...Homosexuals in the Military Homosexuals have been excluded from our society since our country's beginning, giving them no equal protection underneath the large branch of the law. The Emancipation Proclamation gave freedom to blacks from slavery in the 1800's and women were given the freedoms reserved for males in the early 1900's with the women's suffrage movement. But everyone still knows the underlying feeling of nation in dealing with minorities and women, one of contempt and utter disgust. Hate crimes are still perpetrated to this day in this country, and most are unpublicized and "swept underneath the rug." The general public is just now dealing with the struggle of Homosexuals to gain rights in America, although this persecution is subtle, quiet and rarely ever seen to the naked eye or the general public. The big question today in Homosexuals rights struggles are dealing with the right to be a part of our country's Military Forces. At the forefront of the struggle to gain access to the military has been Females who have tried to gain access to "All Men" facilities and have been pressured out by other cadets. This small group of women have fought hard, and pressured the Government to change regulations dealing with the inclusion of all people, whether female or male, and giving them all the same opportunities they deserve. The Homosexual struggle with our Nation's Armed Forces has been acquiring damage and swift blows for over 60 years now, and now they too are...
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...sweeping through the place and. questioning [the women] about their sexual lives and whether they were gay.” Captain Cassidy was one of many gay government employees who lost their livelihoods and dignity due to the drastic rise in American extremism and the anti-communist witch hunts of the Cold War. The visibility of the queer community rose alongside the American norms developed amid the paranoia of Cold War presidential...
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...Controversy in the Military For the longest time homosexuals have had to deal with discrimination everywhere, including the military. When Bill Clinton ran for president, he gave a promise to the gays he would allow them to fight, but changed his stance when elected and did not follow through on his promise. Instead Clinton issued the policy Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell that still hindered the homosexual’s chance of getting into the military. Finally, now after years of discrimination, a Representative of the House wrote a bill that will allow homosexuals the right to join and fight in the armed forces. The H.R. 1283 Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2009 states homosexuals can join the military and should pass for the benefit of all those who serve the armed forces. Official discrimination against homosexuals began during World War II. Before World War II, it was only African Americans who had a hard time joining the military, but then the military started becoming stricter on who can join and who cannot. The military started making people take a psychological test, where anyone who wanted to join the military had to get tested by a psychiatrist (Katel). If people claimed they were gay, they could not join the armed forces. Discrimination continued in every war America has fought until Bill Clinton came along. When Clinton ran for president, he guaranteed to lift the ban that the military established on not allowing homosexuals the right to fight. To get around his campaign promise...
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...The 1960's was a time of civil rights, social, and feminist movements (women rights) contributing to the changing attitudes surrounding homosexuality which furthered the debates started in the 1950's. This transformational ferment according to Warner, spawned a counterculture which was a more accepting social environment for homosexual individuals ( 2002, P.44). Although the younger generations were involved in shifting the social climate of Canada the government that was in power at that time felt it necessary to act against homosexuals. The hysteria which amounted against the gay and lesbian community during the 50's and the early 60's was due to in large part because of the cold war. The cold war was a conflict between two superpower states...
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...individual freedom, repression was a power of the Church or Government against sexual elements in the American society. We entered the 20th century with women being more independent and educated. Women also gained access to sports, which made a way of socializing and seeking for a more fun lifestyle. No one would even think back then that the beginning of the century, such as early 20s, was the first biggest sexual expression that has set the pace for its further development, and that pace was pretty fast. As the century started, American men came back home from the WWI. During the war, the Government was aware that soldiers had sex yet had no repression against it. Despite the warnings about venereal deceases, unprotected sex for soldiers resulted in millions of lost lives because there was no medical cure. Sex during the war mostly happen with prostitutes from Europe, and those men who survived the war, came back home with new knowledge about sex. This knowledge together with other changes in American history, launched the early 20s known as “roaring 20s”. Prior to 1920s, American cities began overcrowding with new immigrants coming from Europe to seek for the new opportunities. Women were able to find jobs, and at the end of the day everyone wanted to socialize by going out on dates or movies. Film, a fascination of the technological revolution, became an essential element in the development of sexuality. By seeing romance and kissing in the...
