A little PSA for those getting into Boots Netflix fandom
Boots is set BEFORE Don't Ask, Don't Tell. And that is very important. Before DADT, it was a crime to be queer and serve in the military.
Randy Shillts' Conduct Unbecoming documents what that looked like. The uniformed services used to conduct active investigations -- witchunt style based on suspicion -- into if people were queer or not. And if caught you could be tried and go to prison for being queer. So you'd be dishonorably discharged AND have a prison record. (So, that should give you some idea of the extreme stress Sullivan was under.)
And, it created a culture where homophobia, coercion, blackmailing, and sexual harassment and assault were rife.
DADT went into effect December 21, 1993.
It allowed people to serve if they stayed in the closet. It curtailed the witchhunt culture. It allowed people more leeway in coming forward to report sexual harassment and sexual assault. Unless people had committed a crime (assault, fraternization), being found out as queer lead to a general (if you were lucky) or dishonorable discharge, but not a criminal trial.
The "don't ask" section of the DADT policy specified that superiors should not initiate an investigation of a service member's orientation without witnessing disallowed behaviors. However, evidence of homosexual behavior deemed credible could be used to initiate an investigation. Unauthorized investigations and harassment of suspected servicemen and women led to an expansion of the policy to "don't ask, don't tell, don't pursue, don't harass"
Was DADT a deeply flawed policy? Yes, but it made a world of difference for queer service people. Let's give an example --
An acquaintance of mine is a Lesbian Transwoman. Prior to DADT she was being witchunted for being gay due to some of her effeminate mannerisms. (She lived and dressed as a man during her military service.) Afterwards, though? She was able to push back against the NCIS investigation. Show proof that I have ever been to a gay bar. Show proof that I have ever responded to a man flirting with me. Show proof that I show an interest in men. Show proof that I don't show an interest in women. The endless witchhunt stopped, she completed her contract -- her performance improved -- was honorably discharged, and was able to use her GI Bill benefits.
DADT also meant that the uniformed criminal investigation services (NCIS, CGIS, CID, etc) had more free time to investigate actual crimes instead of wasting it on witchhunts. It reformed their cultures and forced them to modernize.
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