Lesbians in the Military Speak Out

by Winni S. Webber

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 096308223X
• ISBN13: 9780963082237
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: Madwoman Press
• Length: 134 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Voices of service

"Lesbians in the Military Speak Out," by Winni S. Webber, tells the stories of more than thirty women who have served in the United States armed forces. The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard are all represented. In an "Author's Note" Webber writes that the book is the result of interviews she had conducted with women who had served, or were still serving, in the military. She notes further that the book is not meant as a "historical treatise," but rather tells these women's personal stories. The main text is divided into 32 chapters. Generally each chapter tells one woman's story, and the final chapter is about Webber herself. Webber writes that some interviewees agreed to be identified by their real first and last names. Others did not, and are generally identified with a pseudonymous first name only. The book has a copyright date of 1993, and the author's note is dated January 1993. There are many important recurring themes, such as the experience of being investigated for suspicion of homosexuality and the danger of anti-lesbian "witch-hunts." A number of the women discuss the difficulty of maintaining a romantic relationship while living under the military's prohibitions regarding homosexuality; Webber herself notes, "The military has been hell on my personal life." Some of the women discuss the serious personal toll that living under the prohibitions took on them. On a more positive note, a number of the women discuss the many ways that military service enhanced their lives. Along the way are some lively and entertaining anecdotes about military life in both war and peace. There are some remarkable stories of achievement and service in this book. Some of the noteworthy women profiled include the following: Anne K. West, who served as an Army helicopter pilot and warrant officer; Jayne Boyd, who was a Women's Army Corps officer in the 1950s; "Louise," who took great pride in attaining the rank of Gunnery Sergeant in the Marine Corps; "Nicole," whose 18 years of Army service included duty in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War; Colleen Carson, who did two tours in Korea while in the Army; Rebekah Miriam Sutin, whose served in both the Army National Guard and Air National Guard, as well as on active duty in the Air Force as a Judge Advocate General officer; Karen Stupski, a Navy officer who was one of the first women assigned to a ship on which she served as weapons officer; "Kate," a retired veteran of twenty years in the Army whose service included duty in Berlin during the Cold War era; and "Rosa," a Navy reservist who recalls ferrying supplies to front line Marines during the Gulf War. Interestingly, Webber notes that she doesn't use her own real name because she is still (as of 1993) on active duty. Webber and her interviewees succeed both in telling some very down-to-earth stories and in raising compelling issues that transcend individual concerns. The book includes contact information for Gay, Lesbian, and Bi

A good attempt at a poorly addressed topic

Too many books on gays in the military focus on gay men and pass over lesbians. This book addresses that absence. I didn't read as much of it as I should have, but I was pretty impressed by what I did see. This book is not academic; it's testimonies from real lesbians who have or are serving. It really makes it clear how lesbophobia is a key element to the oppression of women in the military period. In fact, I'd recommend this book to feminist readers of all sexualities. This text re-emphasizes how the military is always at war.....with women!