Gay Pri | History, Flag, & Facts | Branni

Contents:

• AMERI'S FIRST OUT FERAL JUDGE SWORN ININ 1994, DEBORAH BATTS BEME THE FIRST OUT GAY FERAL JUDGE HISTORY WHEN SHE WAS SWORN TO SERVE THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK AFTER BEG APPOTED BY PRINT CLTON. BEFORE AND DURG HER SERVICE THE URTS, SHE WAS THE FIRST AIN AMERIN FACULTY MEMBER AT FORDHAM LAW SCHOOL. SHE WAS SWORN DURG PRI WEEK ON JUNE 23, 1994.DURG HER 18 YEARS AS A FERAL JUDGE, BATTS PRID OVER HIGH-PROFILE TERRORISM AND RPTN S, AND SERVED AS A MENTOR TO MANY YOUNG LAWYERS. SHE PRID OVER THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE LIGATN, WHICH VOLVED FIVE MEN WHO WERE WRONGLY NVICTED THE 1989 BEATG AND RAPE OF A FEMALE JOGGER CENTRAL PARK. AS THE PRIDG JUDGE, SHE REJECTED THE CY’S MOTN TO DISMISS, AND THE SE LED TO A $41 LN SETTLEMENT. JUDGE BATTS PASSED AWAY ON FEBARY 3, 2020. SHE WAS HONORED 2021 AS A MEMBER OF THE FOUNDG CLASS OF THE LGBTQ+ VICTORY HALL OF FAME. ‍SHEILA KUEHL BE FIRST OUT CALIFORNIA LAWMAKERSHEILA KUEHL. COURTY OF KAREN OMBPERHAPS THE HIGHT PROFILE LGBTQ+ VICTORY FUND NDIDATE 1994 WAS SHEILA JAM KUEHL, WHO PORTRAYED SMART TEEN ZELDA GILROY ON THE MANY LOV OF DOBIE GILLIS THE EARLY 1960S. AFTER GRADUATG OM HARVARD LAW SCHOOL, SHE -FOUND THE CALIFORNIA WOMEN’S LAW CENTER AND WROTE CALIFORNIA’S FIRST DOMTIC VLENCE LAWS. KUEHL BORE A RPONSIBILY OTHER NDIDAT DID NOT SHOULR: AS THE FIRST LGBTQ+ PERSON THE CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE, SHE WOULD BE TASKED WH “REPRENTG” AN EMERGG POLIL MORY STARVG FOR A SEAT AT THE TABLE. KUEHL QUICKLY LEARNED, HOWEVER, THAT THE SIGNIFINCE OF BEG AN OUT NDIDATE HAD S UPSI, AS SHE SAW ONE NIGHT AT DNER SANTA MONI WHEN A “BIG BURLY GUY” APPROACHED HER RTRANT TABLE.“I WAS A LTLE B EAKED OUT AND WONRG HOW THIS WAS GOG TO TURN OUT,” KUEHL RELLS, HAVG RECEIVED ANONYMO ATH THREATS DURG HER MPAIGN. “HE SAID: ‘YOU’RE SHEILA KUEHL, RIGHT?’ AND I SAID, ‘Y, I AM.’ AND HE SAID, ‘I JT WANT TO TELL YOU—I HATE ALL POLICIANS. I N’T STAND THEM. THEY DISSEMBLE, THEY LIE, THEY NEVER TELL YOU THE TTH. I HATE ’EM ALL, EXCEPT FOR YOU.’ AND I SAID, ‘WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, BUT WHY ME?’ AND HE SAID, ‘WELL, YOU’VE ALREADY TOLD THE WORST THG ABOUT YOURSELF. WHY WOULD YOU LIE ABOUT ANYTHG ELSE?’” THAT VOTER SAW G OUT AS URAGEO. “THE NOTN OF TTH-TELLG WHERE SUCH A TTH IS VERY DIFFICULT, IS SORT OF EXTRA POTS FOR A POLICIAN,” KUEHL SAYS. NETEEN NETY-FOUR ALSO SAW THE REPUBLIN TAKEOVER OF THE CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY AFTER 25 YEARS OF A DEMOCRATIC MAJORY. “I AM GOG [TO SACRAMENTO] BEG LTLE MISS GAY PERSON ALL BY MYSELF, AND NOT ONLY WAS I WORRIED ABOUT THAT—WE ALSO HAD A NEW, DIFFERENT KD OF REPUBLIN MAJORY,” SHE SAYS. “THE GUYS BROUGHT THEIR BIBL TO THE FLOOR. ONE OF THEM NSISTENTLY WORE HIS BOY SUT UNIFORM. ONE OF THEM WORE LERHOSEN. IT WAS LIKE A CIRC.”BUT THE LGBTQ+ MUNY “WAS VERY PROUD OF MY ELECTN, AND I WANTED THEM TO SEE THAT WAS A BRIGHT SPOT” THE DARK ELECTNS. KUEHL WAS BUOYED BY HER LGBTQ+ ELECTED PRECSORS AND FELT THE FUTURE WOULD YIELD “MORE GAY PEOPLE, MORE GAY PEOPLE, MORE GAY PEOPLE” AS REPRENTATIV.“I THK THE GRAND VIRTUE OF THE VICTORY FUND IS IMMEDIATELY GIV YOU NATNAL ACCS TO DONORS, SUPPORTERS, AND PEOPLE WHO HAD ACTUALLY N FOR OFFICE AND WON WHO WILL ENURAGE YOU,” KUEHL SAYS. “IT’S VERY IMPORTANT BEE YOU HONTLY DON’T KNOW WHO’S ON YOUR SI WHEN YOU FIRST N.” SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER HER ELECTN, THE LOS ANGEL TIM WROTE A ONT-PAGE STORY, THE HEADLE OF WHICH KUEHL JOKGLY AMEND TO “REPUBLINS LIKE LBIAN MEMBER, ARE SURPRISED.”CONGRSMAN STEVE GUNRSON OUTEDFORMER U.S. REP. STEVE GUNRSON“MY FELLOW REPUBLIN HAS A REVOLVG DOOR ON HIS CLOSET. HE’S OUT, HE’S . HE’S OUT, HE’S . NOW I GUS YOU’RE OUT BEE YOU WENT AND SPOKE AT A HUGE HOMOSEXUAL DNER.” THOSE WORDS WERE LODGED AT GOP CONGRSMAN STEVE GUNRSON OF WISNS ON THE HOE FLOOR ON MARCH 4, 1994 BY HIS LLEAGUE REP. ROBERT DORNAN OF CALIFORNIA, “OUTG” HIM TO THE WORLD AND MAKG HIM THE THIRD OUT MEMBER OF CONGRS AFTER GERRY STUDDS AND BARNEY FRANK. DORNAN WAS REFERRG TO A HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN DNER WHERE GUNRSON – A STRONG SUPPORTER OF GAY RIGHTS BEFORE HE WAS OUTED – MENTNED SHARG A BEACH HOE REHOBOTH BEACH, DELAWARE, WH “ROB” AND “OUR TWO DOGS.”COMG OUT ON HIS OWN TERMS A TIME MAGAZE PROFILE OCTOBER 1994, HE WAS REELECTED THE NEXT MONTH, MAKG