Reddit reviews The Canadian War on Queers: National Security as Sexual Regulation (Sexuality Studies)

I can think of a couple reasons. Firstly, up until right about now, the military has been very much about your sexuality. If you are not straight, you are not welcome in this career. In fact, this is still a reasonably commonly held belief one comes across. The courts forced the policy change in 1992 after it was challenged. And by a fucking courageous member at that. But, through the 50s up and until the late-1990s, the apparatus of the state was focused on finding and interrogating suspected gays in the public service, military and RCMP as they were threats to national security. The 1950s and 1960s it was worse, at the time of McCarthyism, As being homosexual was lawfully a criminal mental illness and was deemed such a threat to national security a whole apparatus was concocted to surveil and interrogate anyone suspected of being gay. The RCMP had a database of thousands of public servants and CF/RCMP members suspected of being gay- at least 9,000- and thousands lost their jobs. These people are still alive. This era gave rise to the Fruit machine. Can you imagine being accompanied by an MP to some interrogating room, strapped to a dentist chair to watch porn to pass that test?! I can imagine the stress of that making my heart rate go up; Oh hey, this guys a fag. This was ended in the late 1960s, after being used for over 20 years, but then after, CFAO 19-20 became the policy of both the military and the public service (to lesser degree):

> The investigation of the suspect's private live will start with a complete search of his apartment or quarters without any warrant. Then the Military Police will visit the schools attended, discuss with friends, co-workers, etc. asking direct and embarrassing questions. At the end of the investigation, the suspect was interrogated without any legal assistance. The job of the MP interrogators (all NCO's) was to extract a confession and the names of other military suspects. A confession was the crucial proof needed to issue a discharge from the Canadian Armed Forces. On his confession, the gay military had to sign that he was "not under duress" or "I was not coerced". Before being released, he was given a two-weeks medical counselling on how to cure his "illness". If a gay, or wrongfully suspected straight member would persist denying during the humiliating MP interrogations, he could not be released from the C.A.F. as they would have been unable to prove anything. However a letter was sent to his Commanding officer with a copy in his file, stating that he was "suspected" of homosexuality (not "accused"). That "suspicion" will follow the member from base to base throughout his career. Source: The Canadian War on Queers: National Security as Sexual Regulation

How one can claim the military isn’t about sexuality is beyond me. Up and until now, it has very much been. Rules, code, investigations, interrogations, and people employed for this very reason- to move the wheels of this apparatus of state. From the 1950s-2000 essentially, for over 50 years, a career in the military was officially about your sexuality. Being straight was a requirement of employment.

Another reason I can think of is recruitment. Do you know how often I tell people I’ve always wanted to join the CAF, and young people should consider it to, I get a negative response along the lines of they're gonna get raped, beat up or hazed. It’s disgustingly common. Again, not most of the time. But it’s reasonably commonly held response among young people. That and the CAF is for backwater fuckup hicks who can’t get a job anywhere else.

It's wrong. But then again, the most up voted belief in this thread is this is done just to 'cover your ass' from allegations of being.. what.. backwater hicks? Being accused of what it was 15 years ago? Being accused of what it still is in hushed voices and not so hushed in some?


Now I'm gonna go listen to some Cherry Beach Express- you know that great Canadian punk song chronically the days when the TPS would take gays and other people out and beat them up in the dark, you know, less 20 years ago. Till a guy died in 52 division, someone sued and people started asking questions. Seriously this was a common non-secret in the 80s it became a hit radio song in Toronto lol!

>That's why you're riding on the Cherry Beach Express
Your ribs are broken and your face is in a mess
And we strongly suggest you confess, I confess
I confess, I am mystified by the way you're occupied
I confess, I am horrified, why are you so terrified?
Does the pain get any less if I confess?

It's incredibly easy to find articles about this. Here's one. And there's even an entire book: The Canadian War on Queers: National Security as Sexual Regulation.

I happen to know like, a ridiculous amount on Canadian Queer History, thanks to personal interest and this book:

http://www.amazon.ca/Canadian-War-Queers-National-Regulation/dp/0774816287

I did a project on it for my Historical Theory class last year. Final project was to take the book and create a historical monument/primary source. If anyone wants to hear more, it was essentially a walking tour of gay spaces in Ottawa (where I live/go to school), and their history.

Also, the monument at the Canadian War Museum is incorrect, the Fruit Machine employed by the Mounties never used an E-Meter.