Highlights From The Turbulent 1960s Civil Rights Movement

The first LGBT person to beat army discharge

While “don’t ask, don’t tell” has only recently disappeared from the way that the American armed forces are managed – it might amaze you to learn that it was all the way back in 1960 when a homosexual person beat the military’s policy of issuing a dishonorable discharge to gay service people.

Source: Queerty

Fannie Mae Clackum was accused of being a lesbian and when she refused to accept a dishonorable discharge, she was court-martialed. It took a period of nearly 10 years of constant court battles for her to overturn the discharge and to win back pay. However, the case was won on a technicality of the Air Force failing to follow due process of law and it did not set a precedent for other service people.