Customer Reviews

Sailors and Sexual Identity: Crossing the Line Between "Straight" and "Gay" in the U.S. Navy (Haworth Gay & Lesbian Studies,)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I went into the Navy at 17 because I thought I was gay and it would "cure" me. 20 yrs later I read this book and I was floored!Mr Zeeland hits it right with his candid wit and true facts. I fell in love with this book. THis book is for anyone who is trying to fix what cant be fixed. My 4 yrs in the USnavy was the best time I ever had. I recommend this book, not for a sexual lark but for its insight on the true feelings of young gay men trying to prove to society that they are ok! Bravo Mr Zeeland

Zeeland's book is an honest account of the sexual frustrations and sexual activities that have always been a part of shipboard life. Many men are attracted to the overt masculinity of life in uniform in a largely all-male environment. "Sailors" is a gut-level view of the men who proudly serve their country, but also have natural sexual needs that they must address. This is the most honest book on the subject to come out as yet. Zeeland is also a good writer, and he knows how to make his subject immediate and alive. I was impressed.

The book was fun for me because not only was it fairly sexually explicit but Zeeland asked a number of good questions and got good answers. One of the things he concentrated on was sexual identity but his interviewees promptly knocked that one on the head because in their experiences in the Navy most men were sexually available to other men, whether married, straight, gay or just attractive.

There were a number of observations about the true homosexual nature of the military where men are men and confined to each other's company. One officer sppoke about the homosexual nature of command where you love your men and care for them.

I found one observation of an interviewee particularly telling: " For the most part, the generals seem to be having a far bigger problem with sexuality than anyone. And I wonder sometimes if that isn't because - if the military, when they lift the ban [on gay servicemen], will fundamentally change, and a lot of straight men who need to play around with the guys all the time and fulfill that side of their needs aren't going to be able to as freely. And some of the rituals which go on in the military, which are very homoerotic, and almost homosexual, aren't going to be able to be done. If you have all the gay people out being gay, the things that are more homosexual are going to be labelled as homosexual. And I think that it will greatly change. In fact a lot of the free-sex environment, or the fantasies, and the occaisions for a quic whatever in the military will fundamentally change. Some of the things they claim are time-honoured traditions are just amazing in how far they cross the lines of what would be proper."

This connects with my own views on the recent history of the queer communities. I think that we did it the wrong way round, sometimes, because by coming out as 'gay' or 'lesbian' or whatever, we just locked ourselves into being gay or lesbian or whatever, AND we locked the hets into being hets. It was sort of like naming names and drawing lines and everyone had to choose their team and stick with it. I am on the side of the angels and think that we all have immense capacities for love and sex in all its forms and sometimes the words do get in the way and create things that don't exist.

If I had a chance to do it all again, I would just rip apart the words and the divisions and make it safe for everyone to be who they wish to be at any particular moment, and none of this choosing sides crap.

Reading this book sent me back to my Navy days. Don't let anyone tell you that the things described here in 90's San Diego were in any way isolated or atypical of what went on throughout the fleet. If anything, way back then (!) in the 70's, it was even more prevalent, down to and including the "crossing the line" activities (I'll have that delicious mental picture of more than a thousand naked men on the flight deck getting hosed off for the rest of my life!).

The engaging stories told by Zeeland's sailors accurately depict our lives in the Navy. I bought the book after reading the great excerpts on Zeeland's website. I wasn't disappointed.

These sailor interviews are very revealing and remind me of similar sailor "networks" I've been a part of. (The San Diego stuff brought back a lot of fun memories, too!)

Zeeland's book makes me glad I crossed over that line - - in a number of ways.

Through a series of interviews, Zeeland accurately captures the real-life stories of gay men in the U.S. Navy. This great book brought back many memories of my own experience as a gay Navy officer.

Yes, I say "odd." Zeeland suggests that open (or legal) homosexuality in the Navy (and armed forces generally) might result in a more constrained atmosphere of homoeroticism in the military.

After all, this is a book more concerned with sexual identity than with the narrower issue of "Don't ask, don't tell" (the policy being debated in the background of these interviews).

Every guy should read this book. Sexual identity is way more complex and interesting than we are raised to think. These sailors and marines share many insights with Zeeland, who shares them with his readers in an entertaining and literate way.

Yes, this is a beautiful book.

From the author's website and the titles of the three books I purchased, I was expecting something both steamier and more insightful. OK- I admit it- a lot steamier. Instead, the reader learns that although almost all of the men interviewed seem to be former sex partners of Mr. Zeeland, there is amazingly little sexual charge in the book. Furthermore, Mr. Zeeland gives the reader little insight into the inner workings of these gay military men. Rather, the book is an insight into him- a self-confessed "military-chaser-". Finally, the book is a dry, slow read- the book is an interview format, which I found tedious. This is a book that might be worth borrowing, but isn't worth purchasing new

I enjoyed this book! It gave me an interesting insight about the gay military members I serve with. It only strengthens my support for keeping gays in the military.

This book was made backwards. The cover is on upside down and it reads from the back right to left... hmmm... Good book but..