THE RELEVANT QUEER: Perry Watkins, US Soldier and One of the First to Challenge the Military’s Ban on Gays

“Along with being honest, the other thing my mother taught me somehow along the way is do the best you can. . . And so I do.”

TRQ: Perry Watkins, Born August 20, 1948

Perry Watkins, a United States solider who performed on stage in drag and was one of the first to challenge the military’s ban on gays, was born on August 20, 1948. 

Perry James Henry Watkins was born in Joplin, Missouri. Watkins’s parents divorced when he was 3. When Ola, his mother, married a career military man, the family moved to Tacoma, Washington. 

Watkins was open about being gay and found acceptance from his mother. He attended Tacoma Lincoln High School and studied at the Tacoma City Ballet. Growing up, he dealt more with racism than homophobia. 

Living in Germany, where his stepfather was stationed, Watkins was drafted by the Army to fight in the Vietnam War in August 1967. From the start, Watkins was honest about his “homosexual tendencies” when recruited. After the Army sent him to a psychiatrist who pressed for sexual details, Watkins qualified for military service. 

In a 1989 interview, Watkins compared his recruitment as a Black gay man with those of white gay men. “Every white person that I know, including the man that is downstairs right now, who checked that box ‘yes,’ was told, ‘Nope, you can’t go in.’ This was not just an isolated case. This was probably very common practice, particularly among people who felt like, oh, well, yes, let’s send all the blacks to Vietnam. I mean… The reason I was drafted is simply because they didn’t expect me to be here in 20 years to talk about it.” 

After his first tour ended on May 8, 1970, Watkins reenlisted. Again, he affirmed his sexual orientation. He even started performing in drag as “Simone” to entertain his fellow troops across Europe. Watkins served twice in Korea and earned several commendations. 

However, in 1981, the Army started taking a harder stance against homosexuality. In 1984, just as his enlistment was about to end, the Army forced Watkins out. He later said in an interview, “For 16 years the Army said being homosexual wasn’t detrimental to my job. Then, after the fact, they said it was. Logic is a lost art in the Army.” 

After Watkins fought in the courts for the right to reenlist, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco voted 7 to 4 that the Army had to allow him to return. The Bush Administration appealed the ruling but was defeated when the Supreme Court decided in November 1990 to let it stand. 

Watkins did not reenlist but settled the case instead. He received an honourable discharge, a retroactive promotion to sergeant first class, full retirement benefits, and $135,000 in retroactive pay. 

When Bill Clinton enacted the anti-gay Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy for the military, Watkins wanted to offer support to the gay community but was often side-lined. Less controversial white members of the community attracted the media’s attention and led the movement. 

However, in 1993, Watkins served as grand marshal of New York City’s annual pride march. In 1994, the documentary SIS: The Perry Watkins Story, a documentary on his drag performances, was released. Three years later, on March 17, 1996, Watkins died of AIDS at his home in Tacoma, Washington. 

About the Authors

Troy Wise is currently a PhD student at UAL Central St Martins and teaches fashion and graphic design at London College of Contemporary Arts. His background is in marketing and is founder and co-editor of Image Amplified. He lives in, and is continually fascinated by, the city of London.

Rick Guzman earned his most recent MA at UAL Central St Martins in Applied Imagination in the Creative Industries. He currently holds two MA’s and an MBA in the New Media, Journalism and International Business fields. Co-editor at Image Amplified since its start, he lives in London, is fascinated by history and is motivated by continuing to learn and explore. 

Sources:

Back2Stonewall

BlackPast

LGBT History Month

LGBT Nation

NYTimes