The Royal Australian Navy and courts martial for homosexuality

Journal article

Riseman, Noah. (2021). The Royal Australian Navy and courts martial for homosexuality. International Journal of Military History and Historiography. 42, pp. 46-69. https://doi.org/10.1163/24683302-bja10020
AuthorsRiseman, Noah
Abstract

Until November 1992 the Australian military had longstanding rules against the presence of lesbian, gay and bisexual (lgb) service members. The policies and practices for dealing with lgb people varied across time and services, but one commonality is that rarely did cases go to court martial and were generally dealt with through administrative and other disciplinary processes. Yet, the rare cases which did go to court martial leave a hitherto overlooked archival trail that provides insight into how the Australian armed forces conceptualised and policed homosexuality within its ranks. This article examines data from courts martial in the Royal Australian Navy (ran), focusing especially on cases from the period after the Second World War. Exploring three case studies, it shows how courts martial were not so much about policing homosexuality, but rather prosecuting unsolicited advances and incidents which breached the unspoken bounds of discretion.

Keywordsgay and lesbian; LGBTIQ; Australia; courts martial; homosexuality
Year2021
JournalInternational Journal of Military History and Historiography
Journal citation42, pp. 46-69
PublisherBrill Academic Publishers
ISSN2468-3299
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1163/24683302-bja10020
Scopus EID2-s2.0-85109679816
Open accessPublished as green open access
Page range46-69
Author's accepted manuscript
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All rights reserved
File Access Level
Open
Publisher's version
License
All rights reserved
File Access Level
Controlled
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online07 Jul 2021
Publication process dates
Deposited29 Jun 2022
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