By Austin Wilson, guest contributor
In October 2023, The Modern War Institute at West Point published my article entitled “LGBTQ+ Inclusion and Military Professionalism.” In it, I discussed ways that the Army might better represent the service and contributions of LGBTQ+ soldiers. I felt privileged to lend my voice to an important discussion concerning greater inclusion among Army units, organizations, and communities.
However, less than two months into the current administration, I received notice that the institute was removing the article from its website. The reason? Because of “its specific mention of a cultural awareness month.”
Of course, I felt just about every emotion one might expect: disappointment, frustration, disbelief. I was completely shocked that a storied academic institution would so quickly and willingly censor its content and acquiesce to a partisan political agenda.
Given the institute’s affiliation with West Point — and therefore the military chain of command — I could appreciate its duty to comply with relevant orders and directives. As an Army officer myself, I understand the importance of following orders, even when they contradict your personal feelings or point of view.
I am not upset because the institute removed my article. What I find alarming is that a reputable academic institution in the United States was forced to remove any articles for the sake of partisan political conformity. Even more concerning is the fact that my experience is only one of countless others that have occurred since the beginning of the year.
Since January, U.S. military leadership has banned books from installation libraries, at the service academies, and in Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools around the world. It has removed thousands of online images, web pages, and articles based on a list of terms and topics the administration deems illicit. It has targeted specific student affinity groups and directed them to disband. It has forbidden the official recognition or celebration of the vast cultural diversity that comprises the civilian and military workforce.
While the Pentagon may technically be within its rights to do so, these actions are an affront to the intellectual integrity of US military organizations, institutions, and formations. They reflect a broader disdain for the First Amendment to the Constitution and a dangerous disregard for the educational and professional development of servicemembers and their families. These policies are both undemocratic and unpatriotic. In the United States of America, they are utterly unconscionable.
The strength and legitimacy of our nation’s military are reflected in its commitment to defending the rights and liberties put forth in the Constitution. If the country’s finest and bravest resort to outlawing literature and censoring public discourse, then civil society will have lost a critical guardrail against the tyranny of authoritarian rule, whether it originates beyond our borders or from within.
Allow me to switch gears into a more personal perspective. Over the last several years I’ve grown to care deeply for my brothers and sisters in arms. Some of the best friends I have made during my time in service have been those with whom I vehemently disagree on several political issues. I’ve been directly responsible for the wellbeing of soldiers who use “f*ggot” in casual conversation and openly wish for a return to the days of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” In every unit I’ve been assigned, I’ve worked with folks who held opinions and beliefs antithetical to my own.
Yet I would never seek to force them into silence or restrict their access to information that challenged my own beliefs. I would never remove pictures and stories of their accomplishments from social media because they celebrate overcoming systemic barriers and obstacles to achieve all that they have. I would never forbid them from forming support groups for one another based on their common backgrounds and experiences. I would certainly never seek to ban them from military service or use them as public scapegoats in a petty culture war. To do any of these things would not only severely diminish their trust in me, but it would also quite simply make me a terrible leader.
To my LGBTQ+ friends and allies: the past few months should remind us how quickly progress can be undone. Instead of pushing for more media representation of LGBTQ+ servicemembers, we now face policies that explicitly forbid any mention of us online. We are fighting alongside our trans friends for their right to serve in the military at all.
Again, we are hearing the tired and baseless argument that LGBTQ+ servicemembers reduce combat readiness and pose an enormous financial threat to the DOD. What proponents of these policies don’t seem to understand is that our community is nothing if not resilient, resourceful, and relentless.
We support one another, we stand up for one another, and we refuse to be intimidated. We will continue to defend our country and our Constitution with pride and honor. We will never be silenced, nor allow our existence to be erased. We will continue to demonstrate and advocate for the power of diversity and empathy, especially in the military.
Not because we want to score political points or advance some nebulous agenda, but because we stand firm in our conviction that our communities, and our country, are better off when we all live our most dignified and authentic lives.
The following is a republishing of the censored article I mentioned above, so my work in service of our community can live on. I am very grateful to Modern Military for allowing me this platform to share my work and discuss my experiences.
To read Austin’s article originally published by the Modern War Institute, please click the first image below with the logo (it will appear clearer once clicked), and navigate pages with the arrows.
