Homosexuality and the Military

The presence of homosexuals in the military has been evident from ancient times. One need look only to the storied Theban band of lovers to remember how the affections of military men were molded and shaped to create a strong, cohesive fighting force. Over the centuries of the Common Era, notable soldiers such as Richard the Lionheart were rumored and assumed to be lovers of men such as themselves while still presenting to the world a fierce masculine face. In colonial America, there was no effort to identify and [Page 807]exclude any man from service in local militias because of concerns about that man’s sexual preferences (although obviously a man accused of homosexual practices would be condemned within his broader community as a criminal guilty ...