...Homosexuality in the Military Leondre L. Torrance Instructor: Lisa Smoot Sociology 17 February 2012 Introduction Modern controversy over the rights of gay people to serve in the military aside, the reality is that homosexuality as existing within the military is as old as the history of armed forces. Clearly, it cannot be otherwise, as homosexuality itself is an orientation within humanity, and consequently as old as mankind's origins. What changes is sociological perspective, and nowhere is this factor more keenly evident than in how the overt presence of homosexuality is acknowledged by the military and accepted by the societal base. Different cultures of different epochs have viewed this subject in varying ways, depending, not unexpectedly, on the belief systems in place in those cultures. No matter its direct purpose or size, the military of any nation must still be a representation of that nation's values. Consequently, the perceptions of each regarding homosexuality translate to how acceptable, or unacceptable, it is within the armed forces. It is therefore all the more interesting that the United States, arguably the most liberal and democratic of modern nations, has so long reflected an ambiguity, if not outright hostility, regarding gays in the military rarely seen in ancient, and supposedly less enlightened, eras. The U.S. consistently prides itself on a commitment to individual liberties, and most emphatically since the turbulence of the...
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...Homosexuality in the Military John P. Wernegreen DeVry University Professor Foley Homosexuality in the Military The issue of homosexuality in the military has long been considered a taboo subject, not to be discussed openly, and essentially prohibited with the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy established in the 1990’s. However, attitudes have changed and evolved over the years making homosexuality in general less of a stigma and more of an acceptable lifestyle that some people live. After much deliberation and research, the Department of Defense (DOD) has established its own set of rules and regulations, thus continuing the controversy and discrimination of homosexuality within its ranks and the redefining of its regulations. Beginning in 1916, the United States military began issuing an administrative discharge called a blue discharge. This discharge, also known as a “blue ticket,” was neither honorable nor dishonorable, but it “became the discharge of choice for commanders seeking to remove homosexual service members from the ranks…” (Serving, para. 1). The policy for discharging service members found to be homosexual or engaging in homosexual acts prior to these “blue tickets” was to court-martial them for sodomy, imprison them and subsequently dishonorably discharge them. When the United States began to mobilize troops in World War II, though, it was no longer practical to hold court-martials due to time constraints and troop movements, so commanders began administratively...
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...Serving in the military is for many the most honored position they will hold in their lifetime. Many dedicate their entire lives to serving their country. For some soldiers however their dream of proudly serving their country was cut short because they are gay, lesbian or bisexual. America’s attitude towards acceptance of homosexuals has continued to grow over the past couple of decades, but full acceptance and equality is still far off. Nowhere are attitudes towards homosexuality more conservative than in the U.S. military, yet even here attitudes are slowly evolving towards acceptance and equality. Gays and lesbians were banned from serving in the military until 1992 when President Clinton signed into law “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, which allowed homosexuals to serve as long as they did not discuss their sexuality, and the military could not ask about it. The debate about whether homosexuals should be allowed in the military at all and of whether they should be allowed to be open about their sexual orientation while serving has been ongoing over the last thirty years. Sexuality has no bearing on one’s ability to be a good soldier or on the cohesion of a military unit. Gays and lesbians should be allowed to serve openly in the military, because the policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is harmful to both soldiers and the military. Human sexuality is complicated, yet we live in a society that tries to only see such issues in a black and white fashion. Homosexuals have been...
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...Military Leadership and the Integration of open Homosexuality Michael Hamby University of Phoenix Introduction to Research for College Writing COMM/112 Farid Dalili April 17, 2013 Military Leadership and Management in a time of Integration of Homosexuality There is no more a diverse workforce than that of our Military Services and probably no larger organization that has to deal with leading and managing a vast group of diverse personnel. Even though Military members follow orders and a younger generation is more tolerant of homosexuality, however; gays in the Military is prejudicial to good order and discipline and will negatively affect combat readiness. With the high operational tempo of today’s military, there is no time to adjust and acclimate to a new way of thinking. In the past, and in some ways still to this day, racial prejudice and sexual prejudice still exists. What is relatively new to the military is more and more gay men and women are coming out. This is extremely difficult in any military occupation, especially that of the Army and Marine Corps with units that work in close quarters and live for long lengths of time sharing his or her living and shower spaces together. In 1993 President Clinton enacted the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy. A very controversial, policy change allowing homosexuals to serve in the military as long as they never told anyone their sexual preference or got caught doing anything to be considered of ill prejudice...
