Soldiers' Stories | LGBTQ+ Soldiers: Armed Services

Seeking escape from the quiet countryside of North Wales, the young James Wharton joined the British Army with adventure on his mind - and he found it. At basic training, boozing and brawling accompany the daily trials of army life but all the while James faces a battle of his own: he is gay and finding the courage to tell not only his family and friends but his fellow soldiers will be the biggest challenge of all. Written with searing honesty, James charts his incredible journey from punch bag to poster boy, along the way describing the troubles and trials of coming to terms with his sexuality. Late nights in the clubs of Soho to early mornings guarding the Queen; rocket attacks in the deserts of Iraq to tank rides with Prince Harry on the plains of Canada - this is James's life out in the army.

In Coming Out Under Fire, Allan Berube examines in depth and detail these social and political confrontation--not as a story of how the military victimized homosexuals, but as a story of how a dynamic power relationship developed between gay citizens and their government, transforming them both. Drawing on GIs' wartime letters, extensive interviews with gay veterans, and declassified military documents, Berube thoughtfully constructs a startling history of the two wars gay military men and women fough--one for America and another as homosexuals within the military. Berube's book, the inspiration for the 1995 Peabody Award-winning documentary film of the same name, has become a classic since it was published in 1990, just three years prior to the controversial "don't ask, don't tell" policy, which has continued to serve as an uneasy compromise between gays and the military.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the lifting of the British Armed Forces 'gay ban' on 12th January 2020, this book brings together LGBTQ servicemen and women who have served in every conflict since and including the Second World War. This book provides twelve accounts of members of our Armed Forces who have lived remarkable lives. In some cases they were dismissed in disgrace or forced to resign when asked questions about their love, because their answers did not stand the test. Their stories are those of remarkable sacrifice and courage in their units (and in battle) for services that removed them at the stroke of a pen 'services no longer required' or 'dismissed in disgrace' or forced them to live in secret. These are the stories of the David and Goliath battle for equality, through every court in the UK and Europe.

LGBTQ+ personnel who served in the British military despite the gay ban tell their stories in a moving testament to their patriotism and courage. On January 12th, 2000, the British Armed Forces took a major step toward greater equality by ending its restriction against members of the LGBTQ+ community. To honor that historic event, this volume presents the personal reflections of ten LGBTQ+ personnel who had served under the ban since the Second World War. All of them lived remarkable lives, though some were dismissed in disgrace or asked to resign because of their identity. These brave men and women tell of remarkable careers, courage in battle, and private lives kept secret at all cost. They include stories of serving on the front line of operations worldwide, including in the Second World War, the Falklands War, the Gulf Wars and the war in Afghanistan. This book celebrates their lives, as well as all servicepeople who have stood tall and taken their place with pride in the fighting units of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Air Force and the British Army.

In 2003, after serving five and a half years as a carpenter in a North Dakota National Guard engineer unit, Bronson Lemer was ready to leave the military behind. But six months short of completing his commitment to the army, Lemer was deployed on a yearlong tour of duty to Iraq. Leaving college life behind in the Midwest, he yearns for a lost love and quietly dreams of a future as an openly gay man outside the military. He discovers that his father's lifelong example of silent strength has taught him much about being a man, and these lessons help him survive in a war zone and to conceal his sexuality, as he is required to do by the U.S. military. Lemer captures the absurd nuances of a soldier's daily life: growing a mustache to disguise his fear, wearing pantyhose to battle sand fleas, and exchanging barbs with Iraqis while driving through Baghdad. But most strikingly, he describes the poignant reality faced by gay servicemen and servicewomen, who must mask their identities while serving a country that disowns them.

When the U.S. military repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," its official policy on homosexuality in the services, Capt. Stephen Snyder-Hill was serving in Iraq. After years enduring the culture of fear and secrecy for gay soldiers, Snyder-Hill submitted a video to a Republican primary debate, asking the participants whether, if elected, they would extend spousal benefits to legally married gay and lesbian soldiers. His video was booed by the audience on national television. Snyder-Hill's story riveted the nation's attention from national news shows to an episode of HBO's The Newsroom to comments by President Obama. Soldier of Change not only captures the media frenzy as Snyder-Hill took his place at the forefront of this modern civil rights movement but also documents his twenty-year journey as a gay man in the army, which culminated in the most important battle of his life: defending the disenfranchised.            

"Ultimately, previous policies have prevented many thousands of brave, talented soldiers, sailors and marines from stepping up to serve in national defense. That said, now that the air is beginning to clear and the pathway has been paved for LGBT service members, stories emerge of military personnel who managed to slip through the policies of the last century and continue serving the nation with the same gusto and patriotism as their peers."... continue reading

"Faces of Freedom is an online directory of stories from LGBTQ people and allies across the country who are dedicated to securing comprehensive nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ Americans. A supermajority of Americans support comprehensive protections for LGBTQ people – protections that would explicitly prohibit discrimination in employment, housing, and public spaces. But in most states, LGBTQ people remain vulnerable to unfair treatment, and it’s time for that to change." ... continue reading

"Since 2011, openly gay, lesbian and bisexual men and women have been permitted to serve in the military. Acceptance for LGBTQ in the military expanded with the lifting of the transgender ban in 2021. Still, some LGBTQ service members may worry about living openly. They may fear being harassed or passed over for assignments or promotions." ...continue reading

"In 2012, the number of suicide deaths for those serving in the active military was higher than the number of combat deaths. LGBTQ young people in the military can be at a higher risk of suicide, especially if they enlisted due to family rejection, homelessness or lack of economic alternatives. To change this trend, crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for our armed services are imperative. The Trevor Project advocates for regulations and policies that support LGBTQ military members and their families." ...continue reading