Navy gays

For centuries, LGBTQIA+ sailors served their country in silence. “But the weeks following, once the smoke settled, there were still people who were getting discharged from the military…so that’s when we all started to realize that, hey, this is just a discriminatory policy.” Over the nearly 18 years that DADT was law, thousands of service members were discharged for engaging in “homosexual conduct,” which included being in a same-sex relationship.⁴

The remainder of Santiago’s 20-year naval career was spent under the shadow of DADT.

But I just decided that I needed to just be myself from that point on. It was very important for me to do so. And I did.”

Santiago reported for duty at USS Constitution in March 2006 as a Yeoman First Class. It could be incompatible with military service, it could be bad conduct due to whatever. An update to the Department of Defense Human Goals Charter is released with language referencing sexual orientation.

Beginning in World War II, the military instituted an outright ban on homosexual service members.¹ It wasn’t until 1993 that a new law colloquially called “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) took effect, theoretically lifting the ban by suspending questions and discussions among military personnel about sexual orientation.²

Brooklyn native Robert Santiago joined the U.S.

Navy in 1988, during the military’s ban on LGBTQIA+ people serving openly in the armed forces. Accessed via U.S. Government Publishing Office.
_{6 “Robert Santiago.” Veterans Services. I called the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network [now Modern Military Association of America] at the time and I asked for advice. Something that the federal government didn’t take at the time.” As a mentor, he also understood that leadership was integral in setting the tone.}

“But that thought was always in the back of my head; that if I’m with somebody, something happens, and they said, ‘Well, I’m going to report you to your commanding officer.’ Then there’s an issue there. Between long voyages, tight quarters, and the distinct uniform aesthetic (hello, stripes and flared trousers), it’s little wonder the branch is seen as a “queer powder keg.”

“In the navy, come on and join your fellow man!”

It’s not just about the numbers.

The average across all branches of the military is slightly higher, at 6.18%.

The enduring imagery of same-sex intimacy in the military is nothing new to queer cultural lore. The Chief of Naval Operations during this time, Admiral Gary Roughead, led the Navy’s preparations for the change in policy.