HIM THE FIRST OUT LGBTQ+ REPUBLIN TO W A FERAL ELECTN. GUNRSON BRIEFLY RAN FOR REELECTN 1996 WH LGBTQ+ VICTORY FUND’S ENDORSEMENT BUT DROPPED OUT OF THE RACE BEFORE NOVEMBER AND WAS SUCCEED BY DEMOCRAT RON KD. HE SPENT HIS TWO YEARS AS AN OUT MEMBER OF CONGRS AS A CHAMPN FOR THE LGBTQ+ MUNY, CLUDG FIGHTG FOR AIDS FUNDG AND BEG THE ONLY REPUBLIN TO VOTE AGAST THE “DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT,” WHICH BARRED FERAL REGNN OF SAME-SEX UPL. TIM VAN ZANDT BREAKS BARRIERS MISSOURI HOEREP. TIM VAN ZANDTAFTER WNG THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY WH OVER 80 PERCENT OF THE VOTE, TIM VAN ZANDT SRED A LANDSLI VICTORY OVER HIS OPPONENT THE 1994 GENERAL ELECTN FOR THE MISSOURI HOE OF REPRENTATIV. THROUGH HIS ELECTN, VAN ZANDT MA HISTORY AS THE FIRST OUT LGBTQ+ PERSON EVER ELECTED TO THE MISSOURI GENERAL ASSEMBLY. HE WAS RE-ELECTED FOR THREE MORE TERMS BEFORE TERM LIMS PREVENTED HIM OM SEEKG RE-ELECTN 2002. IN 1992, 1996, AND 2000, VAN ZANDT WAS ALSO A LEGATE TO THE DEMOCRATIC NATNAL CONVENTNS.KAREN BTE LNCH HISTORIC AG BID NEW YORKKAREN BURSTE'S MPAIGN WAS FEATURED THE AUGT, 7, 1994 ISSUE OF THE NEW YORK TIM. AFTER S OF PUBLIC SERVICE FOR THE STATE OF NEW YORK, KAREN BURSTE MA HER LANDMARK N FOR NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL 1994, BEG THE FIRST EVER OUT LBIAN TO N FOR THE POSN. BURSTE EARNED VICTORY FUND’S ENDORSEMENT AND THE ANIZATN RAISED OVER $55,000 FOR HER MPAIGN. AFTER BURSTE WON THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY, SHE WHSTOOD HARSH ANTI-GAY RHETORIC OM HER OPPONENTS, ULTIMATELY ENDG HER NARROW FEAT THE GENERAL ELECTN. BURSTE WAS A FOUNDG MEMBER OF THE INTERNATNAL ASSOCIATN OF LGBTQ+ JUDG AND WAS AN ACTIVIST FOR SEVERAL THROUGHOUT HER LIFE.LGBTQ+ VICTORY FUND ENDORSED CANDIDAT 1994
• GAY PRI
• ABOUT THE CENTERSCE 1983 THE CENTER HAS BEEN SUPPORTG, FOSTERG AND CELEBRATG THE LGBT MUNY OF NEW YORK CY. FD MORE RMATN ON AND OUR WORK ABOUT THE CENTER. VIS ABOUT THE CENTEROUR MISSNCYBER CENTERCENTER HISTORYRACE EQUYMEDIA CENTERLEARSHIP & STAFFEMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNICORPORATE PARTNERSHIPSANNUAL REPORTS & FANCIAL INFORMATNCONTACT USHOURS & LOTNSEMAPSUPPORT THE CENTER

