Letter: Military gays less threat to morale than military police

Sir: If the armed forces are so desperately concerned to protect themselves from rearguard assault by national hordes of the screaming faggotry, why does Michael Portillo, the Secretary of State for Defence, not do the sensible thing and raise a homosexual regiment.

The Queen's Gays (as it were) would have the advantage of fulfiling the hoariest stereotypes of British heterosexual nightmare.

One thing is certain. For courage, efficiency and devotion to duty, such a body of men would be unrivalled. It seems a little odd that an institution so obsessed with history as the British Army cannot acknowledge this simple truth, reflected for over 2,000 years, from the comrades of the Theban Legion to all those daredevil pansies who fought and died for their country in two World Wars. What are the chaps afraid of? Or shouldn't we ask?

Jonathan Keates

London SW4