Serving in Silence Movie Discussion

  Hello, dear reader. As a part of our Advanced English course we watched a movie called "Serving in Silence" and had to answer as a group a few questions about it. These will be answered below:

1. Describe these reactions: A. Military

When Margarethe Cammermeyer told the military about her sexuality, their reaction was to immediately discharge her, but as an “Honorable Discharge”.

B. Father

When she told her father, he somehow understood, but feared for her position in the army. Also, he believed that she should not tell everyone about it because it was an inside-of-the-house matter.
C. Children (in order from oldest to youngest):

Matt: He said he already knew and he understood completely.

David: He was understanding and decided to go to live with his mom after he had problems with his dad.

Andy: He asked her if she decided to become a lesbian, but accepted her anyways.

Tom: At first, he was avoiding her. But as the movie goes on we see that he accepts her mom in the end.

2. Margarethe's decision to tell: 
   A.  The military: Margarethe had never been asked before whether she was a homosexual or not, so she was never put in that position before. In the moment she was asked, she did not lie about her feelings and told the truth even though she was sure that would affect her in a bad way. The Army felt that it would have been better if she had kept that information to herself.
   B. Her children: As Margarethe told the military and was facing the problem, she decided to fight back and sue the Army. Of course, this will to fight would bring a lot of public attention to her and that would affect, not only her, but also the members of her family, including her children, and that was why she decided to tell them the truth.
   C. Her father: Margarethe was particularly afraid of telling her father, being the oldest and most conservative of her immediate family. When her father told her that he was coming to live with her, she decided to tell him before he found out by himself when he arrived.
3. What is your reaction to this true story? Do you believe that she should have kept her secret or told it to everyone? Explain your response why.
1. Angel Carrillo:
1. I am a little indifferent about the story, still, I guess this was bound to happen anyway.  I know that she just said it because she was asked, but it all escalated because she did not know about the new rule about sexual orientation.
2. Crystal O’Neill:
1. My reaction to this story is nothing out of this world. In my opinion this is a saturated topic in the society we live nowadays, although it is still sad that these things happen. Anyways, I do feel sympathy for Margarethe, since I know how hard it can be to be judged by everyone, even though you are not any less of a person than them and are not doing anything wrong. About the question of whether she should have told the truth about her sexuality or not, I believe she did the correct thing because she did what a loyal, true soldier would have done, and she followed her beliefs to the end, which is admirable.
3. Jeanette Marquez:
1. I think she did a good thing telling people and not lying, since she wasn't doing anything wrong.  I know that at this decade was a taboo, so she did make a statement by suing the military, because they had no reason to fire or discharge her.
4. Paula Delgado:
1. Being a daughter of a veteran attendant I know first hand what affects the discrimination against the LGBTT community in the military can cause.  I think that Margarethe was very bracy for being one of the first people to stand up for her rights as a homosexual in the military.  I liked that she told the truth about her sexual orientation to the world.  Not many people had the courage to do that and with that bravery, she opened the door to many other military personnel.
5. Hector Rodriguez:
1. It’s a sad story about inequality.  I believe that since it not a “life-death” situation, she should have kept it secret for the sake of her job.
6. Nicolas Torres:
1. I believe Margarethe did the right thing. By saying the truth, she created a wave of events that concluded in changing the code of the army concerning homosexuality.  I think that Margarethe’s pride led her to make the decision; because she honors the military code so well, she spoke the truth and wasn’t afraid of the consequences do to the fact that nothing had changed in her life when she said she was a homosexual.
4. How would Dr. Kinsey explain the Margarethe Cammermeyer’s sexuality?  She is a mother of 4 boys so how can she be lesbian? Is it her choice?
1. Dr. Kinsey might have said that Margarethe’s sexuality changed over time.  First she was married to a man and had four children.  According to Kinsey, it would be normal to love a man, and over time, love a woman.  Margarethe made her choice to marry and have children.  One might argue that she had been distracted from her homosexual identity for a time. Then she meets Diane.  For whatever reason, Margarethe had been able to discover, or re-discover, her identity as a woman who is attracted to other women.  In turn, it was her decision to act and live with Diane.  
5. What does Margareth believe about her sexaulity as it relates to her identity?

Margarethe tells her sons when she reveals her sexual orientation to them, that she has somehow always known that she was a homosexual. It is not something that she chose to be but something that defines her as a human being. She explained to her family, her superiors and the man that interviewed her for her security clearance, how her sexuality is characterized by her identifying and forming emotional bonds with women and that in turn is part of what makes her who she is.