A gay soldier’s story of Vietnam and after - Dallas Voice

Contents:

• MILARY DRAFT POSSIBILY WEIGHED HEAVILY ON GAY MEN THE ‘80S
• HOW EXCLN FROM THE MILARY STRENGTHENED GAY INTY AMERI
• A GAY SOLDIER’S STORY OF VIETNAM AND AFTER
• TELL: AN INTIMATE HISTORY OF GAY MEN THE MILARY

MILARY DRAFT POSSIBILY WEIGHED HEAVILY ON GAY MEN THE ‘80S

Although McIvery, a member of the Gay Liberatn Front, had checked the “homosexual tennci” box on his pre-ductn medil form and stated verbally that he was gay, he was nohels classified as 1-A (available for ary service).

At the same time, some men who did not otherwise nsir themselv to be gay succsfully exploed the homosexualy exemptn an attempt to avoid service, often by tentnally adoptg stereotypil mannerisms that they believed would persua doctors. In the way that men ed doctors’ not to claim medil exemptns for such as bone spurs or a childhood history of asthma, men seekg homosexualy exemptns often provid letters om psychiatrists. At the time of McIvery’s se, the Diagnostic and Statistil Manual-II still listed homosexualy as a mental disorr, although would soon be removed after a ntroversial battle at the Amerin Psychiatric Associatn.

Although many gay rights anizatns argued that the excln of homosexuals om the armed forc was unnstutnal and discrimatory, several of the same groups also offered advice to gay men who wanted to be disqualified om ary service.

HOW EXCLN FROM THE MILARY STRENGTHENED GAY INTY AMERI

4 As Jt David Suran has shown, members of newer, more radil anizatns such as the Gay Liberatn Front saw antiwar ristance and draft ristance as much as part of their polil platform as more tradnal gay rights issu. “Not only do ary regulatns prohib homosexualy while the armed forc, prohibs anyone who knows they are gay om enterg the first place, ” Killger wrote.

Wh the fear of another draft on the horizon, many gay men believed that if they were drafted they uld merely proclaim their homosexualy and not be forced to serve bee they were “medilly exempt. “Announcg that one is eligible for the ary bee of homosexualy means takg the risk that permanent ary rerds are not ed agast one later, eher for the job and reer discrimatn we are routely subjected to, or else the ntext of some far worse anti-gay crackdown. In fact, so many men had sought a medil exemptn due to homosexualy the 1960s that was taken off of the Medil History Form, and there were no strict guil place that would make one eligible for the medil exemptn.

Although McIvery, a member of the Gay Liberatn Front, had checked the “homosexual tennci” box on his pre-ductn medil form and stated verbally that he was gay, he was nohels classified as 1-A (available for ary service). 4 As Jt David Suran has shown, members of newer, more radil anizatns such as the Gay Liberatn Front saw antiwar ristance and draft ristance as much as part of their polil platform as more tradnal gay rights issu. The group suggted the possibily of g the homosexualy exemptn to both self-regard homosexuals and other stunts, viewg e of the “homosexual tennci” box as a way to terfere wh the Selective Service system self.

A GAY SOLDIER’S STORY OF VIETNAM AND AFTER

6 Siarly, the North Amerin Conference of Homophile Associatns adopted the rolutn that all young men should nsir checkg “Y” on the “homosexual tennci” qutn, “bearg md the universal prence of some homosexual tennci, broadly fed, all persons at some pot their liv. Even if they didn’t agree wh the notn of homosexualy as a psychiatric diagnosis, some gay rights groups and other anizatns that provid draft unselg suggted appealg to medil thory to strengthen exemptn claims.

TELL: AN INTIMATE HISTORY OF GAY MEN THE MILARY

While most believed that a self-claratn of homosexualy ought to be all that was required, some groups advised that an dividual’s claim would be strongt if he provid proof the form of a doctor’s note. The Boston gay men’s publitn Fag Rag urged rears not to subm letters om themselv or others, emphasizg, “There is nothg about homosexualy which n be proven by ttg.

In fact, was the prosecutor who tried to make a medil argument, claimg that bee a psychologist had prevly reported that McIvery’s mental health stat was good, he therefore uld not have been gay. Qutng men at ductn centers about their sexualy began durg World War II, as tailed by Allan Bébé his groundbreakg book, Comg Out unr Fire: The History of Gay Men and Women World War II (Universy of North Carola Prs, 1990). Stunt Homophile League, Columbia Universy, “The ‘Homosexual’ Draft Exemptn, ” October 28, 1969, North Amerin Conference of Homophile Organizatns Rerds, 1966-1970, ONE Natnal Gay and Lbian Archiv, Box 1, Folr 19, Alexanr Street.