Gay, Black gymnast fds he n jt be himself at Wt Pot - Outsports

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• GAY, BLACK GYMNAST FDS HE N BE HIMSELF AT WT POT
• SO WHAT’S IT LIKE TO BE A GAY CAT AT WT POT THE DAYS?FOUR YEARS AFTER THE REPEAL OF “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL,” THE AMY IS A HOTBED OF SWEET DIFFERENCE.BY DAVE CULLENJUNE 30, 2015FROM AP PHOTO/MIKE GROLL.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVESARA EMSLEY ALWAYS KNEW SHE WANTED TO JO THE U.S. ARMY, EVER SCE SHE WAS A SMALL CHILD. “YOU N ASK ANY OF THE KIDS I MA GO THROUGH AN OBSTACLE URSE AT MY SIXTH BIRTHDAY PARTY,” THE WT POT T RECENTLY SAID. SHE DRSED UP AS SOLDIER FOR HALLOWEEN FOR “MANY, MANY YEARS,” AND NEVER PSED TO WORRY ABOUT WHETHER THE ARY WOULD LET A GIRL LIKE HER FIGHT.THEN SHE H ADOLCENCE AND BEGAN TO DISVER HER SEXUALY. SHE DIDN’T LIKE WHAT SHE FELT. GIRLS LIKE THAT WERE FORBIDN OM SERVG, SO SHE NIED HER OWN URG. SHE ULDN’T LET THEM STAND THE WAY OF HER DREAM.EMSLEY FIRST WENT TO LLEGE AT VIRGIA TECH, WHERE SHE FALLY ME OUT TO HERSELF AND TSTED OTHERS, BUT HID HER SEXUALY OM HER PEERS THE LLEGE’S R.O.T.C. PROGRAM. BY THEN, THE ARY HAD LIFTED S ABSURD “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL” POLICY, BUT EMSLEY STILL FELT WAS TOO DANGERO TO SAY ANYTHG. THEN THE U.S. MILARY AMY AT WT POT ACCEPTED HER. SHE EXPECTED TO DIVE MUCH EPER TO THE CLOSET WHEN SHE ARRIVED LAST SUMMER FOR BASIC TRAG. “I ULDN’T HAVE BEEN MORE WRONG,” SHE SAID. “I RECEIVED NOTHG BUT SUPPORT OR DIFFERENCE.”FUNNY HOW APPEALG “DIFFERENCE” SOUND. SUCH A SURPRISGLY BETIFUL WORD. AT FIRST GAYS ASKED FOR TOLERANCE, BUT WHAT A GRADG GOAL THAT WAS: WHO THE HELL WANTS TO BE TOLERATED? THEN WE ASKED FOR ACCEPTANCE, BUT MAYBE “DIFFERENCE” WOULD BE BT OF ALL. IT SOUND THAT WAY WHEN EMSLEY SPOKE ABOUT THIS MARCH AT AN OFFICIAL WT POT CEREMONY I ATTEND HONORG GAY TS AND SPECTM, THE AMY’S GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCE. INDIFFERENCE. THE ULTIMATE GOAL, THE CHERISHED HAZY OBJECTIVE GAYS HOPE FOR ON SOME DISTANT HORIZON HAS ALWAYS BEEN DIFFERENCE. WHERE NOBODY GIV A SH. YOU’RE A LBIAN? COOL—WE WON’T BE TERTED THE SAME GUYS.EMSLEY HAD REASON TO FEAR ACCEPTANCE, PECIALLY THE ARY. MUCH OF THE NATN CELEBRATED THE SUPREME COURT MARRIAGE-EQUALY CISN FRIDAY, BUT LARGE SECTORS WERE FUMG. IT’S EASY TO PICTURE SOME OF THE MOST STUBBORN POCKETS OF RISTANCE. IT’S EASY TO PICTURE WT POT RIGHT UP THERE WH AN N.F.L. LOCKER ROOM.WHEN I ENLISTED THE FANTRY, 1983, I DIDN’T MEET A SGLE GAY GUY—NOT EVEN THE MIRROR. I WAS SO SANELY HOMOPHOBIC THAT I CEIVED EVEN MYSELF. TWO GUYS MY PLATOON WERE ACCED OF GETTG TOO CLOSE, AND WAS NOT PRETTY: NO BEATGS, JT OSTRACISM AND HUIATN. AND I WAS FAR TOO TERRIFIED TO FEND THEM.NEARLY 30 YEARS LATER, WH “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL” STILL EFFECT, A LITENANT LONEL I’VE BEEN FOLLOWG FOR MY UPG BOOK ON GAY SOLDIERS ME HOME OM AFGHANISTAN. DPE WORSENG PTSD SYMPTOMS, HE ULDN’T SEE AN ARMY SHRK FOR FEAR OF OUTG HIMSELF AND ENDG HIS REER.SCE THE REPEAL OF “THE POLICY,” HOWEVER, I’VE MARVELED AT THE PACE OF CHANGE WH THE ARY. ON THREE TRIPS TO THE PENTAGON AND ANOTHER TO GUANTáNAMO BAY WH THAT LITENANT LONEL, I ULD NOT FD A SOUL WHO SEEMED TO GIVE A SH ABOUT HIS SEXUALY. BUT NOTHG PREPARED ME FOR THE WT POT BANQUET THIS SPRG.INSI A SPAC HALL WH A PANORAMIC VIEW OF A STRATEGIC BEND THE HUDSON RIVER, ABOUT A HUNDRED TS, OFFICERS, AND ALUMNI DRS BLU SAT AROUND TABL SET WH THE GOOD CHA. SPECTM HAS TWO FACULTY AND 40 T MEMBERS, A MIXTURE OF GAY, STRAIGHT, BI, AND UNCID. QUE A FEW FALL TO THAT LAST TEGORY. ONE T AT MY TABLE SCRIBED HIMSELF AS STRAIGHT, BUT THEN LATER NFID HE HAD MSED AROUND WH GUYS. STILL WORKG OUT. FAIR ENOUGH.AWARDS WERE PRENTED TO LEARS THE L.G.B.T. STGGLE, WHO GAVE STIRRG SPEECH, BUT THEY ULDN’T PETE WH THE TS WHO TOOK THE LECTERN TO RELAY THEIR STORI. MAC SIMS, A SOPHOMORE, SAID HE HAD HID HIS SEXUALY FOR A WHILE WHEN HE ARRIVED 2013. THE POLICY HAD END, BUT HE FEARED REPERCSNS. EVENTUALLY, SENSG THE DIFFERENCE, HE TOOK THE PLUNGE AND NEVER REGRETTED . “I E OM GEIA AND I WAS KD OF PROJECTG HOW PEOPLE HAD TREATED ME,” HE SAID.SIMS EXPRSED AMAZEMENT AT THE CHANGE HE’S WNSED A SGLE YEAR. AT LAST YEAR’S SPECTM BANQUET, NEARLY EVERY SPEAKER TALKED ABOUT THEIR STGGL UNR “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL,” HE SAID. THIS YEAR, WAS ABOUT THE EASE OF ACCEPTANCE—MOST TS WERE NEVER REQUIRED TO CEIVE. “THAT TIME IS BEHD ,” HE SAID.SIMS RELAYED A NVERSATN HE’D JT HAD WH A STRAIGHT LONEL WHO HAD LIVED THROUGH THE POLICY. THE LONEL SAID HE’D KNOWN OF GAYS HIS UNS OVER THE YEARS, BUT THEY ALWAYS HAD TO LIE. THIS MARCH, HE HAD ASKED A T ABOUT HIS SPRG BREAK PLANS, AND THE GUY NONCHALANTLY RPOND, “I’M GOG TO SPA WH MY BOYIEND.” DIDN’T EVEN PSE TO WORRY ABOUT .PROFSOR AARON BELK ACCEPTED THE LEARSHIP AWARD FOR HIS PIVOTAL ROLE OVERTURNG “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL.” BELK IS THE FOUNDG DIRECTOR OF THE PALM CENTER, A THK TANK DITED TO PROMOTG ACCEPTANCE OF GAYS THE ARY. HE GAVE THE TS A SENSE OF JT HOW FAR THEY HAD E. HE SCRIBED A OF SPEECH AT DOZENS OF ARY BAS, WHERE ONE TY MOMENT ON THAT VERY MP STOOD OUT. AFTER HE GAVE A SPEECH AT WT POT AROUND 2003, ONE T WAED FOR EVERYONE ELSE TO FILE OUT. ONLY WHEN WAS SAFE DID THE T APPROACH BELK TO SAY, “THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK, SIR.” THEN HE TURNED AND LEFT.