Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons^™

Do Ask, Do Tell: The Exclusion Of Gay Men From Universal Male Conscription In The Republic Of Turkey, Barrett Greenwell

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

What are the implications of the Republic of Turkey’s paradoxical policies of universal male conscription and exclusion of gay men from military service? To answer this question, this project draws on four months of research in Turkey where interviews were conducted with prominent lawyers and activists as well as with gay men who personally experienced the inhumane exemption process of the Turkish military. This project first analyzes the historical reasons for the military’s pervasive influence in Turkish society. Next, it explores the many issues inherent in a policy of universal conscription without the right to conscientious objection. The project then …