"HONOR BOUND: A GAY NAVAL MIDSHIPMAN FIGHTS TO SERVE HIS COUNTRY" (JOSEPH STEFFAN).   Term Paper ID:21792 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Examines effectiveness of autobiographical approach to gay author's life & fight for his rights.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Examines effectiveness of autobiographical approach to gay author's life & fight for his rights. Paper Introduction: Joseph Steffan, in his Honor Bound: A Gay Naval Midshipman Fights to Serve His Country, presents his argument---for gays' right to serve in the military---in the form of autobiography. This form is far more effective than a traditional argumentative presentation would have been, primarily because of the nature of the issue and the specific position taken by the opponents of gays' right to serve. The issue of gays in the military is not an issue about public policy which involves merely rational discourse. To the contrary, it is a highly emotional issue in which opponents of gays in the military react from a place of hatred and, especially, fear. Gays have been demonized by forces opposed to their serving, and those forces are not about to respond to a traditional Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. But every day it was there, lingering in the background waiting to pounce (1 3). . We must have the best people . They also believe that gays are always on the prowl for sexualconquests. We see his determination in high schoolwhich leads to excellence in track. . Steffan introduces us to himself and his life in a simple,straightforward, candid style. . Honor Bound. Probably few individuals who think that homosexuality is wrong,immoral, a crime against nature, etc., are going to change that view.Steffan's book, however, is not primarily trying to bring about such afundamental change of mind with respect to the sexual act itself. But once the bigot begins to respect or admireor even like an actual real individual human being who is gay, itestablishes a conflict in the bigot which forces him to decide between hisabstract bias and his personal connection with that actual human being.Certainly the reader---homophobic or not---who reads Steffan's book withanything approaching an open heart and open mind will come away with at thevery least a decent measure of respect for Steffan. In the firstplace, it is painfully clear that Steffan has not "chosen" to be gay. . But in exchange, I retained something far more valuable-- -my honor and my self-esteem (144-145). In that one statement, I had given up my dreams, the goals I had spent the last four years of my life laboring to attain. . Gays have been demonized by forces opposed to their serving, andthose forces are not about to respond to a traditional argumentative text.The only information which will have any chance of changing the opponents'minds is information which "de-demonizes" gays, which humanizes them in theeyes of those opponents. Joseph Steffan, in his Honor Bound: A Gay Naval Midshipman Fights toServe His Country, presents his argument---for gays' right to serve in themilitary---in the form of autobiography. . If a homophobic person hasnever had a gay friend, it is easier to maintain that prejudice. Such a personal, autobiographical declaration is much more effectivethan an abstract, traditional argument. This form is far more effectivethan a traditional argumentative presentation would have been, primarilybecause of the nature of the issue and the specific position taken by theopponents of gays' right to serve. . I had fought, prayed, and hoped that it was just a phase, that I would wake up one morning and the attraction would be gone. If we are to assure the survival of these ideals in a world where war exists, then we must be best at war. Here Steffan combines rational argument with emotional appeal---he iswilling to die to ensure that his and others' freedom to be themselvesremains intact. . BibliographySteffan, Joseph. Of course, such homophobes are not the only audience of this book.Steffan also wants to encourage other gay men and women "to come out, to beopen about who they are, and to educate their friends, family, co-workersand classmates" (243). This humanization process cannot be carried outprimarily through the traditional argument based on reason and logic. He acknowledges that he had misgivings about the militaryand war, but he adds that These concerns were tempered by my strong belief in the ideals of the United States, especially the understanding that all people deserve freedom---the freedom to simply be themselves, and to live their lives without fear or oppression. Steffan's book is written in part to change such views. Those who fear and hate gays will be moved, if anything can movethem, by Steffan's self-portrait, which shows him to be a young man who isdedicated to his country and to the Navy, and who offers no threat to thesexuality or the morale of other men, or women, serving in the military.The sub-title of the book makes the author's point---Steffan "fights toserve his country," not to be near other men in order to seduce them or toundermine the morale of the Navy. We see his wholesome family life, andhis decision to go to the Naval Academy at Annapolis, based on his idealsand patriotism. Mostvirulently anti-gay individuals are straight men who know they would beconstantly trying to "score" if they were in an environment full of women.Naturally, they assume that gay men will be similarly trying to constantly"score" in an environment full of men. Infact, he fights his gay feelings: Since the first inkling of doubt about my sexuality, the first spark of attraction to men, I had resisted. and I had to be willing to be one of those people (16). It is difficult to imagine any reader, even an anti-gay individual,not feeling a sense of admiration for Steffan when he decided to declare tohis commanding officer that he was, indeed, gay: It was a moment I will never forget, one of agony and intense pride. The objectof bias is in the abstract. If Steffan can accomplish this small shift in the heart of a fewhomophobic readers, he has accomplished much. A grudging recognition thatSteffan is a good man, a good patriot, a good Naval officer, can be thefirst step toward the conclusion that he has every right to serve in themilitary, gay or not. Personal experience tells this writer that those anti-gayindividuals are projecting their own sexual philosophy onto gays. It is this writer's personal experience that, in general, those whoare anti-gay, and anti-gays in the military, believethat gays choose to be gay, and therefore could choose to stop being gay atany time. To the contrary, it is a highlyemotional issue in which opponents of gays in the military react from aplace of hatred and, especially, fear. Steffan survives the grueling experience at Annapolis.Simply to be accepted by Annapolis was a feat, for the Academy accepts onlyone in eleven applicants, barely half of the number of applicants acceptedby Harvard. By showing the agony and anguish andcourage and determination of one actual gay man as he undergoes such anodyssey, certainly Steffan hopes to show the anti-gay reader that at leastthis one gay man is every bit as human as heterosexuals, every bit asdeserving of any right or privilege afforded heterosexuals, and certainlyworthy of serving his nation in the military. New York: Avon, 1993.----------------------- 6 This is an important point, because any individualattempting to persuade "the other side" to change its mind must be willingto accept that such a process can be gradual. He is confronted with the loss of hisbeloved career because of who he is. Certainly, if an anti-gay individualis going to be moved, he will be more likely moved by such a personal andintense experience on the part of an actual human being---JosephSteffan---than by a traditional argument in the abstract. WhatSteffan's book is trying to do is change the view that homosexuality is adetriment to serving in the military. This should help convince anti-gay protesters that gays are born gayand that such sexuality is not a matter of simple choice to be or not to begay. The personal accomplishments of Steffan throughout his young lifehave to impress even those who would read his book and still be opposed togays in the military. Again, such an ambition is accomplished much moreeffectively through a moving autobiography than through traditionalargument. The issue of gays in the military is not an issue about public policywhich involves merely rational discourse. The sense of injustice that follows this declaration is intense.Steffan's career is threatened not because he has tried to seduce astraight man, not because he has done anything illegal, not even because hehas engaged in a homosexual act. 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