“THAT WAS THE EXTENT HE FELT SAFE MUNITG WH ME,” BELK SAID.THERE WERE PLENTY OF HAPPY L.G.B. TS AT THE CEREMONY, BUT ALL THE TS WERE OLR. TRANSGENRS ARE STILL BANNED OM THE U.S. ARY—OR SO THE ARY THKS. THE HEALTHY SHOWG OF TRANS ALUMNI PROVED THAT THEY HAVE BEEN SERVG SECRET FOR YEARS.ACTIVIST ALLYSON ROBSON, A 1994 GRADUATE WHO SERVED AS AN OFFICER THE AIR DEFENSE ARTILLERY BEFORE TRANSNG, STOOD UP TO ACCEPT THE COURAGE AWARD, BTOWED ON DIVIDUALS WHO “CHOOSE THE HARR RIGHT OVER THE EASIER WRONG.” (IT’S A LE PARAPHRASED OM THE WT POT CAT PRAYER—NICE TOUCH.) ROBSON WAS ACPANIED BY HER WIFE AND WT POT CLASSMATE, DANYELLE, WH WHOM SHE HAS FOUR CHILDREN.A REARCH STUTE RECENTLY TIMATED THAT 15,500 TRANSGENR PEOPLE ARE SERVG THE U.S. ARY RIGHT NOW. DEFENSE SECRETARY ASH CARTER RAISED EYEBROWS FEBARY WHEN HE SAID HE’S “OPEN-MD” WHEN TO LIFTG THE BAN ON TRANSGENR SOLDIERS. BUT A PENTAGON SPOKMAN LATER SAID THERE IS NO “SPECIFIC REVIEW” UNR NSIRATN TO END THE BAN. LAST WEEK, OBAMA CELEBRATED GAY PRI AT THE WHE HOE, AND VED TWO ACTIVE TRANS SERVICE MEMBERS AND FOUR TRANS VETS—A FIRST.AT THE WT POT EVENT, PROFSOR BELK SAID THE PALM CENTER IS NOW TURNG S ATTENTN TO DISMANTLG THE TELLECTUAL UNRPNGS OF THE TRANSGENR BAN. “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL” WAS BASED ON THE MYTH THAT GAYS WOULD STROY UN HN, SO OVERTURNG REQUIRED NVCG KEY GENERALS OTHERWISE, BELK SAID. NOW THE CENTER IS HAMMERG AWAY AT THE NOTN THAT TRANSGENRS ARE SOMEHOW MEDILLY UNF. HE SAID HIS TEAM RECENTLY PERSUAD A FORMER U.S. SURGEON GENERAL TO SIGN ON TO A STUDY REFUTG THE CLAIM.IT SURE FELT WELG AT THE BANQUET, BUT I HAD TO WONR HOW GAY-AFFIRMG WAS OUTSI THE BUBBLE OF THAT HALL. WHAT WAS LIKE THE BARS? I DIDN’T HAVE TO WA LONG. ABOUT HALF THE ATTEN, AND MOST OF THE TS, HEAD STRAIGHT TO PATTON’S TAVERN, A BAR RIGHT ON MP. IT WAS SATURDAY NIGHT, AND THE PLACE WAS THUMPG.NOBODY SEEMED TO NOTICE WHEN A HERD OF L.G.B.T.S SCEND. THE BEER FLOWED, THE ENERGY WAS HIGH, AND THE NVERSATN GOT RACY. SOLDIERS MAKG SEX JOK, WHAT A SURPRISE. IT WAS A SMALLISH PLACE, PACKED CLOSE, AND I ULD EASILY OVERHEAR NVERSATNS ALL AROUND . THEY ULD CLEARLY HEAR , CLEARLY TELL WE WERE GAY. AND NOBODY RED. WE DRANK FOR A UPLE HOURS, AND I KEPT AN EYE ON THE CROWDS AROUND THE WHOLE TIME. NO SIGN OF REVULSN, NOT EVEN A RAISED EYEBROW OR CUR STARE. COMPLETE DIFFERENCE. IT FELT WONRFUL.DAVE CULLEN
• AT WT POT, HIDN GAY CATS PUT SPOTLIGHT
• TEXAS A&M GALVTON CORPS OF CATS SELECTS OPENLY GAY T MANR
• GAY CLUBS EMERGE AT U.S. ARY AMI
• GAY WT POT TS TAKE THEIR BOYIENDS TO ARY AMY'S WTER FORMAL DANCE
• WHAT A MANAGER OF BA'S DIVERSY PROGRAM LEARNED ABOUT FEAR AND CLN AS A GAY WT POT T THE DAYS OF 'DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL'
• SO WHAT’S IT LIKE TO BE A GAY CAT AT WT POT THE DAYS?FOUR YEARS AFTER THE REPEAL OF “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL,” THE AMY IS A HOTBED OF SWEET DIFFERENCE.BY DAVE CULLENJUNE 30, 2015FROM AP PHOTO/MIKE GROLL.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVESARA EMSLEY ALWAYS KNEW SHE WANTED TO JO THE U.S. ARMY, EVER SCE SHE WAS A SMALL CHILD. “YOU N ASK ANY OF THE KIDS I MA GO THROUGH AN OBSTACLE URSE AT MY SIXTH BIRTHDAY PARTY,” THE WT POT T RECENTLY SAID. SHE DRSED UP AS SOLDIER FOR HALLOWEEN FOR “MANY, MANY YEARS,” AND NEVER PSED TO WORRY ABOUT WHETHER THE ARY WOULD LET A GIRL LIKE HER FIGHT.THEN SHE H ADOLCENCE AND BEGAN TO DISVER HER SEXUALY. SHE DIDN’T LIKE WHAT SHE FELT. GIRLS LIKE THAT WERE FORBIDN OM SERVG, SO SHE NIED HER OWN URG. SHE ULDN’T LET THEM STAND THE WAY OF HER DREAM.EMSLEY FIRST WENT TO LLEGE AT VIRGIA TECH, WHERE SHE FALLY ME OUT TO HERSELF AND TSTED OTHERS, BUT HID HER SEXUALY OM HER PEERS THE LLEGE’S R.O.T.C. PROGRAM. BY THEN, THE ARY HAD LIFTED S ABSURD “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL” POLICY, BUT EMSLEY STILL FELT WAS TOO DANGERO TO SAY ANYTHG. THEN THE U.S. MILARY AMY AT WT POT ACCEPTED HER. SHE EXPECTED TO DIVE MUCH EPER TO THE CLOSET WHEN SHE ARRIVED LAST SUMMER FOR BASIC TRAG. “I ULDN’T HAVE BEEN MORE WRONG,” SHE SAID. “I RECEIVED NOTHG BUT SUPPORT OR DIFFERENCE.”FUNNY HOW APPEALG “DIFFERENCE” SOUND. SUCH A SURPRISGLY BETIFUL WORD. AT FIRST GAYS ASKED FOR TOLERANCE, BUT WHAT A GRADG GOAL THAT WAS: WHO THE HELL WANTS TO BE TOLERATED? THEN WE ASKED FOR ACCEPTANCE, BUT MAYBE “DIFFERENCE” WOULD BE BT OF ALL. IT SOUND THAT WAY WHEN EMSLEY SPOKE ABOUT THIS MARCH AT AN OFFICIAL WT POT CEREMONY I ATTEND HONORG GAY TS AND SPECTM, THE AMY’S GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCE. INDIFFERENCE. THE ULTIMATE GOAL, THE CHERISHED HAZY OBJECTIVE GAYS HOPE FOR ON SOME DISTANT HORIZON HAS ALWAYS BEEN DIFFERENCE. WHERE NOBODY GIV A SH. YOU’RE A LBIAN? COOL—WE WON’T BE TERTED THE SAME GUYS.EMSLEY HAD REASON TO FEAR ACCEPTANCE, PECIALLY THE ARY. MUCH OF THE NATN CELEBRATED THE SUPREME COURT MARRIAGE-EQUALY CISN FRIDAY, BUT LARGE SECTORS WERE FUMG. IT’S EASY TO PICTURE SOME OF THE MOST STUBBORN POCKETS OF RISTANCE. IT’S EASY TO PICTURE WT POT RIGHT UP THERE WH AN N.F.L. LOCKER ROOM.WHEN I ENLISTED THE FANTRY, 1983, I DIDN’T MEET A SGLE GAY GUY—NOT EVEN THE MIRROR. I WAS SO SANELY HOMOPHOBIC THAT I CEIVED EVEN MYSELF. TWO GUYS MY PLATOON WERE ACCED OF GETTG TOO CLOSE, AND WAS NOT PRETTY: NO