Queer Theory: Sociology - Research Paper Example

There is a need to institutionalize the opportunity to serve one's country regardless of sexual orientation. Contrary to common wisdom, there are no inherent dangers or inefficiencies whenever these gay people are allowed to serve, in terms of military discipline and unit cohesion, as a fighting unit. Considering that the U. S. military is a volunteer army (the compulsory draft had been removed), then all the more reason why all kinds of people should be allowed to serve their flag as long as they are qualified in terms of educational attainment, physical requirements (height, vision, etc.), mental stability and emotional maturity.

There is no reason to discriminate against homosexuals when society as a whole has accepted the fact that gays are normal people like anybody else. In other countries, gays openly serve in their military services without fear of discrimination or any kind of ridicule or subjected to some form of punishment or threats of dismissal. U. S. military top brass and the politicians in Washington D. C. should make the repeal of the DADT policy a permanent fixture so that the United States will be in line with other countries like Great Britain, Israel and Canada.

Banning them from military service has no place in today's modern society. The term queer is variously defined as something that is abnormal, eccentric, unconventional and strange with regards to behavior, habits, actions, language and mannerisms. Queer has entered a common usage in the ordinary language as a slur, referring to members of the sexual minorities consisting of gays and lesbians. This word has been turned around on its head and used instead as a source of gay pride and self-identification by this much-maligned community.

Anyone who is not heterosexual is therefore labeled as queer (gay or homosexual) which denotes or connotes a hidden fear termed as homophobia. Originally used as a derogatory term, the word queer since the 1980s, has been used in a more positive light by the gay community to include people with other sexual leanings such as bisexuals and trans-gendered persons as a catchall umbrella designation. Today, the queer theory as postulated by sociologists and psychologists is largely discredited. The previous military ban was a carryover of this prejudiced view regarding gays, which it perceived as incapable of doing their duty in combat situations and cannot be depended upon.

Queer theory emerged later in the early 1990s as a response to studies made on women's rights movement and it was first coined by Ms. Teresa de Lauretis at a seminar conference. This theory implicitly accepts the possibility (however remote) that people who act against the norms are considered as queer, in relation to the normative aspects that especially pertains to sexuality. This expounds on the idea that gender identification is merely a social construct that is perceived by the majority to be a duality, such as male and female, man and woman or black and white.

It is high time the U. S. military does away with its ban on gays permanently as it is anachronistic. It should modernize its recruitment and human resource policies in tune with the changing times. A Social Construct – gender need not necessarily be bi-polar, in the sense that sexuality is actually formed on a scale or range of sexual behaviors. In this regard, being male or female is the