lucid and scholarly account of the policies of Sec-
retaries of State Haig and Shultz. Less critical
than most sources.
Taylor, Alan R.The Superpowers and the Middle East.
Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press, 1991.
Focuses on the difficulties of various American
administrations in maintaining regional strategic
partners while promoting Arab-Israeli peace.
Yetiv, Steve A.Crude Awakenings: Global Oil Security
and American Foreign Policy.Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell
University Press, 2004. The importance of oil in
American foreign policy in the Middle East. The
detailed global energy chronology (1973-2003) is
especially useful, as is the table showing the grow-
ing dependency of the United States on Middle
Eastern oil imports in the 1980’s.
Peter B. Heller
See also Beirut bombings; Cold War; Foreign pol-
icy of Canada; Foreign policy of the United States;
Haig, Alexander; Iran-Contra affair; Iranian hostage
crisis; Israel and the United States; Jewish Ameri-
cans; Libya bombing; North, Oliver; Pan Am Flight
103 bombing; Reagan Doctrine; Shultz, George P.;
USSVincennesincident; Weinberger, Caspar; West
Berlin discotheque bombing.
Military ban on homosexuals
Definition Official policy of the United States
government prohibiting gay and lesbian
Americans from serving in the armed forces
During the 1980’s, the U.S. Department of Defense main-
tained an official hiring policy of discrimination against
homosexuals. Additionally, it prohibited its employees from
discussing or practicing homosexuality.
Despite the efforts of many gay rights organizations,
the Department of Defense maintained an official
policy against hiring gay Americans during the
1980’s. Without offering any scientific proof of their
premise, the Joint Chiefs of Staff insisted that homo-
sexuality negatively affected the mission of the U.S.
armed forces. Consequently, military commanders
continued their long-standing tradition of discrimi-
nation and persecution against homosexuals.
Recognizing that many young people would be-
come fully aware of their sexual orientation only af-
ter initiating employment, the military actively pro-
hibited its employees from practicing or discussing
homosexuality, even when off duty. During this de-
cade, military employees were barred from attend-
ing nightclubs or businesses that catered to gay cli-
enteles, such as the Bonham Exchange dance club
in downtown San Antonio, Texas, adjacent to the Al-
amo. With five large Army and Air Force bases in
that city, military police frequently monitored or
raided local gay nightclubs seeking military person-
nel. If they were discovered in the clubs, those per-
sonnel could be dishonorably discharged from the
service. Fearing official persecution, many gay sol-
diers discreetly gathered for social occasions in pri-
vate residences and avoided openly patronizing gay
businesses.
Military police at many bases engaged in clandes-
tine surveillance of employees suspected of being
gay, even eavesdropping on phone calls and inspect-
ing discarded messages for any evidence of “unbe-
coming” conduct. Despite favorable performance
reviews or service commendations, gay soldiers dis-
honorably discharged for engaging in homosexual
behavior forfeited their employment and all future
financial benefits. Several landmark court cases in-
volving gay military officers who had been discharged
from the military gained national attention during
the 1980’s. Forced from employment in 1975 by the
U.S. Army after being awarded a Purple Heart and a
Bronze Star for service in Vietnam, openly gay Ser-
geant Leonard Matlovich was awarded employment
and benefits reinstatement by the U.S. Supreme
Court in 1980. Fearing persecution from other sol-
diers, Matlovich retired, opting for a financial settle-
ment from the Army.Impact Official discrimination against gays and les-
bians by the American military aroused consider-
able public debate during the 1980’s. Gay rights ad-
vocates continued active campaigns to pass statutes
guaranteeing gay men and lesbians the ability to
serve in the military. In addition, legislation was in-
troduced repeatedly to eliminate housing and work-
place discrimination on the basis of sexual orienta-
tion, but it was never able to win majority support in
Congress. By decade’s end, full civil rights for gay
Americans was still an elusive goal, as was the ability
to serve openly in the military. These goals were
largely thwarted by opposition from the American
military hierarchy and organizations heavily funded
by fundamentalist, evangelical Christians.648 Military ban on homosexuals The Eighties in America