Fay -Gender and the Military

Posted by Fay Al-Romaihi at Wednesday, March 9, 2011 7:30:05 AM EST
What I found very interesting, something that Gutmann and Lutz touch upon in their book, Breaking Ranks is the relation of masculinity and military. In chapter, titled, Training, Garret talks about the "typical machoistic dudes" and how you to be a part of the group you had to demean women and be "macho"- whatever that means. It got me to think of the military as an extremely gendered institution which really ostracizes homosexuals, to the existent where many homosexuals are as Garret mentions afraid to state that they are gay. This discussion of gender and the military is very important especially since the 10 year ban on the don't ask don't tell policy on gays of the USA government, has been lifted by Obama. Funny thing is that I read an article on how there are now mandatory programs where all military personnel would learn how to become more sensitive to homosexuals. Below is the link of an article I read by a british soldier serving in Britain. He discusses the behavioral pressures while serving and what it feels like to be a gay man serving in the military.
http://www.petertatchell.net/military/questioning_military.htm