No tags yet.
Thomas Josef was a contractor that worked with the military overseas in Afghanistan. In his book, he describes his encounters as a gay man while working closely with the army. Gays had to fight for this right to serve in the military for decades. The ironic part is that homosexuals helped build America and the stance that the country took to reject homosexuals was cruel and unfair. This will detail our nations battle with homosexuals rights to serve America and the historical premise of gays in the military. Historically, homosexuals in the army did not initially create a negative stigma. Records suggest famous generals like Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Fredrick the Great, and Napoleon were all homosexuals or bisexuals. Even before and during the founding of America; some great leaders served on the battlefield and were gay. One of the most famous men, General Steben, was sought by Benjamin Franklin for help during the Revolutionary War. Steben was a homosexual and became one of the leading generals in the battle against the English for Independence. He is credited with the creation of the military academy at West Point. One academic source states the following: “… it is ironic that the U.S. military’s origin and perhaps the countries freedom is due to a gay general.” However, people would proceed to target homosexuals serving on the battlefield. 1919 brought the first law that established swift penalties for sodomy. It was labeled a federal crime and resulted in sailors and solider’s imprisonment. This would last for 20 years. When world war II came, they would loosen the rule and mandated that homosexuals serving on the battlefield would be permitted. This was because America was in desperate need of troops. Lesbians were never affected in world war II like the injustice gay men faced. In fact, as the war began to close, the regulations were tightened. Psychiatrists would question soldiers to ensure they were not gay. In this period of time homosexuality was considered to be a mental disease. In 1970 the Department of Defense laid out a new policy that concluded homosexuals should not be allowed in the army or on the battlefield. This new policy resulted in men and women being discharged. In fact, a total of 17,000 service men and women were released. Clinton would take the issue of gays in the military head-on. He insisted that many honorable gays and lesbians served America. The "do not ask and do not tell," policy was adopted, but homosexuals in the army were continually discharged. This would place a great deal of shame and taint these individuals's legacy. Many of them would not return home but instead, move to a city that already had an established gay population. In 2003 77% of people polled believed gays and lesbians should be allowed in the army. It took a great deal of effort, and the continual progression of society before homosexuals was given the right to serve on the battlefield. Much like women and African Americans that had to fight for the right to serve their country; homosexuals went through the same passage. Currently, the issue of Transgenders in the army has been raised. This book details the life of Thomas Josef
and the experiences he faces. While the book revolves around the experiences he encountered, it also reveals the gay lifestyle within the army. His riveting story describes the homosexual experiences clearly, and it is guaranteed to open reader's eyes. The story details this subject and the truths that exist as he worked along with the Army as a contractor. The book details homosexuality vividly but also details the struggles of everyday life.