Abstract
LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, with the + including Two-Spirit, Intersex, Asexual, and additional sexual orientations and gender identities) people have always had an important role in military service in the United States. However, this service has never received broad-based recognition and was, too often, criminalized. Since the repeal of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy that went into effect in 2011, and the recent second revocation of the ban of transgender personnel serving in the military in January 2021, very little research has occurred with LGBTQ+ veterans. There is a compelling need to explore LGBTQ+ veterans’ experiences and their complicated relationship, both historically and currently, with military service. This article explores patriotism as a construct to discuss the LGBTQ+ military veterans’ experience, how their experiences are overlooked in veterans’ literature, and how military service affects LGBTQ+ veterans in a country with a long history of oppression and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people. It also provides a framework useful in exploring patriotism and other issues from the LGBTQ+ perspective and how their experiences in the military shape their lives now as veterans.
Highlights
LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, with the + including TwoSpirit, Intersex, Asexual, and additional sexual orientations and gender identities) people have always had an important role in military service in the United States
Available data estimated that there are more than one million LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/ Questioning, with the + including Two-Spirit, Intersex, Asexual and additional sexual orientations and gender identities) veterans in the United States (US Department of Veterans Affairs, 2016)
With a long history of discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in the military, compounded by limited research about LGBTQ+ veterans, this article explores the relevance of patriotism as a construct for LGBTQ+ veterans’ experience as a marginalized group and the complexities of their relationship to patriotism in the military and after service, as veterans
Summary
Patriotism can be defined both individually and collectively. A working definition from a memo by the developers of the Patriotism Scale and Nationalism Scales in 1987 defined patriotism as a “Deeply felt affective attachment to the nation” (p. 1). It’s important to note the increase in patriotism that was seen nationally after 09/11, occurred at a time when LGBTQ+ people were unable to serve openly in the military This collective patriotism affecting enlistment in military service of the Post 9/11 generation of service members and veterans, included LGBTQ+ people’s service. Through a shift of social and political ideals, including more acceptance of LGBTQ+ people as reflected in LGBTQ+ inclusion in military policy and veteran’s services, as well as the increased political polarization in the U.S, questions emerge that demand exploration and systematic inquiry These include: what does patriotism have to do with people’s views of their service in a politically divided nation with different ideas of patriotism? Research can uncover the perspectives of LGBTQ+ people concerning why they served, including if patriotism is an essential aspect of their service, to develop further military and veterans’ supportive social and healthcare, and improve health outcomes for LGBTQ+ veterans
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