And maybe it comes down to the definition of "quarters"
Normally, and unlike the army and airforce, Marines live in squadbays in barracks. It might help to understand the kind of "exposure" marines are subjected to in their living accommodations: The showers are open, any number of men are together and nude in the showers. The stools in the head are not enclosed in stalls but are lined up along a wall, the same with urinals; no side boards for privacy.
On a troop ship "stools" or "commodes" don't exist; men sit on rails or heavy pipes which are situated over a long open trough or basin in which sea water flows in and under and out to dump into the ocean. This trough is exposed on all sides, meaning all sides of the users are exposed; their butts are totally exposed to the view of their fellows. They live in open barracks rather than in compartments so that they generally walk around in their "skivies."
Marines are probably just as tolerant of homosexuals as anyone else, but under the circumstances in which they live they may be less willing to be reminded that someone in proximity may view them with a sexual interest.
I knew there were some guys in my Marine Corps unit who might lean that way, and didn't give them any thought at all, but the operational word here is "openly." which corresponds with a "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
I was raised and in jr. and sr. highschool in the 50's. Nothing was made of "gayness" in those days, but in more recent years, it is common in highschool, or junior high for these kids to hurl an epithet like "faggot" at someone as a way of turning them into a monster. I wonder why so much has changed between then and now?
It may be that our American males of youthful age are not so well accepting, and adjusted as compared to Europeans, and the USMC's recruits are overwhelmingly 18-19 years of age, just out of high-school.
Unit cohesiveness, as the general mentioned and as he sees it requires the kinds of living condition/accommodations I described above. That is a big part of why it's done that way; privacy is not natural in those conditons, nor is it desireable. Even junior NCO's live in the same squadbay as do all privates and PFCs. Early on, in boot camp, the recruits were not given a choice about selecting a moment when the showers were more to the recruits liking pertaining to privacy. Sixty guys were forced to strip down que-up.
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