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...Homosexuals in the Military Matthew Martin ENC1101 Mrs. Couch Keiser University April 19, 2012 Homosexuals in the Military Homosexuality within the military is a controversial subject. Sexual segregation in the military became relevant in the early 1940’s. Homosexuality is viewed differently among soldiers, veterans and the general public. As a soldier in The United States Army, I have encountered first-hand how this impacts both the military and workplace environment. Central to this issue is the question of whether or not homosexuality is detrimental to a soldier’s duty. George Washington, the nation's first Commander-in-Chief, held a strong opinion on this subject and gave a clear statement of his views on it in a court Marshall for a soldier who stood accused of sodomy. (Fitzpatrick, 1934) “At a General Court Martial Lieutenant Enslin [was] tried for attempting to commit sodomy with John Monhort, a fellow soldier. He was found guilty of the charges levied against him and was sentenced to be dismissed from the service. George Washington approved the sentence due to the abhorrence and detestation with which he viewed such infamous crimes.” (Fitzpatrick, 1934) The sexual orientation of military personnel was first recognized by The Military Code of Conduct in 1942. This stated that “homosexuals” were different than “normal” people or heterosexuals. This was revised in the military literature of army mobilization regulations 1943. (Cannistra, Downs, Rivero, 2010)...
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...Should Homosexuals be able To Marry? It is an undeniable fact there are many different views and beliefs that plays into our minds and hearts when it comes to homosexuality in America. The bible states a marriage union should be between one man and one woman. The traditional wedding is holy sacrament of a bride and groom at the altar confessing their love for one another. The new trend of homosexuality and society assuring it is their choice if they choose to be in a relationship with a person of the same sex. My personal opinion on homosexuality the individuals should not be allowed to unite into holy matrimony. The views of how society and the new generation are accepting it as normal and a new way of life for couples is not acceptable, The ultimate question, should a couple of the same sex should be united into holy matrimony is a very delicate topic in the homes of many, Americans in a religious and political view. The beginning of human sexuality and homosexuality in specific has confused individuals for many years. In this generation it is viewed as a normal part of life. Looking back from the old generation same-sex marriage has been looked at as unacceptable or a disgrace to a family. Although many years ago therapist studied homosexuality and determined that it is a mental disorder caused by misguided upbringing. (Hamer, Dean). The second study the therapist perform looked at a gay man‘s genetic information their DNA shows the X chromosome appeared to be the...
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...desired partners of their own sex, and some did not. In fact most men and women did not care if their lovers were male or female. The importance in finding a lover was to find a partner they could dominate, or to be the hierarchy of the relationship. The passive partner of the relationship was classified as lower status, what this meant was anyone who was penetrated. These lower classes of people were considered to be young boys, women and slaves. Although boys, women and slaves were considered a lower class of people, some men still seemed to be more interested in pursuing young boys, this was a common practice called pederasty. It was made possible for men to meet lovers in different types of all male social settings, such as the military where an older man was supposed to help train a younger boy to become a better soldier. The soldier would that the younger boy under his wing, and they would establish a bond between them. Another common setting for men to meet boys...
