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Homosexuality and the military
1Department of Psychiatry, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C.
Objective:
Homosexuality has remained a focus of military concern despite society's increasing acceptance of homosexual men and women and evidence that homosexuals have served and currently serve in the U.S. armed forces. President Clinton has stated a determination to end discrimination against homosexuals in the military and reverse the exclusionary policy on homosexuals serving in the armed forces. The authors review the history of the policy of the U.S. military to exclude homosexuals from serving in the armed forces.
Method:
The data for this study were drawn from military archives and court cases that have shaped U.S. policy excluding homosexuals from serving in the armed forces. The three main arguments are addressed: 1) homosexuality is a mental disorder rendering a person unstable, 2) homosexual service members are a source of poor morale for military units, and 3) homosexual service members are poor security risks.
Results:
Considerable evidence demonstrates that homosexuals in the military pose no documented threat to national security and show no evidence of poor work performance.
Conclusions:
Although issues of morale and fraternization in the military remain challenges, no evidence in this review supports the exclusion of homosexuals from service in the U.S. armed forces.