COMING OUT UNDER FIRE

COMING OUT UNDER FIRE is an engagingly deluded documentary that seeks to build support for the homosexual agenda by making a case for the ability of homosexual men and women to serve openly in the armed forces. Through narration and interviews, the film reveals a surprisingly tolerant military atmosphere during the early stages of World War II. The film is also peppered with snippets of old Army training films that, while condemning homosexuality as a perversion, seem to condone heterosexual immorality. The documentary wants to make the point that the mere presence of homosexual soldiers within the victorious Allied forces is proof enough for the compatibility of homosexuality and military service. However, since non of the gay soldiers interviewed served openly as a homosexual, the question of compatibility remains unanswered. For all its careful research and presentation, COMING OUT UNDER FIRE still fails to make a convincing case for lifting the ban.

COMING OUT UNDER FIRE strives for the weighty tone found in other civil rights documentaries. Its sanctimonious narration takes great pains to portray homosexuals as members of an oppressed minority. It is worthwhile to note that, given its obvious political agenda, the film is devoid of any overt Christian or Republican bashing.