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...banned from serving openly. They were not allowed to participate in any type of homosexual activities. This is a direct violation of these individuals’ constitutional rights but it didn’t stop the military. Homosexuals have been around and in the military for as long as the military exists they have served in some of the biggest wars. However they were at war within themselves. Young men and women were living a lie they cannot openly be who they really are and if they were even suspected of having homosexual activities they will be penalized whether it was by their peers or by the chain of command and later separated from the military. Homosexuals did exist but it was so unheard of it was almost like they weren’t there. They lived amongst their fellow comrades ‘in silence feeling trapped not being able to be free. Feeling discriminated against feeling like they are less of a sailor or soldier. Under “The don’t Ask Don’t Tell”(DADT) policy the military was not allowed to ask a recruit about their sexuality, however if there was suspicion of homosexuality they were allowed to investigate. This too was a form of discrimination against theses service members. In 2011 the ban was lifted and it is now legal for gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military. This means that they can openly disclose their sexual orientation with no fear of repercussion and they can now engage in homosexual acts. They are now allow to get legally married but will not be able to reap...
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...Hemingway uses The Sun Also Rises to loosely write about his experiences after the war. The main character, Jake Barnes, goes through many hard times after returning from World War I. He’s injured so he cannot fornicate, which greatly troubles him. This injury did not happen to Hemingway, but could possibly be parallel to an issue that he had after the war. Because of this injury, Jake cannot be with the woman he loves, Brett Ashley, because it would not be fair to her. Also, Jake has to deal with his insecure friend, Robert Cohn, who is having troubles with his marriage and writing his second novel. “Jake’s attitude toward homosexuals—the way he degrades them and casts them as his rivals,” can explain how his injury has greatly affected his life. When Jake goes to the bal musette he encounters what he perceives to be many homosexual men. He was lead to believe they were homosexuals by the way they dressed and how they kept their hair. He also saw that their casual attire was very feminine, which bothered him more than the plain fact that they were gay. Jake doesn’t understand why a man would cross-gender himself and portray a woman, and it makes him think about his current conditions. “Jake’s inability to perform sexually corresponds to the homosexual’s inability to perform the correct gender.” Brett Ashley, the woman he is in love with, spends a great deal of time with homosexual men. Jake probably feels that even though he is straight, Brett probably thinks of him as one...
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...commonness of homosexual propensity have been witnessed in almost all cultures, in all regions, throughout history. Homosexual customs have been used as sexual liberations, rites of passage, and long-term relationships. The social acceptance of the behavior and the lifestyle as ranged from accepted to criminalized. Finding your voice in accepting your own homosexual identity is most difficult in repressive societies and admitting it to friends and family can be harder than admitting it to one’s self. Society will always have an influence on the behavior; the foundations of that society will also have an affect. Homosexual behavior adapts to each of societies that it was relegated to. Current homosexuals in western society are not excluded from this fact; current culture has, however, offered a unique perspective in rights and choices. From the establishment of “holy doctrines and dogmatic rule” of the Torah, Bible, and Quran, homosexual practices have been deemed unnatural and immoral. This admonition has been focused most upon male-male relations (Rathus, Nevid, Fichner-Rathus, 2005). Causes for this were not defined in the text; however, regional conversion to Christianity has used immorality to change the power structure in municipalities. Another well-used tradition within the power structures of Islam and Christianity is war. Each of these religious movements has shown the tendencies to expand their influence through conquest and expansion. The necessity of war is men,...
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...day, but “because of confusion and difficulty in tracking down individuals, early estimates put the toll at more than 6,000” (Greenberg). There is a saying that all American say whenever we commemorate this horrible day, "We will never forget." And of course it is near to impossible to forget about the death of a loved one or death in such a large amount.. "We will NEVER forget." This quote shows how ignorant and neglectful people are. World War II, the Holocaust. Adolf Hitler wanted to perfect the human race, and he was willing to annihilate everyone who got in his way of doing so. Over 11 Million people were brutally murdered by Hitler and his Nazis. When people commemorate this tragic event in the world's history, they never forget the Jews that were killed. But in reality the number of Jews killed was 6 million. People always overlook the 5 million others who were also targeted by Hitler. The other 5 Million victims were people who came from different backgrounds, cultures, and had different beliefs. Hitler went after Homosexuals, Black and Mulatto people, Jehovah's Witnesses, Christians and Christian Officials, Gypsies, Poles, physically and mentally disabled people, and many more. When Hitler became the chancellor of Germany, his main goal was to preserve the pure Aryan race, people of blonde hair and blue eyes. Aryans were believed to be tall, handsome or beautiful, and have the perfect skin colon. Hitler believed...
