Conduct Unbecoming

Randy Shilts?s third nonfiction novel chronicling the struggles and triumphs of the gay movement, culture, and lifestyle is perhaps the most in-depth of all his works. Exhaustively researched, and impeccably detailed, Conduct Unbecoming reads like a textbook (albeit a very interesting one) on how one of the most established institutions in the United States harassed and interrogated U.S. citizens, destroyed careers of literally thousands of men and women in uniform, and maliciously and ruthlessly discriminated against persons based upon their sexual orientation. The Chicago Tribune essentially called this book a ?series of short stories.? Horror stories. What Randy Shilts unearthed in this stunning, massive tome is the betrayal, disloyalty, dishonesty, and hypocrisy, faced by gay and lesbian men and women who fight and die for this country. And indeed, the history of these injustices dates back many hundreds of years. The opening pages are filled with the stories of some of the very first issues of homosexuality brought up in this country by soldiers in the Continental Army during the American Revolution.However, as so eloquently told by Mr. Shilts, these transgressions by the military and government are not a thing of the distant past. They continued to happen: throughout the years of the Korean War, the distraught era of the 60s and the Vietnam conflict, the social upheaving of the 70s, the regressive epoch of the 80s under Reagan, and even the first few years of the 90s when Clinton?s widely ineffective and over-rated ?Don?t Ask, Don?t Tell? policy was put into effect. However, whereas the book ends, the injustice, bigotry, and ignorance among our troops and all our people continues to grow and spread.This is not merely a history of gay and lesbian soldiers in the U.S. military, as the subtitle states. This is a history of the entire gay movement. However, because the main focus of the story is that of gays and lesbians in the Armed Forces, the reader is not afforded every intricate detail of other social changes occurring at the same time. To ask that of Shilts would have been to ask for an entire set of encyclopedias. With only three books, Randy Shilts is most likely my favorite nonfiction author. How unfortunate that we lost this great man and his words to a disease he spent so much of his career reporting on. We have only the legacy of his works to remind us of what a great man he was, and of all that he did for humanity.

Randy Shilts has written what can only be described as the most important book regarding the issue of gays and lesbians in the United States military. In a concise and fluid style, Shilts presents an issue that has been an ongoing problem for every branch of the military since the policy barring openly gay men and women from serving was first enacted.He presents individual stories of servicemen and women who have been harrassed, verbally abused, assaulted and ultimately drummed out of the military for being gay. More often than not, those forced out have had stellar service records as well as numerous commendations from their superiors. The issue has also stretched to include heterosexual personnel who have been mis-identified as gay or lesbian. Shilts is able to present an even look at an outdated policy that has not only cost the Pentagon millions to enforce, but has ultimately cost the military some of its best and brightest soldiers, sailors and airmen.

Scrutiny of implementation of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy on gays and lesbians in the military reveals a situation far worse than it was before. "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" continues to be a flagrant violation of the First Amendment, effectively silencing the ability to define one's self. Just to say the words "I'm gay" is grounds for removal - not only from the military, but from a job, from future employment, and from a community of friends, sometimes family. To be allowed to exist in an environment where you are encouraged to be all that you can be - as long as you don't tell anyone about it, and as long as you don't act on your convictions - is psychological torture, and absurd government policy. 'Conduct Unbecoming' serves both as a vote for more enlightened government policy, and as a testament to the courage of gays and lesbians who have served, fought, and died for this country.

Mr. Shilts provides a thoroughly detailed history of the persecution of homosexuals in the U.S. Armed Forces from Colonial Times to the Present. This book should be required reading in every history class throughout America.

Today I heard the news that our military is separating more homosexuals now under the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy than ever before. As the mother of a gay son, I was truly horrified to learn of the lengths our government is willing to go to enforce a policy that can no longer be rationalized. This book was one of the scariest I've read concerning our government's homophobic response to individuals who wish to serve their country honorably