AMERI'S FIRST OUT FERAL JUDGE SWORN ININ 1994, DEBORAH BATTS BEME THE FIRST OUT GAY FERAL JUDGE HISTORY WHEN SHE WAS SWORN TO SERVE THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK AFTER BEG APPOTED BY PRINT CLTON. BEFORE AND DURG HER SERVICE THE URTS, SHE WAS THE FIRST AIN AMERIN FACULTY MEMBER AT FORDHAM LAW SCHOOL. SHE WAS SWORN DURG PRI WEEK ON JUNE 23, 1994.DURG HER 18 YEARS AS A FERAL JUDGE, BATTS PRID OVER HIGH-PROFILE TERRORISM AND RPTN S, AND SERVED AS A MENTOR TO MANY YOUNG LAWYERS. SHE PRID OVER THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE LIGATN, WHICH VOLVED FIVE MEN WHO WERE WRONGLY NVICTED THE 1989 BEATG AND RAPE OF A FEMALE JOGGER CENTRAL PARK. AS THE PRIDG JUDGE, SHE REJECTED THE CY’S MOTN TO DISMISS, AND THE SE LED TO A $41 LN SETTLEMENT. JUDGE BATTS PASSED AWAY ON FEBARY 3, 2020. SHE WAS HONORED 2021 AS A MEMBER OF THE FOUNDG CLASS OF THE LGBTQ+ VICTORY HALL OF FAME. ‍SHEILA KUEHL BE FIRST OUT CALIFORNIA LAWMAKERSHEILA KUEHL. COURTY OF KAREN OMBPERHAPS THE HIGHT PROFILE LGBTQ+ VICTORY FUND NDIDATE 1994 WAS SHEILA JAM KUEHL, WHO PORTRAYED SMART TEEN ZELDA GILROY ON THE MANY LOV OF DOBIE GILLIS THE EARLY 1960S. AFTER GRADUATG OM HARVARD LAW SCHOOL, SHE -FOUND THE CALIFORNIA WOMEN’S LAW CENTER AND WROTE CALIFORNIA’S FIRST DOMTIC VLENCE LAWS. KUEHL BORE A RPONSIBILY OTHER NDIDAT DID NOT SHOULR: AS THE FIRST LGBTQ+ PERSON THE CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE, SHE WOULD BE TASKED WH “REPRENTG” AN EMERGG POLIL MORY STARVG FOR A SEAT AT THE TABLE. KUEHL QUICKLY LEARNED, HOWEVER, THAT THE SIGNIFINCE OF BEG AN OUT NDIDATE HAD S UPSI, AS SHE SAW ONE NIGHT AT DNER SANTA MONI WHEN A “BIG BURLY GUY” APPROACHED HER RTRANT TABLE.“I WAS A LTLE B EAKED OUT AND WONRG HOW THIS WAS GOG TO TURN OUT,” KUEHL RELLS, HAVG RECEIVED ANONYMO ATH THREATS DURG HER MPAIGN. “HE SAID: ‘YOU’RE SHEILA KUEHL, RIGHT?’ AND I SAID, ‘Y, I AM.’ AND HE SAID, ‘I JT WANT TO TELL YOU—I HATE ALL POLICIANS. I N’T STAND THEM. THEY DISSEMBLE, THEY LIE, THEY NEVER TELL YOU THE TTH. I HATE ’EM ALL, EXCEPT FOR YOU.’ AND I SAID, ‘WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, BUT WHY ME?’ AND HE SAID, ‘WELL, YOU’VE ALREADY TOLD THE WORST THG ABOUT YOURSELF. WHY WOULD YOU LIE ABOUT ANYTHG ELSE?’” THAT VOTER SAW G OUT AS URAGEO. “THE NOTN OF TTH-TELLG WHERE SUCH A TTH IS VERY DIFFICULT, IS SORT OF EXTRA POTS FOR A POLICIAN,” KUEHL SAYS. NETEEN NETY-FOUR ALSO SAW THE REPUBLIN TAKEOVER OF THE CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY AFTER 25 YEARS OF A DEMOCRATIC MAJORY. “I AM GOG [TO SACRAMENTO] BEG LTLE MISS GAY PERSON ALL BY MYSELF, AND NOT ONLY WAS I WORRIED ABOUT THAT—WE ALSO HAD A NEW, DIFFERENT KD OF REPUBLIN MAJORY,” SHE SAYS. “THE GUYS BROUGHT THEIR BIBL TO THE FLOOR. ONE OF THEM NSISTENTLY WORE HIS BOY SUT UNIFORM. ONE OF THEM WORE LERHOSEN. IT WAS LIKE A CIRC.”BUT THE LGBTQ+ MUNY “WAS VERY PROUD OF MY ELECTN, AND I WANTED THEM TO SEE THAT WAS A BRIGHT SPOT” THE DARK ELECTNS. KUEHL WAS BUOYED BY HER LGBTQ+ ELECTED PRECSORS AND FELT THE FUTURE WOULD YIELD “MORE GAY PEOPLE, MORE GAY PEOPLE, MORE GAY PEOPLE” AS REPRENTATIV.