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Uncle Sam's Lesbians: Power, Empowerment, And The Military Experience, Patricia Lee Davis

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Why would a lesbian choose to go into an androcentric, mysogynist environment, and, once there, choose to stay? This study examines the military experience of lesbians as represented by a group of twenty-two lesbian veterans and active duty military personnel. This research concentrates on three basic areas of concern: recruitment, retention, and the structure and function of personal networks.

The results show many similarities between this group of women and those in other studies on women in the military with regard to reasons for joining the military and background information. However, these results also indicate a connection between being gay …