z Gay & Bi Women in the Military

Contrary to what you might think, lesbians can have a pretty rough time in the military, especially tomboyish dykes as opposed to fem-looking lesbians. Everyone is expecting women in the military to be gay, so straight women in uniform can be especially sensitive to this. They consider their gay sisters as a bad mark on the family name, and often display a total lack of tolerance. Lesbians in the military quickly learn this, and constant scrutiny can become nightmarish. While straight girls in the military can have a sexual heyday, lesbians in the military say they won't even risk kissing another woman in "the privacy" of a base apartment, let alone muff-diving when on government-owned real estate. All eyes are on any woman who is thought to be gay.

In her piece "No Ass, No Tail," Myriam Gurba says that real military dykes aren't getting laid. She quotes one lesbian who said she believed herself to be the only dyke among 60 girls in her basic training outfit. Given the rampant homophobia, she said, "I think living in close quarters with 60 women was actually one of the most dreadful experiences I've had to endure."

While there can be opportunities for homosexual exploration, it would seem to be among women who no one suspects as being gay. Otherwise, they are too well watched for it to be comfortable.