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...Georgetown Model United Nations Background Guide on LGBTQ Rights The Human Rights Council: The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system and a subsidiary body of the United Nations General Assembly. The Human Rights Council, which replaced the former United Nations Commission on Human Rights, was created by the General Assembly on March 15 2006 by resolution 60/251 and it has as its designated meeting place, the UN Office at Geneva (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights) It is made of up of 46 United Nations Member states which are elected by the UN General Assembly. The latter states are assigned with the responsibility of strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the world. They are elected by the majority of the members of the General Assembly of the United Nations through direct and secret ballot. The chosen members of the council serve for a period of three years and are not eligible for immediate re-election after serving two consecutive terms (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights) Membership to the Council is based on equitable geographical distribution. The seats are allocated as follows: 12345African States: 13 seats Asian States: 13 seats Latin American and Caribbean States: 8 seats Western European and other States: 7 seats Eastern European States: 6 seats The Council as a whole has its main purpose grounded in addressing human rights violations around...
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...Homosexuality From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article is about homosexuality in humans. For homosexuality in other animals, see Homosexual behavior in animals. Sexual orientation Male and female symbols overlaid Sexual orientations Asexual Bisexual Heterosexual Homosexual Non-binary categories Androphilia and gynephilia Non-heterosexual Pansexuality Polysexuality Queer Research Biological Human female sexuality Human male sexuality Demographics Environment Hetero/homosexual continuum Kinsey scale Klein Grid Neuroscientific Queer studies Sexology Timeline of sexual orientation and medicine Non-human animals Animal sexual behaviour Non-reproductive sexual behavior in animals Homosexual behavior in animals (list) Category Category v t e Part of a series on Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people LGBT flag Sexual orientation Homosexuality Demographics Biology Environment History LGBT history Timeline Social movements Culture LGBT community Coming out Pride Slang Symbols Gay village Rights Laws around the world Marriage Union Adoption LGBT parenting Military service Legal aspects of transgenderism Intersex human rights Social attitudes Heteronormativity LGBT stereotypes Queer Religion and homosexuality Religion and transgender Prejudice / Violence AIDS stigma Anti-intersex Biphobia Genderism Heterosexism Homophobia Lesbophobia Binarism Sexualism Suicide among LGBT youth Transphobia Violence against LGBT people LGBT trafficking ...
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...you? Well if you are in one of the United States Military branches, it is almost guaranteed to have come up and it has caused enough of an issue, commotion and publicity that the President of the United States had to step in and put into place a policy for what is the beginning of a giant human rights and equality motion in history. Even in this new century, who you choose to have sex with or love, still appears to be an issue for many people. Some even know that this person may one day save your life and have your back and it’s still an issue for some. The struggles of discrimination and inequality were all too frequent in the lives of homosexuals who were serving or trying to serve in the United States Military started to catch attention with the media and caught the attention by many who had voices to make a difference for equality. During the civil rights movement in the 1960’s, homosexuality wasn’t a right that was openly fought for. Albeit that today, most people view the right to love whom they choose as a civil, and human right. Many people believe that a relationship should be between a man and a woman and therefore the rights of the homosexual community were not fought over in any of the early civil rights movements. Some of these biased thoughts are said to have stemmed from the impact of the churches and Christianity, where Christians took verses or stories from the Bible and related them to homosexuality. Even dating back to 1950, when the country was recovering...
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...The writer addresses the concept of family values and focuses on the controversial thesis that homosexuality _ rather than being a threat to family values _ is actually protects their dissolution. I respectfully disagree with the writer and the whole concept of homosexuality and its relation to family values. I believe that being a homosexual has no relation to how they interact with their families or the other way around for that matter. It may make them question their own family values but, I don’t believe it will change it. What is the definition of “FAMILY” and “FAMILY VALUES”? Let’s go back in time and explore the begging of the human race to better understand ‘’WHAT IS FAMILY”? ADAM, EVE their sons and daughters were the begging of the human race on earth and that was the consensus of all holy religions. However, if ADAM and EVE had sons only or daughters only? The human race could never have evolved and, God’s idea of human race would have been pointless. Family is a group consisting of a father, mother and their children. This defines the natural order of the human race genetic system. Can homosexuals start a family? Despite of the fact that they can’t have normal sexual intercourse, the low grants them the eligibility of adoption. I personally believe that that could lead the human race to an unknown direction. The phrase “family values” have many meanings. Religious teachings taught to us by the holy books, a traditions we inherited from our great grandparents...
