Leonard W. Peacock
Leonard W. Peacock Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army (1995-2001)
My name is Leonard W. Peacock. In 1995, I decided to enlist in the U.S. Army. Going through the reception station, I was asked if I was a homosexual. I never really thought anything of it, and I said no. I wanted to serve my country, just like my father had.
After basic training, advanced individual training as an avenger air defense weapons system technician and jump school, I arrived at my first duty station at Fort Bragg, N.C., in the 82nd Airborne Division, 3/4 Air Defense Artillery Regiment. Being in the 82nd Airborne Division, I often heard racial slurs and anti-gay comments. Even the leadership at Fort Bragg said these disparaging comments, but I decided to ignore them. I did not want any attention directed toward me.
Many people suspected that I was gay but no one really said anything. In 1999, I was reassigned to Bravo Company, 782nd Main Support Battalion. When I got there, we had to go to the field for a month. When I got out of the field and was released for the weekend, I walked to my truck and found a sign with "FAG" written on it sitting on my windshield. It concerned me, but I threw it away because I didn't want to attract attention.
But the harassment didn't stop there. I got to my truck one day to see black stickers spelling out, "FAG," "RAINBOW WARRIOR," "GAY" and other epithets on my windshield. This experience in my new unit began to sour me on the military — there were so many people basing their judgments of me on stereotypes. It is deplorable when people who really don't understand constantly harass so many gay, lesbian and bisexual soldiers. Luckily, I had a couple of straight soldier friends who knew about me and treated me no differently from the rest of their friends.
I would have enjoyed continuing my service, if we were all just treated equally. As it was, I put in more than six years. Being mistreated by so many other soldiers and being discharged from the military just because of one's sexual orientation is discrimination — plain and simple. I do not understand how our society allows it to happen, if we are all so advanced and civilized. What makes gay, lesbian and bisexual soldiers different? We are not different; we all fight as soldiers. We all put our lives on the line, fighting for the same cause.
I just hope and wish that the people who decide whether or not we can serve openly in the military finally realize that we contribute equally when we're just given a chance.