Discrimination has become painfully familiar in our society. There are many issues that threaten our society and many problems we face on a daily basis, and some when addressed, can lead to great social advances. Some people would argue that homosexuality threatens us as a society, and unfortunately, these feelings have not ended with just civilians, some people insisting that homosexuals serving openly in the military threaten unit cohesion and military effectiveness. Although it has been proven that the repeal of the ban on gays in the armed forces would have a minimal negative impact on the military's effectiveness or unit compatibility, it has not always been this way. Frank Pierson’s Soldier’s Girl, shows the impact the media and film
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He, along with several other soldiers, following his roommate Justin Fisher, go out one night to Nashville’s downtown bars. It is at one of these bars, one called The Connection which features transsexual nightclub performers, that Winchell meets a woman by the name of Calpernia Addams, who is at that time pre-op. Winchell and Addams begin to date and soon fall in love, leading to rumors, started by Fisher, of their relationship to spread around the base, causing Winchell to become a target of harassment that his commanding officers do nothing to stop. The harassment continues, until one night on the Fourth of July weekend, Winchell and a fellow soldier, Calvin Glover, fight after Winchell accuses Glover of being a fraud for claiming to rob a bank. After the fight Glover, who had lost, is harassed by Fisher for being beat up by a “faggot.” Fisher continues to goad and harass a highly intoxicated Glover until early morning of July 5 when Glover took Fisher’s baseball bat and struck Winchell, who was sleeping out in the hall, in the head multiple times. Winchell later dies from his injuries on July 6th and both Glover and Fisher are convicted of his murder, Glover being sentenced to life in prison while Fisher receives twelve and a half …show more content…
Writes Emily Hecht, a Service Members Legal Defense Network attorney, “Recent polls … show that the majority of Americans think gays and lesbians should be able to serve without hiding their sexual orientation” (qtd. in Persky). Incredibly, most people when asked about the subject do not care. Instead, going on to say that as long as they do their jobs, the sexual orientation of their fellow soldiers is unimportant. This claim is backed up in an article by Huffington Post which states that “70 percent of the armed forces do not believe that openly-serving gays would be harmful to morale” (Barber). Some, in fact, believed that LGBT members being able to serve openly increased morale and unit effectiveness, as LGBT service members no longer needed to hide their sexuality, encouraging trust within the unit. An article written by Crosby Burns and Alex Rothman reads that, through an academic study, evidence showed that U.S. national security had been enhanced by the reality of open service, not diminished by it (Burns and Rothman). The freedom to serve openly has led to hundreds of capable men and women to
He, along with several other soldiers, following his roommate Justin Fisher, go out one night to Nashville’s downtown bars. It is at one of these bars, one called The Connection which features transsexual nightclub performers, that Winchell meets a woman by the name of Calpernia Addams, who is at that time pre-op. Winchell and Addams begin to date and soon fall in love, leading to rumors, started by Fisher, of their relationship to spread around the base, causing Winchell to become a target of harassment that his commanding officers do nothing to stop. The harassment continues, until one night on the Fourth of July weekend, Winchell and a fellow soldier, Calvin Glover, fight after Winchell accuses Glover of being a fraud for claiming to rob a bank. After the fight Glover, who had lost, is harassed by Fisher for being beat up by a “faggot.” Fisher continues to goad and harass a highly intoxicated Glover until early morning of July 5 when Glover took Fisher’s baseball bat and struck Winchell, who was sleeping out in the hall, in the head multiple times. Winchell later dies from his injuries on July 6th and both Glover and Fisher are convicted of his murder, Glover being sentenced to life in prison while Fisher receives twelve and a half …show more content…
Writes Emily Hecht, a Service Members Legal Defense Network attorney, “Recent polls … show that the majority of Americans think gays and lesbians should be able to serve without hiding their sexual orientation” (qtd. in Persky). Incredibly, most people when asked about the subject do not care. Instead, going on to say that as long as they do their jobs, the sexual orientation of their fellow soldiers is unimportant. This claim is backed up in an article by Huffington Post which states that “70 percent of the armed forces do not believe that openly-serving gays would be harmful to morale” (Barber). Some, in fact, believed that LGBT members being able to serve openly increased morale and unit effectiveness, as LGBT service members no longer needed to hide their sexuality, encouraging trust within the unit. An article written by Crosby Burns and Alex Rothman reads that, through an academic study, evidence showed that U.S. national security had been enhanced by the reality of open service, not diminished by it (Burns and Rothman). The freedom to serve openly has led to hundreds of capable men and women to