CHS grad reflects on military career under DADT

She also met many “fine men and women who deeply cared about their nation.” Furthermore, Stratford said she was never treated poorly by any member of the Armed Forces, nor has she personally met any women soldiers who were treated poorly — even though she is aware of published reports that suggest otherwise.

Inside a cheetah's cage at the Baghdad Zoo

One such report, released by the Pentagon in 2008, indicated that one-third of all women in the military have been sexually harassed. Meanwhile, a separate report released in 2009 showed that women accounted for a disproportionate share of those dismissed for being gay. There have also been widespread reports of “lesbian-baiting,” in which women have become the subject of investigations after rebuffing advances from their male colleagues, or because they did not meet traditional notions of feminine beauty.

Although Stratford did not experience such negative treatment, she did agree that she was lucky and that many gay and lesbian soldiers “did not get off as easily as [she] did.”

As for the repeal of DADT, Stratford is “absolutely jubilant” that the policy has been overturned, although she remains on the side of the “old Army” when it comes to issues such as participating in gay pride events. Noting that the military is and has always been a patriarchal institution, she believes it should be treated as such “until the winds of change cast their final blow.”

“I have a very strict view of what it means to wear a uniform,” she said, “and I don’t think any type of sexual affairs should be involved when that uniform is worn. For me, uniformity is a matter of consistency and order, and wearing a uniform should be a matter of pride and loyalty to the organization from which that uniform was issued.”

“This doesn’t mean one should lie or hide his or her true identity,” she added. “But a military is a military — cold, hard and rigid — and I wholeheartedly believe it should remain so, but without infringing on one’s individual rights as a human being serving his or her nation.”

Since the repeal of DADT last month, Stratford has enlisted friends to write to the Ellen DeGeneres Show in an attempt to get her on as a guest. And while she acknowledges that her chances of being invited are slim, she admires DeGeneres “to no end” and also believes she has a lot to share on the matter, including what it means for the future of the military.

In addition, Stratford recently published her first book, Years Becoming: The Novelized Memoir of a Veteran Harlot.

The book, which is available for purchase at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble, details the life Stratford led following her discharge for violating the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy.

Stratford on a humanitarian mission in Iraq

“As one can tell by the title itself, the book goes into depth about several taboo issues, alongside explicit language and illicit behavior,” explained Stratford. “Thus, it’s quite open for criticism from several directions.”

Among her other current projects is a business venture with a friend she met while at George Washington University, South African fashion designer Sinta Spector, the daughter of former U.S. Diplomat Brooks Spector. The project, called Nomadixx, is a non-profit organization focused on bringing light to South African art through the travel and tourism industries.

Most recently, Stratford has been working on an essay, entitled “Crossing Lines,” which she hopes to one day share with the Canton High School student body.

The essay explores a number of topics relevant to teens, including “what it means to not be true to oneself and one’s values; what it means to struggle with self-identity; and what it means to rely on drugs and alcohol as a method of ignorance.”

For Stratford, it is all part of a larger process of self-discovery and healing, and if she can help others along the way who have endured similar struggles, then all of the setbacks, all of the self-doubt and heartache she’s experienced in her own life, will have been worth it in the end.

Blanka Stratford is an occasional contributor to the Citizen. Her first book, Years Becoming, was released by Wasteland Press in September 2011.

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Posted by Jay Turner on Oct 13 2011. Filed under Features. Both comments and pings are currently closed.