What is it about a uniform that elicits such interest? I’m not talking about your building security guard in his wrinkled grays or the crossing guard at the corner with Bono shades and white gloves. I’m talking about those high military starched collars and the rigorous training and discipline (and rocking bod) that comes with.

A recent report in Shanghai Daily highlighted a kerfuffle at the Civil Aviation Flight University of China where two male students in uniform were photographed kissing. The university stated the “students involved were not gay and were just doing kuso, or the Internet culture of parody.” According to the article, the students involved in the incident were told “to take a break to adjust themselves because they were emotionally affected by the wide online dispute.” The pictures sparked a tremendous amount of public interest with arguments ranging from subdued (“As soon as you take on the uniform, you are acting on behalf of a group”) to supportive. A blog post highlighting the break the students were ordered to take was shared more than 5,000 times, with most criticizing the university.

Recently, in America, similar drama has stirred over the termination of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. The fight has been raging since President Clinton was in office and has provided innumberable politicians on both sides with charged talking points. At the moment it seems the matter is settled and that the U.S. is going forward with gays out and proud in the service. A recent New York Times article even profiled a Marine recruitment booth at a Tulsa Oklahoma LGBT center. However, if you watch a GOP presidential nomination debate, you can’t help but notice that people are still using the topic as an opportunity to rattle sabers playing on peoples’ prejudice.

The fact is that many countries have militaries with no consideration of sexuality as a prerequisite for service. The big issue here is not whether the students involved are gay. Either way they got a lot more attention than they probably bargained for, and for better or worse, learned a lesson about how much trouble the internet can stir up. The bigger issue in my mind is why the military profession is determined by who you kiss. While integration and equality are improving, we still have look out for our brothers and sisters in arms. Our concern should be how well they protect us, not whom they go home with at the end of the night.

Where do you stand on Don't Ask, Don't Tell? Leave your thoughts and opinions here.