“I THK THE GRAND VIRTUE OF THE VICTORY FUND IS IMMEDIATELY GIV YOU NATNAL ACCS TO DONORS, SUPPORTERS, AND PEOPLE WHO HAD ACTUALLY N FOR OFFICE AND WON WHO WILL ENURAGE YOU,” KUEHL SAYS. “IT’S VERY IMPORTANT BEE YOU HONTLY DON’T KNOW WHO’S ON YOUR SI WHEN YOU FIRST N.” SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER HER ELECTN, THE LOS ANGEL TIM WROTE A ONT-PAGE STORY, THE HEADLE OF WHICH KUEHL JOKGLY AMEND TO “REPUBLINS LIKE LBIAN MEMBER, ARE SURPRISED.”CONGRSMAN STEVE GUNRSON OUTEDFORMER U.S. REP. STEVE GUNRSON“MY FELLOW REPUBLIN HAS A REVOLVG DOOR ON HIS CLOSET. HE’S OUT, HE’S . HE’S OUT, HE’S . NOW I GUS YOU’RE OUT BEE YOU WENT AND SPOKE AT A HUGE HOMOSEXUAL DNER.” THOSE WORDS WERE LODGED AT GOP CONGRSMAN STEVE GUNRSON OF WISNS ON THE HOE FLOOR ON MARCH 4, 1994 BY HIS LLEAGUE REP. ROBERT DORNAN OF CALIFORNIA, “OUTG” HIM TO THE WORLD AND MAKG HIM THE THIRD OUT MEMBER OF CONGRS AFTER GERRY STUDDS AND BARNEY FRANK. DORNAN WAS REFERRG TO A HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN DNER WHERE GUNRSON – A STRONG SUPPORTER OF GAY RIGHTS BEFORE HE WAS OUTED – MENTNED SHARG A BEACH HOE REHOBOTH BEACH, DELAWARE, WH “ROB” AND “OUR TWO DOGS.”COMG OUT ON HIS OWN TERMS A TIME MAGAZE PROFILE OCTOBER 1994, HE WAS REELECTED THE NEXT MONTH, MAKG HIM THE FIRST OUT LGBTQ+ REPUBLIN TO W A FERAL ELECTN. GUNRSON BRIEFLY RAN FOR REELECTN 1996 WH LGBTQ+ VICTORY FUND’S ENDORSEMENT BUT DROPPED OUT OF THE RACE BEFORE NOVEMBER AND WAS SUCCEED BY DEMOCRAT RON KD. HE SPENT HIS TWO YEARS AS AN OUT MEMBER OF CONGRS AS A CHAMPN FOR THE LGBTQ+ MUNY, CLUDG FIGHTG FOR AIDS FUNDG AND BEG THE ONLY REPUBLIN TO VOTE AGAST THE “DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT,” WHICH BARRED FERAL REGNN OF SAME-SEX UPL. TIM VAN ZANDT BREAKS BARRIERS MISSOURI HOEREP. TIM VAN ZANDTAFTER WNG THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY WH OVER 80 PERCENT OF THE VOTE, TIM VAN ZANDT SRED A LANDSLI VICTORY OVER HIS OPPONENT THE 1994 GENERAL ELECTN FOR THE MISSOURI HOE OF REPRENTATIV. THROUGH HIS ELECTN, VAN ZANDT MA HISTORY AS THE FIRST OUT LGBTQ+ PERSON EVER ELECTED TO THE MISSOURI GENERAL ASSEMBLY. HE WAS RE-ELECTED FOR THREE MORE TERMS BEFORE TERM LIMS PREVENTED HIM OM SEEKG RE-ELECTN 2002. IN 1992, 1996, AND 2000, VAN ZANDT WAS ALSO A LEGATE TO THE DEMOCRATIC NATNAL CONVENTNS.KAREN BTE LNCH HISTORIC AG BID NEW YORKKAREN BURSTE'S MPAIGN WAS FEATURED THE AUGT, 7, 1994 ISSUE OF THE NEW YORK TIM. AFTER S OF PUBLIC SERVICE FOR THE STATE OF NEW YORK, KAREN BURSTE MA HER LANDMARK N FOR NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL 1994, BEG THE FIRST EVER OUT LBIAN TO N FOR THE POSN. BURSTE EARNED VICTORY FUND’S ENDORSEMENT AND THE ANIZATN RAISED OVER $55,000 FOR HER MPAIGN. AFTER BURSTE WON THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY, SHE WHSTOOD HARSH ANTI-GAY RHETORIC OM HER OPPONENTS, ULTIMATELY ENDG HER NARROW FEAT THE GENERAL ELECTN. BURSTE WAS A FOUNDG MEMBER OF THE INTERNATNAL ASSOCIATN OF LGBTQ+ JUDG AND WAS AN ACTIVIST FOR SEVERAL THROUGHOUT HER LIFE.LGBTQ+ VICTORY FUND ENDORSED CANDIDAT 1994

