Gay Rights to Service in U.S. Military

This fact is overwhelmingly fundamental to Steffan's case due to the fact that his book was written to evoke people to legal and personal homophobia in the military and anyplace it exists. Steffan's book is profoundly effective precisely because he is shown to be such a good man, such a fitted and caring man. The issue of comicals in the military is highly emotional, ground on the hatred and fear of human beings based on their sexual identity and practices. The homophobes who would deny Steffan and other gays their legal and example rights try to demonize gays as perverted monsters who would seduce the nation's children and smirch the entire society with their evil ways. Steffan's autobiographical presentation blasts holes in the homophobic position because any open-minded and open-hearted reader tout ensembleow for conclude that he is clearly uncomplete seducer nor monster, neither destroyer nor evil. Steffan is obviously a young man who is consecrated to his country and to the Navy, and who offers no threat to the sexuality or the morale of other men, or women, serving in the military. He has been increase and lives his life according to the most humane ideals and principles:

These concerns were tempered by my strong belief in the ideals of the United States, especially the apprehensiveness that all people deserve freedom---the freedom to simply be themselves, and to live their lives without fear or oppressio

Back in Annapolis, it took me a while to get utilize to my new freedom as a youngster. During the first a couple of(prenominal) days, I walked the hall cautiously, almost expecting to be yelled at for not chopping. I felt like Pavlov's dog. I had lettered to associate these hallways with plebe year, and even after a spend away I couldn't quite shake that conditioning (96).

n. . . . If we atomic number 18 to assure the survival of these ideals in a world where war exists, then we must(prenominal) be best at war. . . . We must have the best people . . . and I had to be willing to be one of those people (16).

Steffan, Joseph. Honor Bound. New York: Avon, 1992.

The proposition in that passage is that at some point the academy and the Navy begin to let up on the grind for conformity and treat the psyche officer with respect, as an individual with dignity. However, when Steffan admits to his homosexuality and incurs the wrath of the military establishment, he discovers that he is seen as anything but an individual with dignity, deserving of respect. If Steffan is not aware at that point of the reality of his situation, his legal adviser informs him of the fact:

Death, particularly the death of innocent human beings from bombs and missiles, is certainly treated as an afterthought by Steffan in this book, a troubling contradiction from a man who would stand as symbol to all members of a group victimized every day by bigotry and even murder. The reader who is aware of this contradiction cigarette be both supportive of Steffan's rights as a gay man to serve his country in the military, and troubled at the author's failure to even acknowledge the contradiction.

There was a cartridge clip in war when you had to look someone in the optic as you killed him. Today, we see charts, displays, and numbers; we push buttons and pull triggers, and I wonder if it hasn't become too easy. Like our computer simulations at the academy, the battle has become painless and abstract, and death is merely an afterthought (95).

In thes
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