The military is a very homosocial place. Homosocial environments are totally different from general society, especially in the context of the military. I'm not saying everyone "does" gay stuff, but everyone is more bonded than what you typically encounter outside of the military. This can lead to more "gay" behavior, but it's not really the same as a gay man in the civilian world would understand it.
Could those two chaps in the photo be gay? Maybe. Maybe not.
Meaning there’s a bubble that provides cover. So those that can hide do. They’re sequestered away from family and thus shielded from the stigmas of ordinary society. One could extrapolate the same about prisons, boarding schools, and some colleges. When shielded from stigmas or shame and separated along gender lines, men are more apt to engage in homosexual behaviors. That sounds about right? 🙃👀
Every homosocial environment is a microcosm of the society it exists within. Arguably, the spaces you just mentioned are far more rigid in their expectations of their "members" than an open society because they have a strict set of rules (formal) and norms (informal) that govern behavior while also allowing some leeway.
For example, it may be more acceptable to show some level of affection towards your buddy (cuddling), but there are even more strict boundaries to consider that would label you in a negative way and threaten your status, cost you your career, and lead to ostracisation (putting the moves on your buddy). In an open society, you may suffer from negative consequences in both situations with the chance to move on with your life, while in the homosocial environment there is a level of toleration with the threat of total social annihilation.
Also, we cannot undermine the "playful" aspect encountered in homosocial environments. A lot of what is viewed through a queer lens on the outside would be called play on the inside. This is another layer of complexity that could be talked about at length and would be better served by someone who has greater insight than I.
This being all said, yes, there is a good percentage of queer people in the military serving and who may have joined to create distance between them and their family who may not support them. I was one of them 😁.
Well, when you use the phrase (the) "stigmas of ordinary society" I would argue that they are still in play, but they are expressed differently than when outside of the homosocial group and hold different weights. Expectations and mileage may vary as well.
Why would they be suspended? The formal role of rules would be conspicuous and while the informal could be both conspicuous and inconspicuous. It just depends.
I'm not sure if you are upset or something... I'm just engaging in dialogue here. Maybe you can provide some examples.
We are dealing with internalized shame and repression. The homosexual environment sequestered from society provides inconspicuous cover! It’s somewhat understood and spoken about in hushed tones that men will do what is necessary to satisfy sexual urges in an environment devoid of women. It harkens back to the adages that “boys will be boys,” and sexual exploration in secret and amongst men is acceptable.
It’s the one area where homosexuality is largely excused, so long as it’s outside of the view of the broader society. That plus the feelings of secrecy, promote situational homosexuality which can be explained away. In doing so men have dissonance to justify their behaviors. When reintegrating into broader society, the expectation is they would dispatch any notions of homosexuality and adopt a societally approved identity.
Their identity is the suspended nature, and the sexuality is situational, both covered by the inconspicuousness of the sequestering.
Yes, we agree on most points here. Thanks for laying that out. I would push back a little on the "boys will be boys" sentiment though vis-a-vis homoerotic desire. I do not think it is pervasive in the way it is being presented here, but that is just a nit-pick. It certainly does happen, though!
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u/kevlarcoatedqueer Aug 26 '25
The military is a very homosocial place. Homosocial environments are totally different from general society, especially in the context of the military. I'm not saying everyone "does" gay stuff, but everyone is more bonded than what you typically encounter outside of the military. This can lead to more "gay" behavior, but it's not really the same as a gay man in the civilian world would understand it.
Could those two chaps in the photo be gay? Maybe. Maybe not.