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Perry Watkins (August 20, 1948 - March 17, 1996) was an African-American gay man, one of the first servicemembers to challenge the ban against homosexuals in the United States military, and the only person ordered reinstated to active military duty by a court after being dismissed for homosexuality. ==Early life and military career== Perry James Henry Watkins was born in Joplin, Missouri, on August 20, 1948, the son of Ola Watkins, a nurse. He moved with his family as a teenager and attended Tacoma Lincoln High School, where he was open about being gay. He studied dance and won speech tournaments. In August 1967, he was living in Germany where his stepfather was serving in the U.S. military, when he was drafted and at his initial examination told an Army psychiatrist he was gay. During his induction examination in Tacoma, Washington in May 1968, he stated that he was homosexual when asked, but the doctor still categorized him as "qualified for military service". He did not take any legal action or protest being drafted. Initially assigned to serve as a chaplain's assistant, Watkins was removed from that position because he was gay, but not discharged. He was trained as a personnel clerk. When harassed for being gay, he made his willingness to defend himself clear and was left alone. Throughout his military career, he made no secret of his sexual orientation. After being discharged at the end of his tour of duty on May 8, 1970, he found himself unable to find a good job and a year later reenlisted in order to further his education. He again affirmed his sexual orientation and was re-admitted. At times he dressed in drag and performed as a female impersonator under the name Simone, first in civilian life and then while stationed in West Germany where he performed at shows sponsored by the Army. His success led to engagements at enlisted men's clubs on other U.S. bases in Europe. At one point in 1972 military investigators considered removing him from the service on account of his sexual orientation but ended their investigation with the conclusion that his own admissions were insufficient and closed their investigation when Watkins would not provide the names of any others. Other assignments took him to Korea and then to Italy. He reenlisted for a six-year term in 1974. Another investigation of his sexual orientation ended in October 1975 with a decision that his excellent service record warranted his retention despite his homosexuality. His security clearance was reviewed after another investigation in 1978 at the insistence of his commanding officer. He enlisted for another three years in 1979, the third time he had re-enlisted without being challenged,〔 and decided to serve twenty years in the Army in order to retire with a pension. He had earned a B.A. in business administration. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Perry Watkins」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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