Celebrating active duty and veteran military personnel around the world today.
Countries throughout the world have days set aside to honor their veterans. The Day of Memorial and Respect For Veterans is widely celebrated in Kosovo on March 6 each year. The country fought a war of independence in 2008. People go to cemeteries and place flowers to honor those who died. There are fireworks and parades to show respect for active duty military and veterans.
In the US, we will have a similar celebration at the end of May. Memorial Day is also the unofficial kick-off of the summer season. But right now, without the beach trips to distract us, let’s consider a few important facts:
- In the early 1940s, being LGBTQ was classified as a mental illness. Discovery resulted in a dishonorable discharge from the military if discovered.
- It wasn’t until 1993 that the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy came into effect, and it took 18 years for Congress to repeal this policy and allow gay, lesbian, and bisexual people to serve openly.
- The ban on transgender military personnel was only lifted most recently in 2021.
- Despite the hardships and difficulties faced, there are an estimated 79,000 active duty LGBTQ people in the US military, and over 1 million veterans.
To remember and honor the brave LGBTQ veterans who have served in the military in the US and around the world, we bring you three sapphic books where the main character is a veteran. For more options, check out our complete list here.
