I'm enlisting in the military next month, and I was curious to know if there are any former/current military here. I'm excited but I feel like there's still a lot of people that have an issue with members of the LGBTQ community being in the armed forces. Any stories to tell?
Hello @Ascendant ! I am former military. There are indeed other current and former military members on EC. I would say that, overall, the climate for LGBTQ people in the military has gotten much better since the end of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Of course, the climate can vary from site to site and unit to unit. May I ask which Branch of the military you will be joining?
The British Army internally advertises its LGBT group and has very senior members in the group. I dont know what the general feeling is amongst the rank and file. Having said that, an openly FtM trans tank driver also exists and, as far I could tell at the time, was accepted amongst his comrades. Fun fact: As his tank rolled by, my legs turned to jelly and my stomach sank into itself.
We do have members who are serving in the military, or have done so. Some are more vocal about their service than others. Amongst those who are serving, forum activity can be sporadic and may only occur when they are on leave. The British Military are certainly making efforts to recruit members of the LGBT community now
I'm joining the Navy. With DADT repealed I know it'll be a lot better for me than others who are older who had to live through that. I'll be honest, I'm only just now reaching that age where I can appreciate the fact that I can even be openly gay and have the government and military accept it to whatever degree; I was so young when it happened I didn't think too much on it. But it still makes me kind of sad when I watch the videos and things my future branch posts, and I see a bunch of commenters basically going "The [insert branch] is going downhill, fags don't belong, unit cohesion, etc."
United States: Air Force: you're fine, nobody cares. Navy: you'll be mostly fine but will still encounter people saying homophobic things, probably chiefs. Coast Guard: you're fine, nobody cares. Army: half will be ok with it, half won't be but they are strict enough on discrimination where nothing more significant than rumors and mean things being said are likely to happen. Marine Corps: Just don't. It's not going to end well. By far the most homophobic and most likely to do something about it. Unless you're an officer, then you'll be fine.