Gender Minorities Military Policies and Recommendations

Records of the history of sexual and gender minorities in the military are sparse. The United States military banned sexual and gender minorities from not only serving, but also from disclosing their sexuality and/or gender identity due to laws against sodomy and cross-dressing (Nation, 2015). In 1952, the American Psychiatric Association released the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM), which listed homosexuality and gender identity as mental health disorders (Drescher, 2015). The military barred individuals with mental disorders from serving due to concerns about their ability to perform their duties. In line with this policy, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued Executive Order 10450 (1953) and prohibited the enrollment of sexual and gender minorities in the Federal government. This ruling allowed the United States to prevent enrollment of sexual and gender minorities in the military. This executive order extended to then-currently enrolled Service members who, if found engaging sexual or gender diverse practices, would receive a dishonorable discharge from duty). From 1953 to 1993, the military discharged about 1,500 Service members annually, with over 100,000 Service members discharged by the 1980s. In addition to costly discharges, Service members steadily filed court cases to argue against discharges (see Doe v. Alexander [1981], Leyland v. Orr [1987], and Matlovich v. Secretary of Air Force [1978]). Although courts overturned many of these cases, the costs associated with fighting court cases and discharging Service members continued to increase. Amid budget concerns regarding this subject, the National Defense Research Institute (NDRI) with prepared and presented a study investigating military (Rostker et al., 1993).