, produced by Honors and shown to the crew of the aircraft carrier in 2006 and 2007 while he was second in command, were first posted Saturday by The Virginian-Pilot.

The videos feature two female sailors standing in a shower stall aboard the aircraft carrier, pretending to wash each other. In other skits, the newspaper reported, "sailors parade in drag, use anti-gay slurs, and simulate masturbation and a rectal exam. Another scene implies that an officer is having sex in his stateroom with a donkey."

Glenn Close, who unwittingly appears in a cameo at the end of one video, issued a statement Tuesday saying she found the video "deeply offensive."

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Navy to Remove Antigay Vid Officer

By Advocate.com Editors

The Navy officer behind a series of videos featuring simulated sex and antigay slurs will be temporarily relieved of duty as early as Tuesday, Navy sources told NBC News on Monday.

Capt. Owen Honors (pictured) currently commands the USS Enterprise. He reportedly produced the videos, which were shown to the crew of the aircraft carrier in 2006 and 2007, while he was second in command.

Honors will reportedly be relieved of duty while the Navy investigates.

The Virginian-Pilot newspaper in Norfolk, Va., first published excerpts from the videos and descriptions of their content on Saturday. In one of the videos, the paper reported, two female sailors stand in a shower stall aboard the aircraft carrier, pretending to wash each other. In other skits, "sailors parade in drag, use anti-gay slurs, and simulate masturbation and a rectal exam. Another scene implies that an officer is having sex in his stateroom with a donkey."

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Navy Investigates Antigay Sex Vids

Capt. Owen Honors

By Advocate.com Editors

The Navy has launched an investigation into the production of a series of videos containing simulated sex and antigay slurs shown to servicemembers deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The videos were reportedly shown to the crew of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise in 2006 and 2007. A Navy spokesman called them “inappropriate.” 

The Virginian-Pilot newspaper in Norfolk, Virginia first published excerpts from the videos and descriptions of their content on Saturday.

According to Time Magazine, the man behind the videos is Capt. Owen Honors, who at the time was the executive officer, or second-in-command, of the Enterprise. Honors recently took command of the carrier, which is weeks away from deploying.

In one of the videos, two female Navy sailors stand in a shower stall aboard the aircraft carrier, pretending to wash each other. In other skits, "sailors parade in drag, use anti-gay slurs, and simulate masturbation and a rectal exam. Another scene implies that an officer is having sex in his stateroom with a donkey."

According to Time, Honors is likely to lose command of his carrier before it heads out from Norfolk.

Watch the video posted to the Virginian-Pilot's website and an interview with Pilot editor Meredith Kruse below.



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