BEATGS, JT OSTRACISM AND HUIATN. AND I WAS FAR TOO TERRIFIED TO FEND THEM.NEARLY 30 YEARS LATER, WH “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL” STILL EFFECT, A LITENANT LONEL I’VE BEEN FOLLOWG FOR MY UPG BOOK ON GAY SOLDIERS ME HOME OM AFGHANISTAN. DPE WORSENG PTSD SYMPTOMS, HE ULDN’T SEE AN ARMY SHRK FOR FEAR OF OUTG HIMSELF AND ENDG HIS REER.SCE THE REPEAL OF “THE POLICY,” HOWEVER, I’VE MARVELED AT THE PACE OF CHANGE WH THE ARY. ON THREE TRIPS TO THE PENTAGON AND ANOTHER TO GUANTáNAMO BAY WH THAT LITENANT LONEL, I ULD NOT FD A SOUL WHO SEEMED TO GIVE A SH ABOUT HIS SEXUALY. BUT NOTHG PREPARED ME FOR THE WT POT BANQUET THIS SPRG.INSI A SPAC HALL WH A PANORAMIC VIEW OF A STRATEGIC BEND THE HUDSON RIVER, ABOUT A HUNDRED TS, OFFICERS, AND ALUMNI DRS BLU SAT AROUND TABL SET WH THE GOOD CHA. SPECTM HAS TWO FACULTY AND 40 T MEMBERS, A MIXTURE OF GAY, STRAIGHT, BI, AND UNCID. QUE A FEW FALL TO THAT LAST TEGORY. ONE T AT MY TABLE SCRIBED HIMSELF AS STRAIGHT, BUT THEN LATER NFID HE HAD MSED AROUND WH GUYS. STILL WORKG OUT. FAIR ENOUGH.AWARDS WERE PRENTED TO LEARS THE L.G.B.T. STGGLE, WHO GAVE STIRRG SPEECH, BUT THEY ULDN’T PETE WH THE TS WHO TOOK THE LECTERN TO RELAY THEIR STORI. MAC SIMS, A SOPHOMORE, SAID HE HAD HID HIS SEXUALY FOR A WHILE WHEN HE ARRIVED 2013. THE POLICY HAD END, BUT HE FEARED REPERCSNS. EVENTUALLY, SENSG THE DIFFERENCE, HE TOOK THE PLUNGE AND NEVER REGRETTED . “I E OM GEIA AND I WAS KD OF PROJECTG HOW PEOPLE HAD TREATED ME,” HE SAID.SIMS EXPRSED AMAZEMENT AT THE CHANGE HE’S WNSED A SGLE YEAR. AT LAST YEAR’S SPECTM BANQUET, NEARLY EVERY SPEAKER TALKED ABOUT THEIR STGGL UNR “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL,” HE SAID. THIS YEAR, WAS ABOUT THE EASE OF ACCEPTANCE—MOST TS WERE NEVER REQUIRED TO CEIVE. “THAT TIME IS BEHD ,” HE SAID.MOST POPULARDONALD TMP’S PLAN TO GET REELECTED AND PARDON HIMSELF WAS JT DEALT A SER SETBACKBY BS LEVJOE MANGANIELLO DEBUTS DIVORCE INKBY KASE WICKMANMSNBC IS HAVG ITS SUPER BOWL WH DONALD TMP’S INDICTMENTSBY CHARLOTTE KLESIMS RELAYED A NVERSATN HE’D JT HAD WH A STRAIGHT LONEL WHO HAD LIVED THROUGH THE POLICY. THE LONEL SAID HE’D KNOWN OF GAYS HIS UNS OVER THE YEARS, BUT THEY ALWAYS HAD TO LIE. THIS MARCH, HE HAD ASKED A T ABOUT HIS SPRG BREAK PLANS, AND THE GUY NONCHALANTLY RPOND, “I’M GOG TO SPA WH MY BOYIEND.” DIDN’T EVEN PSE TO WORRY ABOUT .PROFSOR AARON BELK ACCEPTED THE LEARSHIP AWARD FOR HIS PIVOTAL ROLE OVERTURNG “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL.” BELK IS THE FOUNDG DIRECTOR OF THE PALM CENTER, A THK TANK DITED TO PROMOTG ACCEPTANCE OF GAYS THE ARY. HE GAVE THE TS A SENSE OF JT HOW FAR THEY HAD E. HE SCRIBED A OF SPEECH AT DOZENS OF ARY BAS, WHERE ONE TY MOMENT ON THAT VERY MP STOOD OUT. AFTER HE GAVE A SPEECH AT WT POT AROUND 2003, ONE T WAED FOR EVERYONE ELSE TO FILE OUT. ONLY WHEN WAS SAFE DID THE T APPROACH BELK TO SAY, “THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK, SIR.” THEN HE TURNED AND LEFT.“THAT WAS THE EXTENT HE FELT SAFE MUNITG WH ME,” BELK SAID.THERE WERE PLENTY OF HAPPY L.G.B. TS AT THE CEREMONY, BUT ALL THE TS WERE OLR. TRANSGENRS ARE STILL BANNED OM THE U.S. ARY—OR SO THE ARY THKS. THE HEALTHY SHOWG OF TRANS ALUMNI PROVED THAT THEY HAVE BEEN SERVG SECRET FOR YEARS.ACTIVIST ALLYSON ROBSON, A 1994 GRADUATE WHO SERVED AS AN OFFICER THE AIR DEFENSE ARTILLERY BEFORE TRANSNG, STOOD UP TO ACCEPT THE COURAGE AWARD, BTOWED ON DIVIDUALS WHO “CHOOSE THE HARR RIGHT OVER THE EASIER WRONG.” (IT’S A LE PARAPHRASED OM THE WT POT CAT PRAYER—NICE TOUCH.) ROBSON WAS ACPANIED BY HER WIFE AND WT POT CLASSMATE, DANYELLE, WH WHOM SHE HAS FOUR CHILDREN.A REARCH STUTE RECENTLY TIMATED THAT 15,500 TRANSGENR PEOPLE ARE SERVG THE U.S. ARY RIGHT NOW. DEFENSE SECRETARY ASH CARTER RAISED EYEBROWS FEBARY WHEN HE SAID HE’S “OPEN-MD” WHEN TO LIFTG THE BAN ON TRANSGENR SOLDIERS. BUT A PENTAGON SPOKMAN LATER SAID THERE IS NO “SPECIFIC REVIEW” UNR NSIRATN TO END THE BAN. LAST WEEK, OBAMA CELEBRATED GAY PRI AT THE WHE HOE, AND VED TWO ACTIVE TRANS SERVICE MEMBERS AND FOUR TRANS VETS—A FIRST.AT THE WT POT EVENT, PROFSOR BELK SAID THE PALM CENTER IS NOW TURNG S ATTENTN TO DISMANTLG THE TELLECTUAL UNRPNGS OF THE TRANSGENR BAN. “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL” WAS BASED ON THE MYTH THAT GAYS WOULD STROY UN HN, SO OVERTURNG REQUIRED NVCG KEY GENERALS OTHERWISE, BELK SAID. NOW THE CENTER IS HAMMERG AWAY AT THE NOTN THAT TRANSGENRS ARE SOMEHOW MEDILLY UNF. HE SAID HIS TEAM RECENTLY PERSUAD A FORMER U.S. SURGEON GENERAL TO SIGN ON TO A STUDY REFUTG THE CLAIM.IT SURE FELT WELG AT THE BANQUET, BUT I HAD TO WONR HOW GAY-AFFIRMG WAS OUTSI THE BUBBLE OF THAT HALL. WHAT WAS LIKE THE BARS? I DIDN’T HAVE TO WA LONG. ABOUT HALF THE ATTEN, AND MOST OF THE TS, HEAD STRAIGHT TO PATTON’S TAVERN, A BAR RIGHT ON MP. IT WAS SATURDAY NIGHT, AND THE PLACE WAS THUMPG.NOBODY SEEMED TO NOTICE WHEN A HERD OF L.G.B.T.S SCEND. THE BEER FLOWED, THE ENERGY WAS HIGH, AND THE NVERSATN GOT RACY. SOLDIERS MAKG SEX JOK, WHAT A SURPRISE. IT WAS A SMALLISH PLACE, PACKED CLOSE, AND I ULD EASILY OVERHEAR NVERSATNS ALL AROUND . THEY ULD CLEARLY HEAR , CLEARLY TELL WE WERE GAY. AND NOBODY RED. WE DRANK FOR A UPLE HOURS, AND I KEPT AN EYE ON THE CROWDS AROUND THE WHOLE TIME. NO SIGN OF REVULSN, NOT EVEN A RAISED EYEBROW OR CUR STARE. COMPLETE DIFFERENCE. IT FELT WONRFUL.DAVE CULLEN

