Homosexuals have served in the U.S. military throughout its history. They have not, however, served openly. Traditionally the military has removed service members, homosexual or not, who committed "sodomy" (i.e., oral or anal sex between same-sex partners). Homosexuals as a category, "sodomists" or not, were excluded for the first time during the Second World War on the advice of military psychiatrists. Nonetheless, unit commanders had discretion and, given the enormous manpower needs of the wartime military, many homosexuals served in World War II, often with distinction and without difficulty.
The official ban on their service did not appear until 1950, when Congress enacted the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Policy changes since then have become more restrictive (Davis, 1990). In its waning days, the Carter administration advanced the phrase, "homosexuality is incompatible with military service," and in 1981 the Reagan administration incorporated this language into a presidential directive. Though unit commanders often still had the final say in cases of discreet homosexuals who also were good troops, the military occasionally rooted out and discharged homosexual service members who had been serving effectively and unobtrusively. Between 1980 and 1990, the U.S. military expelled an average of about 1,500 service members per year under the separation category "homosexuality."
A number of recent events have focused attention on the issue and generated widespread debate. Several service members have by now come "out of the closet" to challenge the policy. However, the controversy flared to intense levels in 1992 when President-elect Bill Clinton announced, without consulting the Joint Chiefs of Staff, that he would honor his campaign pledge to lift the ban. The Joint Chiefs of Staff, led by General Colin Powell, publicly opposed the policy, as did Senator Sam Nunn (D-Ga.), and many Republicans in Congress led by Senator Bob Dole (R-Kans.)...................