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...The counter cultural movement began in 1960s in the wake of Vietnam war. The young people were frustrated due to racism, gender issues, consumerism, and the conservative nature of society in general. They were looking for a change and found it in the emerging counter cultural movements of 1960s. The youngsters began to question the traditional values and culture of the Orthodox American society. They welcomed sex, drugs and pop music. The counter culture movement reached its heights in 1969, when the young people attended the Woodstock Music and Art Festival at Newyork. The festival became a symbol of anti-war movement. The festival was a mixture of hippie, pop and drug culture. One of the notable feature of the counter culture movement was the sexual freedom and rise of feminism. There was a steep rise in abortions, orphans and divorce. Political activism on the part of women resulted in the formation of National organization for Women (NOW). Other than women, homosexuals were also raised their voice for equality which was later included the Civil Rights issue. Stone Wall Inn riots in 1969 and the establishment of Gay Liberation Front were important steps in their struggle for civil rights. The counter cultural sentiments were also expressed in movies and arts. The movement did not limit in North America alone, but spread to Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand. An international rock and roll group from Britain known as the Beatles was widely popular. The counter culture...
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...American people because it only affected homosexuals working in...
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...Flag Wars (2003) is a documentary film directed by Linda Goode Bryant and Laura Poitras that catalogues a four-year period of gentrification within a small area of Columbus, Ohio and the effects it has on the community. There is a lot to be interpreted within the film itself, it deals with issues of oppression from the state and community, homosexuality, hate crimes, racial tension, discrimination, intersectionality, and self-expression, but I do believe that the main focus of the film is the inevitability of gentrification and its effects on not only the residents who were there before, but also the residents moving in and involuntarily forcing the original residents out. The film juggles the idea of intersectionality by highlighting not...
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...PHI 200 Mind and Machine Gay Marriages Constance Dolecki February 27, 2012 In today’s society, homosexual marriages are seen as right to some and wrong to others. Nearly seventy percent of people in the United States are against homosexual marriages. There is lots of stereotyping about gay relationship. Homosexuals should be able to marry as long as they are not trying to force what they choose on others who do not feel the same way. Homosexual marriage is one of the most constitutional issues facing America today. It is an issue that most directly challenges our commitment to genuine legal equality. Although people disagree about the specifics, there is a broad agreement within the American legal and academic communities that all persons shall have the same legal rights regardless of their race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, or religion. But, when the subject turns to gays and lesbians, many people grow more confused and hesitant (Same-Sex Marriage and the Constitution, pg. 3). Gay and lesbian couples have been challenging their exclusion from marriage laws since 1971. However, it is only since the early 1990s that gay marriage has emerged as an issue of national political interest. In 1993, the Hawaii Supreme Court launched an important and ongoing international debate when it ruled that it was impermissible gender discrimination under the state constitution to deny three lesbian and gay couples the right to obtain a marriage license. This decision stated...
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...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 discharging service members in their place. “Several waves of reform addressing the issue of homosexuals in the military resulted, in 1944, in a policy directive that homosexuals were to be committed to military hospitals, examined by psychiatrists and discharged under Regulation 615-360, section 8” (Berube, 1990). These Section 8, or Section VIII, discharges come from the World...
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...The military had an official ban on sodomy since the Revolutionary War under the Articles of War Article 18 section 5 (Second Continental Congress, 1775). In 1920, modification of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) Article 93 (Secretary of Defense [SECDEF], 1920) included all forms of sodomy. There was no ban on homosexuals in the military until 1942. DOD Separations Policy (SECDEF, 1942) banned all homosexuals in the military from continued service and immediately processed them out of service in order to maintain good order and discipline. This policy took effect concurrent to the update of the DSM-1 (APA, 1942), which classified reoccurring thoughts of and any acts of homosexuality and homosexual tendencies as Gender Identity Disorder. The military references publications of the APA and other psychiatric institutions when updating the policies outlining whom is fit for service in the...
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