Recalling Tailhook: Exposing Military Sexual Violence and Demanding Accountability

By: Amaya McCutcheon, USD '26 (Spring 2025 Intern)

In 1991, the U.S. military was rocked by scandal and forced to confront the reality of sexual violence among its numbers. The annual convention of the Tailhook Association Symposium, in Las Vegas, was infamous following reports of over 80 women and several men who were assaulted and harassed. There were no isolated cases. They uncovered much more extensive wrongdoing within military culture that had long gone unaddressed.

The heart of the scandal was what survivors referred to as the "gauntlet," a hallway at the Las Vegas Hilton where officers lined up and groped or assaulted servicewomen as they passed through. Maybe the loudest voice to emerge during this period was Navy Lieutenant Paula Coughlin, who spoke out and shared her tale. Her courage pushed the discussion and made it clear that the military could no longer turn its head on these matters.

The consequences of Tailhook were severe. Dozens of officers were investigated, and the scandal cost some their jobs, forced them into retirement, and subjected them to intense public criticism. The scandal also forced the Department of Defense to look again at how it was failing to protect its own. Tailhook was an eye-opener to many on how widespread the culture of cover-up and silence could become in powerful agencies.

What's important to remember is that this wasn't just about what happened in a hotel hallway. Tailhook uncovered a culture of abuse, neglect, and victim-blaming that is still present in some way today. Even now, military sexual trauma is a huge problem. Survivors are regularly retaliated against, disbelieved, and professionally damaged when they come forward. The institutions that are supposed to be protecting them still aren't doing their job to protect them or hold abusers accountable.

Looking back at Tailhook through records in archives like Lambda's reminds us how things went down and why they remain important today. The photos, newspaper clippings, letters, and statements included in this collection show how survivors and allies tried to push justice in a system that was stacked against them. They also remind us that real change is the work of people who are willing to speak up even when it is difficult or unpopular.

Tailhook is more than a historic headline. It is a reminder of what occurs when power goes
unchecked and institutions are given the freedom to defend themselves instead of those they represent. Remembering this moment reminds us to maintain our focus on the value of
accountability, transparency, and advocacy for survivors. It also reminds us to keep questioning hard and never stop demanding more.

Source:
Conlan, Mark Gabrish. "Over 150 Protest Tailhook Scandal." Gay and Lesbian Times, no. 247, 17 Sept. 1992, pp. 16+. Archives of Sexuality and Gender, link.gale.com/apps/doc/VLGWGK418689227/AHSI?u=lambda&sid=bookmark-AHSI. Accessed 15 May 2025.