Sergeant Perry Watkins played by the rules. The U.S military did not. Drafted in 1968, he was thrown out fifteen years later despite his honesty and stellar record of service. He fought back and won. (Photo: Perry’s high school yearbook photo via Classmates.com)
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Listen via your podcatcher (subscribe here http://bit.ly/mgh-subscribe) or by visiting http://MakingGayHistory.com
After fifteen years of exemplary service, the Army threw Perry Watkins out. The reason? Because he was gay. Perry didn’t just walk away with his tail between his legs. With the help of the ACLU, he fought his case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and after an eight-year battle won reinstatement—one of the first to do so. There’s more to learn about Perry Watkins and his landmark legal case in this Making Gay History interview.
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Listen via your podcatcher (subscribe here http://bit.ly/mgh-subscribe) or at http://MakingGayHistory.com
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Photo: Sgt. Perry Watkins near his home in Tacoma, Washington, 1983. Credit: ©Steve Stewart for Positive Image: A Portrait of Gay America, published by William Morrow & Company,1985. www.stevejstewart.com.
New episode! Sergeant Perry Watkins played by the rules. The U.S military did not. Drafted in 1968, he was thrown out fifteen years later despite his honesty and stellar record of service. He fought back and won. Listen to more of his story via your podcatcher (subscribe here http://bit.ly/mgh-watkins) or visit
http///makinggayhistory.com
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Steve Stewart shot this photo of Sgt. Perry Watkins near his home in Tacoma, Washington in 1983 as part of a book of photographs called Positive Images: A Portrait of Gay America, published by Olympic Marketing Corp in March 1985.
Credit: Photo by Steve Stewart from his book: Positive Image: A Portrait of Gay America, www.stevejstewart.com