GAY, BLACK GYMNAST FDS HE N BE HIMSELF AT WT POT

Not too long ago I uld not be openly gay the ary whout facg nsequenc. What hurt then was the fact that the “choice” I ma to reveal myself as gay uld impact the choice they ma to keep me. When I me out as gay, my parents first asked if I’d ever been abed, and then thought was a phase.

In middle school and high school, gymnasts are nstantly batg the belief that gymnastics is a “gay sport. ” I remember nstantly beg ma fun of and mocked for participatg such a “feme” and “gay” pastime.

SO WHAT’S IT LIKE TO BE A GAY CAT AT WT POT THE DAYS?FOUR YEARS AFTER THE REPEAL OF “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL,” THE AMY IS A HOTBED OF SWEET DIFFERENCE.BY DAVE CULLENJUNE 30, 2015FROM AP PHOTO/MIKE GROLL.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVESARA EMSLEY ALWAYS KNEW SHE WANTED TO JO THE U.S. ARMY, EVER SCE SHE WAS A SMALL CHILD. “YOU N ASK ANY OF THE KIDS I MA GO THROUGH AN OBSTACLE URSE AT MY SIXTH BIRTHDAY PARTY,” THE WT POT T RECENTLY SAID. SHE DRSED UP AS SOLDIER FOR HALLOWEEN FOR “MANY, MANY YEARS,” AND NEVER PSED TO WORRY ABOUT WHETHER THE ARY WOULD LET A GIRL LIKE HER FIGHT.THEN SHE H ADOLCENCE AND BEGAN TO DISVER HER SEXUALY. SHE DIDN’T LIKE WHAT SHE FELT. GIRLS LIKE THAT WERE FORBIDN OM SERVG, SO SHE NIED HER OWN URG. SHE ULDN’T LET THEM STAND THE WAY OF HER DREAM.EMSLEY FIRST WENT TO LLEGE AT VIRGIA TECH, WHERE SHE FALLY ME OUT TO HERSELF AND TSTED OTHERS, BUT HID HER SEXUALY OM HER PEERS THE LLEGE’S R.O.T.C. PROGRAM. BY THEN, THE ARY HAD LIFTED S ABSURD “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL” POLICY, BUT EMSLEY STILL FELT WAS TOO DANGERO TO SAY ANYTHG. THEN THE U.S. MILARY AMY AT WT POT ACCEPTED HER. SHE EXPECTED TO DIVE MUCH EPER TO THE CLOSET WHEN SHE ARRIVED LAST SUMMER FOR BASIC TRAG. “I ULDN’T HAVE BEEN MORE WRONG,” SHE SAID. “I RECEIVED NOTHG BUT SUPPORT OR DIFFERENCE.”FUNNY HOW APPEALG “DIFFERENCE” SOUND. SUCH A SURPRISGLY BETIFUL WORD. AT FIRST GAYS ASKED FOR TOLERANCE, BUT WHAT A GRADG GOAL THAT WAS: WHO THE HELL WANTS TO BE TOLERATED? THEN WE ASKED FOR ACCEPTANCE, BUT MAYBE “DIFFERENCE” WOULD BE BT OF ALL. IT SOUND THAT WAY WHEN EMSLEY SPOKE ABOUT THIS MARCH AT AN OFFICIAL WT POT CEREMONY I ATTEND HONORG GAY TS AND SPECTM, THE AMY’S GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCE. INDIFFERENCE. THE ULTIMATE GOAL, THE CHERISHED HAZY OBJECTIVE GAYS HOPE FOR ON SOME DISTANT HORIZON HAS ALWAYS BEEN DIFFERENCE. WHERE NOBODY GIV A SH. YOU’RE A LBIAN? COOL—WE WON’T BE TERTED THE SAME GUYS.EMSLEY HAD REASON TO FEAR ACCEPTANCE, PECIALLY THE ARY. MUCH OF THE NATN CELEBRATED THE SUPREME COURT MARRIAGE-EQUALY CISN FRIDAY, BUT LARGE SECTORS WERE FUMG. IT’S EASY TO PICTURE SOME OF THE MOST STUBBORN POCKETS OF RISTANCE. IT’S EASY TO PICTURE WT POT RIGHT UP THERE WH AN N.F.L. LOCKER ROOM.WHEN I ENLISTED THE FANTRY, 1983, I DIDN’T MEET A SGLE GAY GUY—NOT EVEN THE MIRROR. I WAS SO SANELY HOMOPHOBIC THAT I CEIVED EVEN MYSELF. TWO GUYS MY PLATOON WERE ACCED OF GETTG TOO CLOSE, AND WAS NOT PRETTY: NO BEATGS, JT OSTRACISM AND HUIATN. AND I WAS FAR TOO TERRIFIED TO FEND THEM.NEARLY 30 YEARS LATER, WH “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL” STILL EFFECT, A LITENANT LONEL I’VE BEEN FOLLOWG FOR MY UPG BOOK ON GAY SOLDIERS ME HOME OM AFGHANISTAN. DPE WORSENG PTSD SYMPTOMS, HE ULDN’T SEE AN ARMY SHRK FOR FEAR OF OUTG HIMSELF AND ENDG HIS REER.SCE THE REPEAL OF “THE POLICY,” HOWEVER, I’VE MARVELED AT THE PACE OF CHANGE WH THE ARY. ON THREE TRIPS TO THE PENTAGON AND ANOTHER TO GUANTáNAMO BAY WH THAT LITENANT LONEL, I ULD NOT FD A SOUL WHO SEEMED TO GIVE A SH ABOUT HIS SEXUALY. BUT NOTHG PREPARED ME FOR THE WT POT BANQUET THIS SPRG.INSI A SPAC HALL WH A PANORAMIC VIEW OF A STRATEGIC BEND THE HUDSON RIVER, ABOUT A HUNDRED TS, OFFICERS, AND ALUMNI DRS BLU SAT AROUND TABL SET WH THE GOOD CHA. SPECTM HAS TWO FACULTY AND 40 T MEMBERS, A MIXTURE OF GAY, STRAIGHT, BI, AND UNCID. QUE A FEW FALL TO THAT LAST TEGORY. ONE T AT MY TABLE SCRIBED HIMSELF AS STRAIGHT, BUT THEN LATER NFID HE HAD MSED AROUND WH GUYS. STILL WORKG