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...timeline (Appendix B) for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) community in the United States Military between and the policies behind setbacks to the retention and entry of otherwise qualified personnel. Explanations of gender identity disorder and gender dysphoria disorder, defined as mental disorders by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) (American Psychiatric Association [APA], DSM-1, 1942; DSM-4, 2000; DSM-5, 2013). This textbook published and periodically updated by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), directly affects the guidelines for determining qualification of personnel into military service. Factual information is the only justification used for the policies put forth by the Department of Defense (DOD), Secretary of Defense (SECDEF), the Supreme Court of the United States, the office of the President of the United States and all categories of official office or position...
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...The Globalization Effect The waking of the “Giant” during World War II, gave way to the palpable strength of an American society that was felt throughout the new, post-war world. The democratic mission of America was brought forth and the words carved into the Statue of liberty “Give me your tired, your poor, your Huddled masses yearning to breathe free..” or the “American dream” showed once again to be the mission of the American/Western society. Post-war America, a more industrialized nation by then, started the globalization movement of a renewed capitalist society. After the war, America had a foothold in each corner of the world; this was the first time in history that the whole world could be impacted by the ideas of one nation and its allies. With the increase in globalization; new, postmodern issues presented themselves to western civilizations; issues which were not encountered since the Romanization period of Europe. The new, postmodern world was a macro view of an older, more micro world which was dependent on “states” being independent of the world around them. The more liberal views and tolerance towards religious freedom and the American integration of the world and same sex marriages was proven to be the catalyst for a new more expansive world in the 20th and 21st century. Integration of cultures is not unfamiliar. American and Western societies were based on an older practical model that had been used since Sumerians, one...
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...Quezon City Polytechnic University Batasan Satellite Campus Batasan Hills, Quezon City Research Paper in Symbolic Logic HOMOSEXUALITIES Submitted by Joann E. Buenavente Submitted to Prof. Fabian Avila I. Introduction Homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As an orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectionate, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same sex; "it also refers to an individual's sense of personal and social identity based on those attractions, behaviors expressing them, and membership in a community of others who share them." Homosexuality is one of the three main categories of sexual orientation, along with bisexuality and heterosexuality, within the heterosexual-homosexual continuum (with asexuality sometimes considered a fourth). Scientific and medical understanding is that sexual orientation is not a choice, but rather a complex interplay of biological and environmental factors,[1][3] especially with regard to early uterine environment. While there are those who still hold the view that homosexual activity is "unnatural" or "dysfunctional", research has shown that homosexuality is an example of natural variation in human sexuality and is not in and of itself a source of negative psychological effects. Prejudice and discrimination against homosexual and bisexual people...
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...treatment. Ironically, those who serve their country are a victim of the most unjust and unequal treatment; most notably the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy, (DADT) which was passed to subjugate gay service members. This policy has a long and unclear history but one thing is clear: it has robbed proud homosexual service members of their honor. Its origin, effects, repeal, and the effects of its repeal have illustrated this truth. In March 1778 in Valley Forge, PA the first homosexual case in the military came when a male officer in the Army was dishonorably discharged for having sex with a fellow soldier. This was a violation of the Articles of War, a “precursor to the Uniform Code of Military Justice”. During World War II, proactive investigations proceeded to seek out homosexuals in the military; not too long after in 1957, Navy Captain and chairman of the United States Navy Board of Inquiry S.H. Crittenden released a report with evidence to suggest homosexuality did not pose a risk to military readiness. In 1981 Department of Defense (DOD) Directive 1332.14 clearly outlined that any “homosexual status is grounds for discharge” (Breza, 2007), regardless what the Crittenden report found. Then in 1993, President William J. Clinton passed a law that...
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