So I’ve Probably Told This Story Before, But - My Gay And Lesbian Studies Professor. He’s Fairly

So I’ve probably told this story before, but - my Gay and Lesbian Studies professor. He’s fairly elderly; he was young in the ‘60s. And he was called up for draft for the Vietnam War. And, like most everybody who was drafted for the Vietnam War, he didn’t want to be in the Vietnam War.

This is the story of how his draft went, as best as I can remember how he tells it.

“Well, son,” said the doctor assigned to do his physical. “You seem healthy from here. Is there any condition you have that would disqualify you from serving in the United States Army?”

“Yes, sir,” said my professor. “I’m gay.”

The doctor blinked at him.

Looked at the door.

Looked back.

“Do you understand what you’re telling me? Do you understand what this means?”

What this meant, in 1969, was that he would be sent home, with the information given to everyone in his hometown about exactly why he had been sent home. It meant he would be disowned by his family. It meant he could pretty much never get a job again. And this was decades before Lawrence v Texas, so it also meant he could very well get arrested.

But, you see, my professor had already been outed. And all these things had already happened.

So “yes, sir,” he said.

“Are you absolutely positive?”

“Yes, sir. My boyfriend is waiting for me outside. Would you like us to demonstrate?”

My professor did not go to Vietnam.