Gays in the Military: What About the UK, France, and Other EU Countries?
So what about the UK, France, and other countries in the EU? How do those armies and navies handle the issue of gays in the military?
Well, there are numerous countries, some with powerful militaries, that either (a) guarantee gay citizens the right to serve openly by offering protections, or (b) do not maintain an official policy protecting gays in the military but do not have a policy banning them from service either. Most EU nations, along with some non-EU countries, fall into one of these two categories.
This does not mean that gay soldiers in these countries do not experience some degree of discrimination based on their sexual orientation. Certainly, anti-gay social mores, institutional corruption, and personal prejudices still present challenges outside the United States. But at least in the UK, France, and many other EU countries, the military itself does not ban openly gay soldiers or discharge them merely for “homosexual conduct” as we do in the US. Consider the following EU nations and their policies on gays in the military:
United Kingdom. The British military is smaller in size than the American military, but it no doubt commands respect as one of the world’s most powerful armed forces. In 2000, the UK officially ended its ban on openly gay service members, with leaders finally admitting that sexual orientation is essentially irrelevant to military operations and firmly asserting that soldiers can no longer be discharged solely because they are gay. Of course, sexual misconduct policies are still in place, but those apply regardless of gender or sexual orientation. The fall of the UK’s ban on gays in the military was due to persistent challenges from gay soldiers who has been discharged, which culminated in a suit with the European Court of Human Rights. After lifting the ban, the British military performed internal studies to assess whether openly allowing gays in the military had any detrimental effects. As expected, they found no significant difference in their operations. Not only did this surprise some in the British anti-gay camp, but it also frustrated US military leaders who had once used to British ban to rationalize American discrimination by citing the relative similarity of the two militaries. Since enacting protection for gays, the UK military has also extended housing privileges and other rights to registered same-sex couples.
France. France allows gays to serve openly in the military. While there is no explicit protection for gay soldiers, there is also no ban in place. The online queer encyclopedia, GLBTQ.com, uses the phrase “laissez-faire” to describe this type of policy on gays in the military. Some French military spokespeople have hinted at their openness by poking fun at Americans, quipping that the French policy is “Don’t Ask, Don’t Care.”
Estonia and Lithuania. These EU nations are notable because they were part of the Soviet Union less than 20 years ago. After declaring independence in the early 1990s, their societies have progressed socially and there is no ban on gays in the military. In these Baltic republics, sexual orientation is seen as a private, personal matter that falls entirely outside the realm of military service, despite the shared living quarters. Gay soldiers still face some discrimination, but it is more likely to take the form of social distancing outside the bounds of the “job” itself.
The Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Demark. These Northern European countries are some of the most progressive nations when it comes to gay issues (and most other issues as well), so gays do not face any real barriers to military service here.
Spain. Before the socialist government (elected in 2004) withdrew from the “Coalition of the Willing” in Iraq, Spain had the third largest delegation of Western troops in the Middle East. Yet this country does not prevent its gay soldiers from serving in the military. In fact, since gay marriage is now legal in Spain, gay soldiers and their partners are able to enjoy the same benefits their heterosexual counterparts enjoy.
Other countries? Are there other countries that have lifted bans on gays in the military? You bet. Germany, South Africa, the Czech Republic, Israel, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Austria�.the list goes on an on.
Final comment: It should be noted that the official US “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy is not always strictly enforced. Often, whether or not a gay soldier will be discharged depends on the leadership of the unit and the degree of tolerance of officers on that base. Still, thousands of gays in the military have been discharged since the advent of the policy in 1993, including some language experts who are deemed critically useful to the so-called “War on Terror.” Given that practically all of our major European allies – the EU countries with whom we normally align ourselves – openly allow gays in the military, why are we so reluctant to take that same step forward?
