Rights and Fights: Sexual Orientation and Military Effectiveness

Homosexuals have always served in the armed forces: the key issues are the conditions under which they serve and the consequences of their doing so. In “Homosexuals in the U.S. Military,” Elizabeth Kier argues that the open integration of gays and lesbians would not disrupt combat effectiveness or unit cohesion while simultaneously advancing civil rights. Barkawi's and Dandeker's contention is that Kier fails to grapple with the central issue of the heterosexist and masculine culture of the U.S. military. Her commitment to the civil rights of gays and lesbians must not be allowed to obscure the real obstacles standing in the way of that commitment; civil rights are not advanced by flawed policy analysis. [Author].