Ten Reasons Why Militarism is Bad for Queer People

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (lgbtq) people cut across race, class, gender, and nationality lines and represent a full spectrum of political opinions.There are queer people in the military and a visible queer presence at almost every recent peace rally. Queer organizations, listserves, and communities have been rife with debates about what position to take on a war with Iraq. Meanwhile, lgbtq people remain under attack by military and fundamentalist governments around the world, including the U.S. While some might argue that war is not a queer issue, the fact of the matter is that state violence has been a central theme in the history and lives of lgbtq people for centuries. No matter what your politics, here are some basic facts to keep in mind about war’s effect on queer people’s lives.