Am J Psychiatry 1995; 152:16-21
Copyright © 1995 by American Psychiatric Association
Homosexuality and the military
FD Jones and RJ Koshes
Department 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.
