Out in Force: Sexual Orientation and the Military

Journal of Political and Military Sociology, Summer 2003 by Kourvetaris, George A

Out in Force: Sexual Orientation and the Military edited by Gregory M. Herek, Tared B. Jobe, and Ralph M. Carney, 1996. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

The writer deals with a controversial issue of sexual orientation in the military. In 1993, this question became the focus of a heated debate when former President Clinton attempted to lift the ban on gays in the military. The policy "Don't ask and Don't tell" is still debated and the status of the gays in the military has not been resolved. Out in Force is an analysis of the issue of homosexuality in the military. A number of leading experts and scholars on the sexual orientation in the military as an institution discuss the notions of incompatibility of sexuality with military service the contributors argue that homosexuality and gays do undermine order and discipline in the military.

The writer includes a number of related issues on homosexuality and gays in the military. The book is divided into four major parts:

Part I - an orientation to the issue includes chapters on sexual orientation and proscribed sexual behaviors, sexual orientation and military personnel policy, and sexual orientation and the military: some legal considerations.

Part II - revenant experience from other domains includes topics and issues an (integration of women in the military, lessons learned from minority integration in the military, the experience of foreign militaries, and experience from domestic police and fire departments).

Part III - issues of cohesion, privacy, and attitudes examines such issues as: sexual orientation and military cohesion: A critical review of the evidence, deconstruction of stereotypes, why tell of you're not asked, and sexual modesty gays, lesbians in the military.

Part IV - implementation covers issues of confidentiality, policy changes, and the role of the president, the congress and the pentagon.

The writer covers a wide spectrum of the issues on homosexuality and gays in the military. It is an important contribution in the growing literature on the subject. It is recommended for all those interested in the issue.

Reviewed by George A. Kourvetaris

Department of Sociology

Northern Illinois University