Gender Roles: Gays & Women in the Military

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Gender Roles Essay America is a prideful nation. Even though we are not the most unitized nation or necessarily peaceful, we are always striving to become more exceptional. While there are still many instances that make America a troubling place to live, we must be reminded that nothing and nowhere is perfect. If we as a nation continue to make advancements and corrections, maybe one day everyone can be satisfied and the greatest “American Dream” will be achieved. Part of the advancements for American history is the acceptance of women and homosexuals into the military. Women have advanced a long way into acceptance of equality to men since the beginning of time. Women were always viewed as inferior to men and had to wait until around the 1820s when they could even decide who they wanted to marry. Even though it may seem like America is slow to equalize human beings, considering where we came from, modern day is such a substantial difference. For the ancient Greeks, homosexuals serving in the military were acceptable. The famous philosopher Plato wrote in his Symposium that a small army in fact consisted of lovers. These lovers were described as "For love will convert the veriest coward into an inspired hero." After this find, the support of gays in the military ended. Following the Crusades, the Knights Templar were persecuted and many members burned at the stake for their same-sex affairs in the early 14th century. In the Napoleonic wars, four men aboard a British ship were hanged in 1816 for "buggery"; two other crewmen were whipped for "uncleanness" (terms used to describe deviant sexual behavior). There is even research saying General George Washington discharged an American soldier in 1778 for participating in homosexual acts. History is filled with stories of women in battle from all across the world. The ancient Greeks,
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