OUT. FAIR ENOUGH.AWARDS WERE PRENTED TO LEARS THE L.G.B.T. STGGLE, WHO GAVE STIRRG SPEECH, BUT THEY ULDN’T PETE WH THE TS WHO TOOK THE LECTERN TO RELAY THEIR STORI. MAC SIMS, A SOPHOMORE, SAID HE HAD HID HIS SEXUALY FOR A WHILE WHEN HE ARRIVED 2013. THE POLICY HAD END, BUT HE FEARED REPERCSNS. EVENTUALLY, SENSG THE DIFFERENCE, HE TOOK THE PLUNGE AND NEVER REGRETTED . “I E OM GEIA AND I WAS KD OF PROJECTG HOW PEOPLE HAD TREATED ME,” HE SAID.SIMS EXPRSED AMAZEMENT AT THE CHANGE HE’S WNSED A SGLE YEAR. AT LAST YEAR’S SPECTM BANQUET, NEARLY EVERY SPEAKER TALKED ABOUT THEIR STGGL UNR “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL,” HE SAID. THIS YEAR, WAS ABOUT THE EASE OF ACCEPTANCE—MOST TS WERE NEVER REQUIRED TO CEIVE. “THAT TIME IS BEHD ,” HE SAID.SIMS RELAYED A NVERSATN HE’D JT HAD WH A STRAIGHT LONEL WHO HAD LIVED THROUGH THE POLICY. THE LONEL SAID HE’D KNOWN OF GAYS HIS UNS OVER THE YEARS, BUT THEY ALWAYS HAD TO LIE. THIS MARCH, HE HAD ASKED A T ABOUT HIS SPRG BREAK PLANS, AND THE GUY NONCHALANTLY RPOND, “I’M GOG TO SPA WH MY BOYIEND.” DIDN’T EVEN PSE TO WORRY ABOUT .PROFSOR AARON BELK ACCEPTED THE LEARSHIP AWARD FOR HIS PIVOTAL ROLE OVERTURNG “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL.” BELK IS THE FOUNDG DIRECTOR OF THE PALM CENTER, A THK TANK DITED TO PROMOTG ACCEPTANCE OF GAYS THE ARY. HE GAVE THE TS A SENSE OF JT HOW FAR THEY HAD E. HE SCRIBED A OF SPEECH AT DOZENS OF ARY BAS, WHERE ONE TY MOMENT ON THAT VERY MP STOOD OUT. AFTER HE GAVE A SPEECH AT WT POT AROUND 2003, ONE T WAED FOR EVERYONE ELSE TO FILE OUT. ONLY WHEN WAS SAFE DID THE T APPROACH BELK TO SAY, “THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK, SIR.” THEN HE TURNED AND LEFT.“THAT WAS THE EXTENT HE FELT SAFE MUNITG WH ME,” BELK SAID.THERE WERE PLENTY OF HAPPY L.G.B. TS AT THE CEREMONY, BUT ALL THE TS WERE OLR. TRANSGENRS ARE STILL BANNED OM THE U.S. ARY—OR SO THE ARY THKS. THE HEALTHY SHOWG OF TRANS ALUMNI PROVED THAT THEY HAVE BEEN SERVG SECRET FOR YEARS.ACTIVIST ALLYSON ROBSON, A 1994 GRADUATE WHO SERVED AS AN OFFICER THE AIR DEFENSE ARTILLERY BEFORE TRANSNG, STOOD UP TO ACCEPT THE COURAGE AWARD, BTOWED ON DIVIDUALS WHO “CHOOSE THE HARR RIGHT OVER THE EASIER WRONG.” (IT’S A LE PARAPHRASED OM THE WT POT CAT PRAYER—NICE TOUCH.) ROBSON WAS ACPANIED BY HER WIFE AND WT POT CLASSMATE, DANYELLE, WH WHOM SHE HAS FOUR CHILDREN.A REARCH STUTE RECENTLY TIMATED THAT 15,500 TRANSGENR PEOPLE ARE SERVG THE U.S. ARY RIGHT NOW. DEFENSE SECRETARY ASH CARTER RAISED EYEBROWS FEBARY WHEN HE SAID HE’S “OPEN-MD” WHEN TO LIFTG THE BAN ON TRANSGENR SOLDIERS. BUT A PENTAGON SPOKMAN LATER SAID THERE IS NO “SPECIFIC REVIEW” UNR NSIRATN TO END THE BAN. LAST WEEK, OBAMA CELEBRATED GAY PRI AT THE WHE HOE, AND VED TWO ACTIVE TRANS SERVICE MEMBERS AND FOUR TRANS VETS—A FIRST.AT THE WT POT EVENT, PROFSOR BELK SAID THE PALM CENTER IS NOW TURNG S ATTENTN TO DISMANTLG THE TELLECTUAL UNRPNGS OF THE TRANSGENR BAN. “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL” WAS BASED ON THE MYTH THAT GAYS WOULD STROY UN HN, SO OVERTURNG REQUIRED NVCG KEY GENERALS OTHERWISE, BELK SAID. NOW THE CENTER IS HAMMERG AWAY AT THE NOTN THAT TRANSGENRS ARE SOMEHOW MEDILLY UNF. HE SAID HIS TEAM RECENTLY PERSUAD A FORMER U.S. SURGEON GENERAL TO SIGN ON TO A STUDY REFUTG THE CLAIM.IT SURE FELT WELG AT THE BANQUET, BUT I HAD TO WONR HOW GAY-AFFIRMG WAS OUTSI THE BUBBLE OF THAT HALL. WHAT WAS LIKE THE BARS? I DIDN’T HAVE TO WA LONG. ABOUT HALF THE ATTEN, AND MOST OF THE TS, HEAD STRAIGHT TO PATTON’S TAVERN, A BAR RIGHT ON MP. IT WAS SATURDAY NIGHT, AND THE PLACE WAS THUMPG.NOBODY SEEMED TO NOTICE WHEN A HERD OF L.G.B.T.S SCEND. THE BEER FLOWED, THE ENERGY WAS HIGH, AND THE NVERSATN GOT RACY. SOLDIERS MAKG SEX JOK, WHAT A SURPRISE. IT WAS A SMALLISH PLACE, PACKED CLOSE, AND I ULD EASILY OVERHEAR NVERSATNS ALL AROUND . THEY ULD CLEARLY HEAR , CLEARLY TELL WE WERE GAY. AND NOBODY RED. WE DRANK FOR A UPLE HOURS, AND I KEPT AN EYE ON THE CROWDS AROUND THE WHOLE TIME. NO SIGN OF REVULSN, NOT EVEN A RAISED EYEBROW OR CUR STARE. COMPLETE DIFFERENCE. IT FELT WONRFUL.DAVE CULLEN

