Cabinet documents from twenty five years ago have revealed the Keating government’s concerns about allowing gay people to serve in the military.

The cabinet papers from 1992 and 1993 have been made public today and given Australians an insight into the concerns of the government. One issue that the cabinet debated was allowing gay people to be open about their sexuality in the armed forces.

The document’s reveal that then attorney-general Michael Duffy argued in favour of dropping the ban, while Defence Minister Robert Ray put forward the view that a ban on gay personnel should remain. Ray was putting forward the view supported by the Defence Forces’ leaders.

At the time the defence forces had two contradicting policies. A 1986 directive that banned homosexual activity stating that it was; “prejudicial to effective command relationships and to the maintenance of the high levels of morale and discipline necessary for the efficient functioning of the ADF”.

However in 1992 the defence forces had also adopted a policy stating that it had no concerns about the sexual activity of personnel as long as it did not effect operations.

Duffy argued that the two policies were inconsistent, while Ray put forward defence’s position that the band should remain.

“Homosexual behaviour or tendencies destroy the intimate bonding of the group because of the fear that the physical and psychological elements of military cohesion may be misrepresented and mistrusted as sexual in nature and, therefore, intrusive and threatening,” Ray argued in a Cabinet submission.

There was also concern that people wouldn’t want to sign up to serve in the defence forces if they knew gay people would be among the ranks.

“It is likely that a change in homosexual policy would influence the readiness of parents to permit their children to join the ADF and adversely affect its ability to recruit from the very important under-18 age bracket,” Ray argued in his submission.

The submission argued that while there were international human rights obligations in regards to not discriminating against homosexual people, a ban from the military could be justified because of the “inherent requirements of the job”.

The majority of the cabinet disagreed with the concerns and the ban was lifted in 1992.

Since 2009 same-sex domestic partners have had the same access military pensions and superannuation as mixed sex couples, and in 2010 the ban on transgender people serving was lifted.

OIP Staff

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Cabinet papers released today show that 25 years ago the Australian government was told that allowing gay and lesbian people to openly serve in the military would lead to enlisted defense force personnel being preyed upon by gay men.

Robert Ray who was Defence Minister at in the Keating government in the early 90’s, argued against allowing gay people to serve in the military.

“Protection from homosexual abuse is significant in situations where young and influential Service personnel are required to live in segregated, single-gender, barrack-style accommodation,’’ Senator Ray said in a Cabinet submission.

“The opportunity for abuse by homosexuals in these instances is, therefore, much greater than that by heterosexuals.’’

The Defence Minister’s position was backed by the senior officers in the Australian Defence Forces but was overruled in favour of a positive approach taken by then Attorney General Michael Duffy.

A formal ban on LGBT service personal was introduced in 1986, shortly after homosexuality was decriminalised in the ACT. The policy called for people who were revealed as being gay or lesbian to be terminated from their employment.

“Homosexual behaviour is not accepted or condoned in the Defence Force. The ADF policy on homosexuality is that when a member admits to or is proven to be involved in homosexual conduct, consideration is to be given to the termination of that member’s service.” the policy read.

In 1992 a new policy was introduced that stated, “The ADF has no concern with the sexual activities of its members provided they are not unlawful and are not contrary to or inconsistent with the inherent requirements of the ADF.”

The previous policy however was not rescinded, leading to the ADF having two opposing position statements. After the cabinet show down the 1986 policy was removed.

A cabinet note said the government could expect to have support from the gay community and social justice groups but would be criticised by veterans groups for the change in policy.

Shortly afterwards RSL National President Brigadier Alf Garland told the Sydney Morning Herald that his organisation believed that homosexuals were “sexual deviants who have a medical problem and should not be treated any differently to drug addicts”.

The gay community found an unexpected ally however in highly respected WWII prisoner-of-war Sir Ernest Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop who told the the same newspaper there had always been homosexuals in the armed services.

“Don’t let us delude ourselves … It is a mistake if you start labeling people too hard,” he said.

The Keating government’s decision to allow gay and lesbian defence force personnel to serve openly put them a decade ahead of other countries including the United States and Great Britain who did not address the issue until 2011.

Today the Defence Forces proudly march in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, and the service has had many high profile gay, lesbian and transgender service people who have made a positive contribution to the armed forces.

Image: Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (provided).

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