For many of us, Memorial Day weekend is about cookouts, sales, watching fireworks, and fellowshipping with family and friends. However, this weekend is supposed to be about honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice. They gave their lives serving in one of the branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. As a military historian working at a military college, I am very much aware of the sacrifices made every day by military personnel. Historically, LGBTQ+ soldiers have sacrificed even more. For most of the history of the U.S. military, LGBTQ+ soldiers had to be closeted because being “out” wasn’t acceptable. Being outed could have cost them their military career. Many LGBTQ+ soldiers kept their mouths shut and their business to themselves to protect themselves from harm and protect the nation.
In 1982, the U.S. military enacted a policy explicitly banning gay men and lesbians from their ranks. Before that, however, same-sex relations were criminalized and a cause for discharge. And in the early 1940s, it was classified as a mental illness, disqualifying gay men and lesbians from service. In 1993, the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy (DADT) went into effect, allowing closeted LGBTQ+ soldiers to serve in the military. Under the policy, service members would not be asked about their sexual orientation but would be discharged for disclosing it.
Many LGBTQ+ soldiers were outed as gay or lesbian by fellow soldiers and not allowed to serve. Some soldiers were killed by their fellow comrades while on active duty. If you saw the 2003 film Soldier's Girl, you are aware of U.S. Army infantry soldier PFC Barry Winchell who was murdered on July 6, 1999, by a fellow soldier for dating a transgender woman, Calpernia Addams. The murder became a point of reference in the ongoing DADT debate. Eighteen years after DADT was enacted, Congress repealed the policy, allowing openly gay, lesbian, and bisexual people to serve in the military.
Another barrier was lifted in 2013 when spousal and family benefits were extended to same sex married partners in the military. After ending temporarily in 2016, the ban on transgender individuals was again rescinded in 2021, allowing transgender individuals to enlist and serve in the armed forces. It’s been a long journey, but LGBTQ+ soldiers have always been part of the American military. In an era before gay marriage or open pride, military men fell in love, formed passionate friendships, and had same-sex encounters. Due to social and official discrimination, most of the stories of these LGBTQ+ soldiers have gone untold. One famous example was Baron Friedrich von Steuben, a Prussian military man hired by George Washington to whip the Continental Army into shape during the darkest days of the Revolutionary War. He was known for his bravery and the discipline and grit he brought to the American troops. Historians also believe he was gay—and served as an openly gay man in the military when sex between men was punished as a crime.
So, if you have never considered the LGBTQ+ service members who lost their lives to serve a country that didn’t respect them, you should. We shouldn’t take our freedom for granted. It comes with a price tag, and we all need to remember this. As we celebrate another Memorial Day weekend, please note this isn’t just another time to party. Today is a day set aside to remember those who have sacrificed their lives so that we may live and be free, fight against discrimination, and love who we want. These brave, unsung heroes sacrificed the truth of themselves. Let us never forget them.
Be safe, be conscious, be proud, and remember our fallen LGBTQ+ service members who died in times when being “out” wasn’t allowed. Thankfully, things seemed to have changed drastically in the U.S. military. LGBTQ+ service members are able to serve openly and without harassment. While acceptance of LGBTQ+ service members is a relatively new development in the military’s long history, the Department of Defense is committed to maintaining a strong force that reflects the nation’s diversity.
Thank you so much for this posting!! I had never really stopped to consider the contribution of deceased LGBTQ military veterans in this light before... Thought provoking and a bit emotional. Wow.
ReplyDeleteAfter the war, many French women married American soldiers.
ReplyDeleteDo you know any French men who left for the USA with a soldier?
None that I know of, udvp.
ReplyDeleteJoe, I'd not heard of your Memorial Day. Is the date of any particular historical significance?
ReplyDeleteIn Europe and the British Commonwealth the dead of the First World War and of later conflicts are remembered at formal services all over the countries on the 11th November (or on the Sunday closest to that date) with the Last Post sounded on a trumpet or bugle just before 11am. This precise date and time commemorates the start of the Armistice that brought hostilities in the First World War to an end.
Micheal, we also celebrate Nov. 11 though It's known as Veterans' Day here. Up until WWII, it was called Armistice Day, as it is in most countries who celebrate it.
ReplyDeleteMemorial Day has a variety of origin claims, but most started after the American Civil War and was known as Decorations Day because the graves of soldiers would be decorated with flowers and flags. May was chosen seemingly because flowers were in full bloom at the end of May.
Eventually, in 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act with set many federal holidays on the Monday closest to the date of what is being celebrated. Because Memorial Day had been celebrated by most states at the end of May, the last Monday in May was chosen.
One of the few holidays not under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act is Veterans' Day, which always falls on Nov. 11, not matter what day of the week it falls on. Also, a moment of silence is observed at 11 am on Veterans' Day.
Todos los caídos en combate, sean del ejercito que sean, merecen todo nuestro respeto y aprecio por el inmenso sacrificio que han hecho por un mundo mejor.
ReplyDeleteÁngel
…tous HEROES d’honneur
ReplyDelete-Beau Mec