When were gays allowed in military
The Military Gay Ban: Why Don't Seek , Don't Tell Don't Work
In the months of controversy since President Bill Clinton pledged to end the military's ban against homosexuals, this ill-considered plan has been widely rejected. It is clear that the campaign to enable homosexuals to aid openly in the armed forces is failing. Last week, following an exhaustive study, the Pentagon once again concluded that "homosexuality is incompatible with military service."
The same analyze nevertheless proposes a policy that allows homosexuals to help if they maintain their lifestyle confidential. Dubbed "don't request, don't tell," it is unclear if the policy has the support of Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sam Nunn, who is holding hearings to determine whether the current ban should be upheld, altered, or abolished. "Don't ask, don't tell" is a compromise that would hinder recruiters from filtering homosexuals at the point of enlistment, and might restrict the services' ability to investigate evidence of homosexuality. Either way, the armed services would be disrupted as commanders scrambled to deal with a fundamental contradiction: a policy that claims that "homosexuality is in
Repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
The discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ban on queer and lesbian service members is officially in the dustbin of history. For 17 years, the law prohibited qualified gay, lesbian and bisexual Americans from serving in the armed forces and sent a word that discrimination was acceptable.
The Introduction of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
In 1994, the U.S. adopted “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” as the official federal policy on military service by lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals. The rule was discrimination in its purest form and prevented service members from being openly homosexual without threat of being discharged. DADT was based on the false assumption that the presence of LGBTQ+ individuals in any branch of the military would undermine the ability of people to carry out their duties. Over the course of the policy’s existence, thousands of valiant service members were discharged simply for who they were and whom they loved.
Ensuring Justice for Service Members Everywhere
HRC made repealing DADT a uppermost priority — and public sentiment showed the evolving perceptions of LGBTQ+
LGBT+ rights in the Armed Forces
A History of Injustice: LGBT+ Veterans and the Armed Forces Ban
Until the year 2000, it was illegal to be openly male lover in the British Armed Forces.
You could fight for your land. You could lay down your life. But you couldn’t cherish someone of the same sex.
The ban on LGBT+ people serving in the military didn’t just deny people the right to serve with dignity—it ruined lives. Veterans were criminalised, dismissed without honours, stripped of medals, missing their pensions, and their reputations. Some were imprisoned. Many more suffered in silence.
This shameful chapter in British military history lasted far too long. But thanks to the bravery of those who stood up and spoke out—often at great personal cost—the tide began to turn.
The Red Arrows fly over Trafalgar Square London during London Pride 2019 - Cpl Adam Fletcher
From Discrimination to Legal Battle
The ban was rooted in outdated criminal laws, dating back to the 1885 Labouchère Amendment, which made male homosexual acts a criminal offence. Despite changing attitudes and partial decriminalisation in 1967, the military exemption remained.
Integration
Since the birth of the Republic, government decisions have been made about who shall be permitted or required to serve in the U.S. military, and under what conditions. These decisions have frequently reflected society�s attitudes toward its stigmatized minorities. Early in the Revolutionary war, for example, Black Americans were barred from service in the Continental Army. Similarly, Negroes were barred from military service early in the Civil War, despite the eagerness of many Northern Blacks to volunteer. Both policies were later reversed – when, respectively, the British began offering independence to Black slaves who would join their side, and the Union Army faced a serious shortage of troops.
Sources
When they were allowed to serve, Blacks soldiers were treated differently from their White counterparts. Although le