Don't Ask˙ Don't Tell˙ Don't Know˙ Don't Care?
- Pierson, Director Frank
- Morse, Stanley J.
Reviews the film Soldier's Girl (2003), directed by Frank Pierson. For four years Calpernia Addams served as a male medical combat specialist in the U.S. Navy. Then, as a preoperative transsexual, she worked as a female impersonator at a club in her hometown of Nashville. There she began an intense relationship with Barry Winchell, a soldier stationed nearby at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. After the purportedly true events depicted in Soldier's Girl (for which she served as a consultant), Calpernia moved to California. In July 1999, at about the same time Calpernia was participating in the Miss Tennessee Entertainer of the Year competition, Winchell was murdered in his dorm at Fort Campbell by Calvin Glover, a 17-year-old soldier wielding a baseball bat provided by Winchell's 29-year-old roommate, Justin Fisher. This film raises fascinating questions that can engender a variety of viewer perspectives. In addition to serving entertainment purposes, Soldier's Girl is likely to stimulate discussions of issues related to gender, relationships, and sexuality, particularly in social, clinical, organizational, and military psychology courses. Following are some questions to consider: (1) What roles do biological, psychological, and social factors play in sexual identity, sexual preferences, and sexual behavior? (2) What is the relationship between sex and love? Does this depend on one's own sexual orientation? (3) How do organizational settings shape and influence the expression of individual needs? Is there an inherent conflict between group cohesion and self-development, or can the two reinforce each other? (4) What is the current status of gay men and lesbians in the military? (5) What policy should the U.S. military have toward gay men and lesbians? (6) How adequate are mental health services in the military? Is it possible to effectively provide such services when mental health personnel cannot guarantee confidentiality? (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)