“You Don’t Want to Be a Candidate for Punishment”: a Qualitative Analysis of LGBT Service Member “Outness”

Abstract Introduction: Policies regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) military service members in the U.S. have changed dramatically over the last nine years. Cisgender LGB service members can now disclose their authentic identity without threat of discharge. Open transgender service was banned, then permitted, then banned again. Limited empirical evidence exists to assess the wellbeing of the estimated 74,000 LGBT service members who have served during these changes. This study seeks to address this gap by exploring the 'coming out' experiences of LGBT service members following repeal of LGBT bans. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 37 active duty LGBT military members in the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines stationed on American military bases worldwide in 2016. Results: Thematic analysis of these data found that half of participants feared that the military environment, at both the institutional and interpersonal level, is not yet LGBT inclusive. However, most participants employed outness in the military as a means
of presenting their authentic identity to others and paving the way for other LGBT service members to be “out.” Conclusions: While repeal of LGBT bans provide a sense of institutional protection and improvement in quality of life among LGBT service members, barriers to disclosure remain. As the “first generation” serving after repeals, this population weighs perceived risks and benefits to disclosure as they determine what it looks like to be an openly LGBT military member. Policy Implications: Results from the present analysis suggest retention of LGB-affirming regulations and re-implementation of transgender-inclusive policy.