Leaders in a democracy are elected by the people and for the people, what happens when the majority of the people believe in insubordination based upon race, sexuality, and socio-economic status is outlined by both Margot Canaday and Laura Briggs in their pieces Building a Straight State: Sexuality and Social Citizenship under the 1944 G.I. Bill (Canaday) and “Demon Mothers in the Social Laboratory” (Briggs). The American government has historically followed and created policy off of social norms; as societal norms have dictated it to be, anyone perceived as socially deviant is automatically considered less than. As this perception becomes status quo, eugenic laws arise, mostly in the form of arbitrary policies that are used to discipline people based on their sexuality, race, gender and socio-economic status. `
The implications of the G.I. Bill as described by Margot Canaday fits into these qualifications of exclusive and discriminatory, as this is the status quo. In the first paragraph, the G.I. Bill is stated to be one of the most “far-reaching” social bills since the second half of the 20th century, thus being said the exclusions built into the bill were no mistake and only mirrored what could get past a partisan congress (Canaday 935). Though the intention of the G.I. Bill is perceived by most to be beneficial, it inherently like everything else of this time promoted the straight white male, through the exclusions outlined within the policy.
As the G.I. Bill reinforces the straight white male, this translates into the idea of a superior citizen. The bill promoted the perception of the model citizen and the model soldier, by allocating who could and could not get the benefits of the bill. The G.I. Bill benefitted those who fit into the cookie-cutter lifestyle and fit acceptable societal practices. By praising and backing a specific type of person being, the straight white male, you punish anyone who is deviant from this reality. Specifically within the bill, if you were dishonorably discharged from your time in the military you were ineligible for benefits. Being dishonorably discharged includes as outlined by the Veterans Administration (VA) “G.I. Bill benefits to any soldier with an undesirable discharge ‘issued because of homosexual acts or tendencies’” (Canaday 935). Thus punishing anyone perceived to be acting in a homosexual way or anyone who was homosexual. This in turn pushed people to choose between their sexuality and lively hood. Because of this many were forced to live in a lie, a heterosexual lifestyle through heterosexual marriage, sex, etc.
In the military, those who received a dishonorable discharge or a “blue slip” included overall "drug addicts, bedwetters, alcoholics, and African Americans soldiers who challenged racism...5,000 undesirable discharges for homosexuality" (Canaday 942). This alluding to the fact that the government perceived homosexuals as the previous terms mentioned. The implications go further to find themselves into everyday society, once it was heard that a man was dishonorably discharged discourse would immediately follow discussing the implication of whether or not the person was a homosexual or not, this discourse was so common that it was not just limited to those who were dishonorably discharged (Canaday 946). It was always up for question the circumstances following a man’s exit from the military, especially if no proof was shown that their discharge was deemed honorable. This alluding to the fact that homosexuality was not socially acceptable, or acceptable by the government within that time. By creating requirements to exclude homosexuals the state has therefore used sexuality as a mode of discipline which has then affected these people’s lives.
Within more modern implications of how the military has affected the LGBTQIA+ community, the military’s “don't ask don’t tell” policy has taken a more passive approach to the issue of sexuality. By having a policy that asks people to do nothing, you, therefore, let prejudice, discrimination, and homophobia dictate what happens to these individuals who identify with this community. This policy inherently tries to remain neutral on the issue but ends up taking a side. Anyone passive within an issue of injustice amongst someone else has inherently taken the side of the oppressor. By having this policy the military has dictated that people must be closeted or hide their sexuality in order to serve their country, deeming anyone with a deviant sexuality as unpatriotic, and thus promoting the straight white male because they are not forced to hide.
Government mirrors society’s thoughts and governs according to society’s regulations, that is the power of the people. The government works for the people, meaning public scrutiny and popular morals play a big factor in who gets elected and what policies are up to pass. As this ideal arises throughout history, and the notion of what is considered an acceptable and unacceptable sexuality arises we face the reality that discriminatory and exclusive laws continue to arise as well. Sexuality in Briggs’s piece is dictated differently, through the eugenic laws outlined, the sexuality of Puerto Rican women is demonized by their sexual feelings, practices, and thoughts. This is where the idea of the demon mother comes into play.
As outlined by Laura Briggs in her piece, the government felt the urge to address overpopulation and dictated this as the “key to plans for economic improvement” (Briggs 112). This would directly translate into “members of the younger, professional class of Puerto Ricans, being encouraged to use birth control and surgical sterilization” (Briggs 112). As Briggs highlighted specific eugenic legislation towards Puerto Rican women, it is pertinent to highlight that these laws affect their sexuality and how they relate with their partners and themselves. By the government promoting surgical sterilization and birth control, the government is promoting a preferred dictation of what they would like Puerto Rican women to do with their bodies. As this is already problematic in itself much of these sterilizations were misrepresented leaving Puerto Rican women ill-informed on these procedures.
As Puerto Rican women were perceived as one of the reasons and solutions to overpopulation their sexuality was up to be dictated by the government through specific laws like Law 116. Throughout Briggs’s piece she continues to state how “Women’s sexuality and reproduction were crucial to both Third World nationalism and to the post-colonial development apparatus; once again, the struggle was over who would regulate and manage the bodies of working-class women. Second, while genocide may not be the point, the larger framework of overpopulation was; only the dangerous figure of the demon mother could launch the research enterprise of the pill across the shoals that were so self-evidently there” (Briggs 130-131). As described if “women’s sexuality and reproduction were crucial” it is implied that since it was important to US Nationalism, it was important for Puerto Rican women to get on board with this initiative, and if not the US would find another way, which is what was achieved in the long run. By taking away these women’s choices through tactics of misrepresentation, and intentionally providing misinformation, as well as having power figures promote birth control left these women dependent, obligated and vulnerable (Briggs 122).
As these women were left without a choice, the government ruled their reproductive lives and left these women unable to decide for themselves whether they would like to have more children. The government enforced legally the idea that Puerto Recan women should stay celibate, which further enforced the perception that large families were to be the backwardness of women (Briggs 116). Due to the implications of these laws any woman, specifically Puerto Rican women, who continue to reproduce, or do not take birth control is then seen as a problem and considered deviant. By focusing and controlling Puerto Rican women’s fertility and reproduction habits the US government has controlled these women’s sexuality in the process.
As society dictates government, the government then dictates society and perpetuates societal norms and values. This also perpetuating a status quo as outlined by both authors throughout their respective pieces.
Bibliography
Briggs, Laura. Reproducing Empire: Race, Sex, Science, and U.S. Imperialism in Puerto Rico 2019, pp. 109–142.
Canaday, Margot. “Building a Straight State: Sexuality and Social Citizenship under the 1944 G.I. Bill.” Journal of American History, vol. 90, no. 3, 2003, pp. 935–956.