I have always been ut to validate others opns of the sport beg a gay bee I was “a gay” who happened to do gymnastics.

I have always found that outsi of the locker room, I would be the gayt actg (maybe ’s bee I am gay!

AT WT POT, HIDN GAY CATS PUT SPOTLIGHT

If I played around touchg others or makg “gay” jok like my straight unterparts did, would not be seen as a joke or taken lightly. That’s a rhetoril qutn that should be thought about for those who neglect to thk about the gay teammat on their team.

In 2021, my sophomore year, I cid to stop hidg myself and began actg like how I would outsi of the gym. At first gays asked for tolerance, but what a gradg goal that was: Who the hell wants to be tolerated? It sound that way when Emsley spoke about this March at an official Wt Pot ceremony I attend honorg gay ts and Spectm, the amy’s gay-straight alliance.

The ultimate goal, the cherished hazy objective gays hope for on some distant horizon has always been difference.

TEXAS A&M GALVTON CORPS OF CATS SELECTS OPENLY GAY T MANR

Locker I enlisted the fantry, 1983, I didn’t meet a sgle gay guy—not even the mirror.

And I was far too terrified to fend 30 years later, wh “Don’t ask, don’t tell” still effect, a litenant lonel I’ve been followg for my upg book on gay soldiers me home om Afghanistan. Spectm has two faculty and 40 t members, a mixture of gay, straight, bi, and uncid.

GAY CLUBS EMERGE AT U.S. ARY AMI

Mac Sims, a sophomore, said he had hid his sexualy for a while when he arrived 2013. AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTAt Wt Pot, Hidn Gay Cats Put Stolarik for The New York TimAug.

They are gay, and they exist largely the shadows of this grane stutn known for producg prints and generals, where stayg closeted is sential to avoid discharge unr the ary’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. “The most important thg I’ve learned here is how to be a good actor, ” said one gay male t, who grew up Philalphia and is his fourth year at the rignatn this month of Kathere Miller, a top t who blogged anonymoly about her lbianism, has turned a spotlight on the hidn gay culture here and revived bate on mp about “don’t ask, don’t tell, ” at a time when Washgton is also foced on the issue. Miller, who wrote unr the name “Private Send Class Cizen” about endurg gay slurs and fakg a heterosexual datg history, is transferrg to Yale Universy this fall and has bee somethg of a media celebry, appearg on “The Rachel Maddow Show” on MSNBC and on ABC News.

Interviews wh three gay ts, who spoke on the ndn of anonymy bee revealg their inti uld rult expulsn, as well as nversatns wh Ms. Miller and several gay alumni, pated a portra of a vibrant, if ty, gay unrground at Wt Pot. The hidg begs on Day 1: new ts mt sign a document acknowledgg that revealg one’s homosexualy n lead to discharge, as n monstratg “a propensy to engage homosexual acts.

GAY WT POT TS TAKE THEIR BOYIENDS TO ARY AMY'S WTER FORMAL DANCE

In 2002, the amy discharged a t after his profile was disvered on a gay Web se.

