This paper seeks to trace the plex attus towards homosexualy the 1960s through the lens of the Vietnam War. I postulate that adoptg the e of prottg the ban on homosexuals the ary, upled wh the expansn of voyristic and sensatnalized pictns of homosexuals, served to unify the gay muny and strengthen homosexual inty. The voyrism of Vietnam as the “Livg Room War” brought the homosexual man out om the shadows, and though homosexualy ntued to be nsired a marker of mental illns and stabily, the sire to see the taboo world of the gay man changed the basele and ultimately began to normalize homosexualy overall.
Contents:
- "COMG OUT UNR FIRE": THE STORY OF GAY AND LBIAN SERVICEMEMBERS
- A GAY SOLDIER’S STORY OF VIETNAM AND AFTER
- VIETNAM CLAR BEG LGBTQ+ IS ‘NOT AN ILLNS’ VICTORY FOR GAY RIGHTS
- VIETNAM SAYS HOMOSEXUALY ‘NOT A DISEASE’ W FOR GAY RIGHTS
"COMG OUT UNR FIRE": THE STORY OF GAY AND LBIAN SERVICEMEMBERS
Gay and Lbian soldiers faced extraordary discrimatn durg World War II. Most found new muni of people and thrived spe the opprsn. Disver the film Comg Out Unr Fire that shar their story. * vietnam war gay rights *
Gay and Lbian soldiers faced extraordary discrimatn durg World War II. Liebman and more than 9, 000 Amerin servicemembers, however, eventually were given a Sectn 8 "blue discharge" for beg homosexual. The 1994 documentary Comg Out Unr Fire giv voice to the experienc of thoands of gay and lbian servicemembers who joed the ary durg World War II, a story that is largely ignored by historians and mms across the untry.
A GAY SOLDIER’S STORY OF VIETNAM AND AFTER
In 1993, the Uned Stat was batg the discrimatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy regardg homosexuals the morn ary. At the time, homosexualy was classified as a mental illns by the medil muny; mental illns was one ndn that disqualified young people om service.
Gay and lbian recs were forced to answer qutns vaguely, or lie about their sexualy, orr to be allowed to serve; otherwise, they would n the risk of beg sent home and brand as “sex perverts. By the middle of the war, the ary sought new ways to target and expel homosexuals.
VIETNAM CLAR BEG LGBTQ+ IS ‘NOT AN ILLNS’ VICTORY FOR GAY RIGHTS
Instead of chargg dividuals wh sodomy, a urt-martialed offense, the ary began intifyg spected homosexuals as psychopaths. Such a move created an efficient system of discrimatn and prosecutn of homosexual members of the ary. We were gay.
VIETNAM SAYS HOMOSEXUALY ‘NOT A DISEASE’ W FOR GAY RIGHTS
Dpe the threat of persecutn, gay and lbian servicemembers thrived durg World War II. The new iendships gave gay and lbian GIs refuge om the hostily that surround them and allowed for a distct subculture to velop wh the ary. Servicemembers on every waront enjoyed drag show entertament; an entire gay lexin was veloped om the wrgs of Dorothy Parker; and eventually an unrground queer newspaper emerged.
Soldiers reprented female characters ary plays, and some homosexual soldiers found refuge om rigid genr rol. The irony that the ary selected two homosexuals to reprent the ial image of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps was not lost on Abry. Eisenhower signed Executive Orr 10450, which banned homosexuals om feral employment.
Over 5, 000 feral employe lost their jobs over accatns of homosexualy.