Is 'Boots' On Netflix A True Story? Here's What To Know

The new Netflix dramedy Boots stems from a true story about a young man who joined the Marines at the height of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.

The new series is based on Greg Cope White’s memoir The Pink Marine, and Time takes a closer look at White’s experiences. The first wild story in the article is how a recruiter taped a flattened lead pipe to White’s crotch so he could make the required weight to get into the Marines.

That’s not the only wild story White has, but he did tell Time that the Marines “gave me the confidence to become myself.”

The creator of Netflix’s ‘Boots’ on self-discovery

But the journey to self-discovery was going to be challenging, since he was a gay young man headed into a world where queerness wasn’t tolerated.

“I was aware of my sexuality very early on, and I was also aware that society was telling me there was no place for me,” he said. “…I went in wondering where my place was in the masculine world.”

After joining the Marines to follow his friend, White said that he worked as hard as he could and endured the yelling and drills in order to not get separated from his friend, but to not have his sexuality revealed, which would result in being reassigned or discharged.

“There were times when I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to lift that boot off the ground and then make my next boot lift off the ground, but I did it,” he said. “I did it because I had these really rough drill instructors yelling at me, and I had a sense of pride.”

What happened at the end of boot camp?

At the end of the 13 weeks of boot camp, White had surpassed his peers, gaining, as Time describes it, “a rare meritorious promotion–one of just a few in his platoon.” He also gained self-confidence and a new level of self-belief.

“I thought, I am just as good as these guys, and actually better than 65 of them,” he said.

Boots stars Miles Heizer, Liam Oh, Max Parker, Vera Farmiga, Cedrick Cooper, Ana Ayora, Angus O’Brien, Dominic Goodman, Kieron Moore, Nicholas Logan, Rico Paris and Blake Burt. The series is now streaming on Netflix.