WHAT A MANAGER OF BA'S DIVERSY PROGRAM LEARNED ABOUT FEAR AND CLN AS A GAY WT POT T THE DAYS OF 'DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL'

Miller, whose blog began April but apparently elud amy officials, said she qu voluntarily by submtg a letter revealg her about gay culture at Wt Pot, Lt. ”For gay ts, reprsg their sexualy is jt one part of adaptg to Wt Pot, where life is regimented and lived mostly uniform.

Tryg to dive other lbians tak “really fely tuned gaydar, ” said another lbian t, who is a senr, or “firstie. Those who earn weekend pass might make late-night ns to gay bars Manhattan, about 50 away, or to gay parti on nearby llege mp, often wh stunts they met through terllegiate sports.

SO WHAT’S IT LIKE TO BE A GAY CAT AT WT POT THE DAYS?FOUR YEARS AFTER THE REPEAL OF “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL,” THE AMY IS A HOTBED OF SWEET DIFFERENCE.BY DAVE CULLENJUNE 30, 2015FROM AP PHOTO/MIKE GROLL.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVESARA EMSLEY ALWAYS KNEW SHE WANTED TO JO THE U.S. ARMY, EVER SCE SHE WAS A SMALL CHILD. “YOU N ASK ANY OF THE KIDS I MA GO THROUGH AN OBSTACLE URSE AT MY SIXTH BIRTHDAY PARTY,” THE WT POT T RECENTLY SAID. SHE DRSED UP AS SOLDIER FOR HALLOWEEN FOR “MANY, MANY YEARS,” AND NEVER PSED TO WORRY ABOUT WHETHER THE ARY WOULD LET A GIRL LIKE HER FIGHT.THEN SHE H ADOLCENCE AND BEGAN TO DISVER HER SEXUALY. SHE DIDN’T LIKE WHAT SHE FELT. GIRLS LIKE THAT WERE FORBIDN OM SERVG, SO SHE NIED HER OWN URG. SHE ULDN’T LET THEM STAND THE WAY OF HER DREAM.EMSLEY FIRST WENT TO LLEGE AT VIRGIA TECH, WHERE SHE FALLY ME OUT TO HERSELF AND TSTED OTHERS, BUT HID HER SEXUALY OM HER PEERS THE LLEGE’S R.O.T.C. PROGRAM. BY THEN, THE ARY HAD LIFTED S ABSURD “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL” POLICY, BUT EMSLEY STILL FELT WAS TOO DANGERO TO SAY ANYTHG. THEN THE U.S. MILARY AMY AT WT POT ACCEPTED HER. SHE EXPECTED TO DIVE MUCH EPER TO THE CLOSET WHEN SHE ARRIVED LAST SUMMER FOR BASIC TRAG. “I ULDN’T HAVE BEEN MORE WRONG,” SHE SAID. “I RECEIVED NOTHG BUT SUPPORT OR DIFFERENCE.”FUNNY HOW APPEALG “DIFFERENCE” SOUND. SUCH A SURPRISGLY BETIFUL WORD. AT FIRST GAYS ASKED FOR TOLERANCE, BUT WHAT A GRADG GOAL THAT WAS: WHO THE HELL WANTS TO BE TOLERATED? THEN WE ASKED FOR ACCEPTANCE, BUT MAYBE “DIFFERENCE” WOULD BE BT OF ALL. IT SOUND THAT WAY WHEN EMSLEY SPOKE ABOUT THIS MARCH AT AN OFFICIAL WT POT CEREMONY I ATTEND HONORG GAY TS AND SPECTM, THE AMY’S GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCE. INDIFFERENCE. THE ULTIMATE GOAL, THE CHERISHED HAZY OBJECTIVE GAYS HOPE FOR ON SOME DISTANT HORIZON HAS ALWAYS BEEN DIFFERENCE. WHERE NOBODY GIV A SH. YOU’RE A LBIAN? COOL—WE WON’T BE TERTED THE SAME GUYS.EMSLEY HAD REASON TO FEAR ACCEPTANCE, PECIALLY THE ARY. MUCH OF THE NATN CELEBRATED THE SUPREME COURT MARRIAGE-EQUALY CISN FRIDAY, BUT LARGE SECTORS WERE FUMG. IT’S EASY TO PICTURE SOME OF THE MOST STUBBORN POCKETS OF RISTANCE. IT’S EASY TO PICTURE WT POT RIGHT UP THERE WH AN N.F.L. LOCKER ROOM.WHEN I ENLISTED THE FANTRY, 1983, I DIDN’T MEET A SGLE GAY GUY—NOT EVEN THE MIRROR. I WAS SO SANELY HOMOPHOBIC THAT I CEIVED EVEN MYSELF. TWO GUYS MY PLATOON WERE ACCED OF GETTG TOO CLOSE, AND WAS NOT PRETTY: NO BEATGS, JT OSTRACISM AND HUIATN. AND I WAS FAR TOO TERRIFIED TO FEND THEM.NEARLY 30 YEARS LATER, WH “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL” STILL EFFECT, A LITENANT LONEL I’VE BEEN FOLLOWG FOR MY UPG BOOK ON GAY SOLDIERS ME HOME OM AFGHANISTAN. DPE WORSENG PTSD SYMPTOMS, HE ULDN’T SEE AN ARMY SHRK FOR FEAR OF OUTG HIMSELF AND ENDG HIS REER.SCE THE REPEAL OF “THE POLICY,” HOWEVER, I’VE MARVELED AT THE PACE OF CHANGE WH THE ARY. ON THREE TRIPS TO THE PENTAGON AND ANOTHER TO GUANTáNAMO BAY WH THAT LITENANT LONEL, I ULD NOT FD A SOUL WHO SEEMED TO GIVE A SH ABOUT HIS SEXUALY. BUT NOTHG PREPARED ME FOR THE WT POT BANQUET THIS SPRG.INSI A SPAC HALL WH A PANORAMIC VIEW OF A STRATEGIC BEND THE HUDSON RIVER, ABOUT A HUNDRED TS, OFFICERS, AND ALUMNI DRS BLU SAT AROUND TABL SET WH THE GOOD CHA. SPECTM HAS TWO FACULTY AND 40 T MEMBERS, A MIXTURE OF GAY, STRAIGHT, BI, AND UNCID. QUE A FEW FALL TO THAT LAST TEGORY. ONE T AT MY TABLE SCRIBED HIMSELF AS STRAIGHT, BUT THEN LATER NFID HE HAD MSED AROUND WH GUYS. STILL WORKG OUT. FAIR ENOUGH.AWARDS WERE PRENTED TO LEARS THE L.G.B.T. STGGLE, WHO GAVE STIRRG SPEECH, BUT THEY ULDN’T PETE WH THE TS WHO TOOK THE LECTERN TO RELAY THEIR STORI. MAC SIMS, A SOPHOMORE, SAID HE HAD HID HIS SEXUALY FOR A WHILE WHEN HE ARRIVED 2013. THE POLICY HAD END, BUT HE FEARED REPERCSNS. EVENTUALLY, SENSG THE DIFFERENCE, HE TOOK THE PLUNGE AND NEVER REGRETTED . “I E OM GEIA AND I WAS KD OF PROJECTG HOW PEOPLE HAD TREATED ME,” HE SAID.SIMS EXPRSED AMAZEMENT AT THE CHANGE HE’S WNSED A SGLE YEAR. AT LAST YEAR’S SPECTM BANQUET, NEARLY EVERY SPEAKER TALKED ABOUT THEIR STGGL UNR “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL,” HE SAID. THIS YEAR, WAS ABOUT THE EASE OF ACCEPTANCE—MOST TS WERE NEVER REQUIRED TO CEIVE. “THAT TIME IS BEHD ,” HE SAID.MOST POPULARDONALD TMP’S PLAN TO GET REELECTED AND PARDON HIMSELF WAS JT DEALT A SER SETBACKBY BS LEVJOE MANGANIELLO DEBUTS DIVORCE INKBY KASE WICKMANMSNBC IS HAVG ITS SUPER BOWL WH DONALD TMP’S INDICTMENTSBY CHARLOTTE KLESIMS RELAYED A NVERSATN HE’D JT HAD WH A STRAIGHT LONEL WHO HAD LIVED THROUGH THE POLICY. THE LONEL SAID HE’D KNOWN OF GAYS HIS UNS OVER THE YEARS, BUT THEY ALWAYS HAD TO LIE. THIS MARCH, HE HAD ASKED A T ABOUT HIS SPRG BREAK PLANS, AND THE GUY NONCHALANTLY RPOND, “I’M GOG TO SPA WH MY BOYIEND.” DIDN’T EVEN PSE TO WORRY ABOUT .PROFSOR AARON BELK ACCEPTED THE LEARSHIP AWARD FOR HIS PIVOTAL ROLE OVERTURNG “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL.” BELK IS THE FOUNDG DIRECTOR OF THE PALM CENTER, A THK TANK DITED TO PROMOTG ACCEPTANCE OF GAYS THE ARY. HE GAVE THE TS A SENSE OF JT HOW FAR THEY HAD E. HE SCRIBED A OF SPEECH AT DOZENS OF ARY BAS, WHERE ONE TY MOMENT ON THAT VERY MP STOOD OUT. AFTER HE GAVE A SPEECH AT WT POT AROUND 2003, ONE T WAED FOR EVERYONE ELSE TO FILE OUT. ONLY WHEN WAS SAFE DID THE T APPROACH BELK TO SAY, “THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK, SIR.” THEN HE TURNED AND LEFT.“THAT WAS THE EXTENT HE FELT SAFE MUNITG WH ME,” BELK SAID.THERE WERE PLENTY OF HAPPY L.G.B. TS AT THE CEREMONY, BUT ALL THE TS WERE OLR. TRANSGENRS ARE STILL BANNED OM THE U.S. ARY—OR SO THE ARY THKS. THE HEALTHY SHOWG OF TRANS ALUMNI PROVED THAT THEY HAVE BEEN SERVG SECRET FOR YEARS.ACTIVIST ALLYSON ROBSON, A 1994 GRADUATE WHO SERVED AS AN OFFICER THE AIR DEFENSE ARTILLERY BEFORE TRANSNG, STOOD UP TO ACCEPT THE COURAGE AWARD, BTOWED ON DIVIDUALS WHO “CHOOSE THE HARR RIGHT OVER THE EASIER WRONG.” (IT’S A LE PARAPHRASED OM THE WT POT CAT PRAYER—NICE TOUCH.) ROBSON WAS ACPANIED BY HER WIFE AND WT POT CLASSMATE, DANYELLE, WH WHOM SHE HAS FOUR CHILDREN.A REARCH STUTE RECENTLY TIMATED THAT 15,500 TRANSGENR PEOPLE ARE SERVG THE U.S. ARY RIGHT NOW. DEFENSE SECRETARY ASH CARTER RAISED EYEBROWS FEBARY WHEN HE SAID HE’S “OPEN-MD” WHEN TO LIFTG THE BAN ON TRANSGENR SOLDIERS. BUT A PENTAGON SPOKMAN LATER SAID THERE IS NO “SPECIFIC REVIEW” UNR NSIRATN TO END THE BAN. LAST WEEK, OBAMA CELEBRATED GAY PRI AT THE WHE HOE, AND VED TWO ACTIVE TRANS SERVICE MEMBERS AND FOUR TRANS VETS—A FIRST.AT THE WT POT EVENT, PROFSOR BELK SAID THE PALM CENTER IS NOW TURNG S ATTENTN TO DISMANTLG THE TELLECTUAL UNRPNGS OF THE TRANSGENR BAN. “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL” WAS BASED ON THE MYTH THAT GAYS WOULD STROY UN HN, SO OVERTURNG REQUIRED NVCG KEY GENERALS OTHERWISE, BELK SAID. NOW THE CENTER IS HAMMERG AWAY AT THE NOTN THAT TRANSGENRS ARE SOMEHOW MEDILLY UNF. HE SAID HIS TEAM RECENTLY PERSUAD A FORMER U.S. SURGEON GENERAL TO SIGN ON TO A STUDY REFUTG THE CLAIM.IT SURE FELT WELG AT THE BANQUET, BUT I HAD TO WONR HOW GAY-AFFIRMG WAS OUTSI THE BUBBLE OF THAT HALL. WHAT WAS LIKE THE BARS? I DIDN’T HAVE TO WA LONG. ABOUT HALF THE ATTEN, AND MOST OF THE TS, HEAD STRAIGHT TO PATTON’S TAVERN, A BAR RIGHT ON MP. IT WAS SATURDAY NIGHT, AND THE PLACE WAS THUMPG.NOBODY SEEMED TO NOTICE WHEN A HERD OF L.G.B.T.S SCEND. THE BEER FLOWED, THE ENERGY WAS HIGH, AND THE NVERSATN GOT RACY. SOLDIERS MAKG SEX JOK, WHAT A SURPRISE. IT WAS A SMALLISH PLACE, PACKED CLOSE, AND I ULD EASILY OVERHEAR NVERSATNS ALL AROUND . THEY ULD CLEARLY HEAR , CLEARLY TELL WE WERE GAY. AND NOBODY RED. WE DRANK FOR A UPLE HOURS, AND I KEPT AN EYE ON THE CROWDS AROUND THE WHOLE TIME. NO SIGN OF REVULSN, NOT EVEN A RAISED EYEBROW OR CUR STARE. COMPLETE DIFFERENCE. IT FELT WONRFUL.DAVE CULLEN

Both said they had been openly gay high school but found gay socializg nearly impossible durg the strict first year at Wt Pot, then began to nfi a tight group of loyal iends as liberti creased.

”She said she wore baggy clothg when gog to a gay club the cy, but tighter garments — to “drs straight, ” as she put — when headg to the Firstie Club on mp.

“I had a roommate who told me, ‘Whenever I see two gay people walkg down the street, mak me want to throw up, ’ ” the senr female t said. Last year, he fell for a guy at a gay bar Manhattan who, to the surprise of both of them, turned out to be a on mp, they enjoyed and suffered through a seven-month relatnship on the “down low, ” he said.