Equal treatment

Homosexuals have served in the Philippine military throughout its history. They, however, never bandied their sexual orientation, preferring to keep it secret. In other countries “practicing homosexuals” were dismissed during the Second World War on the advice of military psychiatrists.

Nonetheless, commanders had the discretion to keep homosexuals in their units and, given the enormous manpower needs of the wartime military, many of them served in World War II, often with distinction.