Meanwhile, loomg the background like the ghost of Christmas past e back to hnt Pri, former mayor Roger Hedgeck and his “normal people” were out to make some anti-gay pots. When San Diego Lbian and Gay Pri was formed, origally as the 15/20 mtee, was technilly a program of the Center. By 1994, he had gaed a sizeable dience wh his lol talk show and he set his sights on San Diego Lbian and Gay Pri.

At the time, one of nservative rad’s favore topics was to argue that equal rights for gays and lbians, were some way “special rights” mand by a mory. As part of his anti-gay csa, Hedgeck and some of his listeners cid that they wanted to march the Pri para as a “Normal People” ntgent.

Ten years earlier the police were barely tolerant of homosexuals and they were largely unwillg to work wh Lambda Pri to keep the peace the years when the fundi were out force. Twenty years earlier, the police routely raid gay bars and harassed gays and lbians wh relative impuny. The Keynote speaker was Morris Kight, one of the godfathers of the Pri movement on the wt ast, and someone who had helped advise the San Diego Pri movement sce the days of the Gay Liberatn Front.

GAY PRI

It go back to 1978, when the artist Gilbert Baker, an openly gay man and a drag queen, signed the first rabow flag. Baker later revealed that he was urged by Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay elected officials the U.

ABOUT THE CENTERSCE 1983 THE CENTER HAS BEEN SUPPORTG, FOSTERG AND CELEBRATG THE LGBT MUNY OF NEW YORK CY. FD MORE RMATN ON AND OUR WORK ABOUT THE CENTER. VIS ABOUT THE CENTEROUR MISSNCYBER CENTERCENTER HISTORYRACE EQUYMEDIA CENTERLEARSHIP & STAFFEMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNICORPORATE PARTNERSHIPSANNUAL REPORTS & FANCIAL INFORMATNCONTACT USHOURS & LOTNSEMAPSUPPORT THE CENTER

As he later said an terview, “Our job as gay people was to e out, to be visible, to live the tth, as I say, to get out of the lie. The first versns of the rabow flag were flown on June 25, 1978, for the San Francis Gay Freedom Day para. “I am gog [to Sacramento] beg Ltle Miss Gay Person all by myself, and not only was I worried about that—we also had a new, different kd of Republin majory, ” she says.

Kuehl was buoyed by her LGBTQ+ elected precsors and felt the future would yield “more gay people, more gay people, more gay people” as reprentativ. Gay Pri, also lled LGBT Pri or LGBTQ Pri, byname Pri, annual celebratn, ually June the Uned Stat and sometim at other tim other untri, of lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, and queer (LGBTQ) inty.

Gay Pri memorat the Stonewall rts, which began the early hours of June 28, 1969, after police raid the Stonewall Inn bar New York Cy’s Greenwich Village neighbourhood.

Gay Pri typilly volv a seri of events and is often pped by a para volvg marchers and lourful floats om the LGBTQ muny and s the Stonewall rts, LGBTQ dividuals had generally not broadst their sexual orientatn or inty, but the event galvanized the gay muny and sparked greater polil activism (see gay rights movement). In 1970, on the first anniversary of the rts, several hundred monstrators marched along Greenwich Village’s Christopher Street, which ns past the Stonewall, what many nsir the first Gay Pri march (though other memoratns were also held that year).

Early Gay Pri events (often lled Freedom Day or Gay Liberatn Day) were often sparsely attend and enuntered protts, particularly bee of the outlandish stum that some marchers wore. In 1978 what is perhaps the most-regnized symbol of Gay Pri ma s but at the San Francis event: the rabow flag. As acceptance of the LGBTQ muny creased among the straight muny, policians sympathetic to the views of the LGBTQ muny and gay-iendly bs and rporatns began participatg the march.

The total number of people participatg—both gay and straight—mhroomed, and Pri events were held many part of the globe, cludg ci where they sometim enuntered stiff ristance (e. Check out Rabow flags, drag queens, fay ti: A visual history of Portland's Pri Para - In the early years of Bill Clton's princy, the natn bated whether or not gays uld serve the ary, and the ntroversial "Don't ask, don't tell" policy was born.