He’s a gay Coast Guard officer and a rower wh Olympic dreams - Outsports

Contents:

• GAY AT SEA – A LOOK AT THE US COAST GUARD’S LGBT COMMUNY
• GAY NNER AT COAST GUARD AMY FDS BEG THENTIC ALLOWS HIM TO THRIVE
• GAY ROWER WAS PART OF SECRET LGBTQ ARY WORK DURG DON’T ASK DON’T TELL
• HE’S GAY, A COAST GUARD OFFICER AND A ROWER WH OLYMPIC DREAMS
• OPENLY GAY COAST GUARD NNER SETS SCHOOL RERD TRACK MEET

GAY AT SEA – A LOOK AT THE US COAST GUARD’S LGBT COMMUNY

“People say I don’t look ‘gay, ’” said Fairburn. “But what do ‘gay’ look like?

“Well, actually I look pretty ‘gay, ’” Lt.

GAY NNER AT COAST GUARD AMY FDS BEG THENTIC ALLOWS HIM TO THRIVE

Unr DADT, ary members who intified as gay or lbian had to hi their sexual orientatn or risk beg discharged. “I don’t want special treatment bee I’m gay, ” Fairburn said. “I jt want to be treated like everyone else – how you would have before you knew I was gay.

Gay nner at Coast Guard Amy fds beg thentic allows him to thrive.

GAY ROWER WAS PART OF SECRET LGBTQ ARY WORK DURG DON’T ASK DON’T TELL

As a closeted gay kid a relig fay, I felt I had ltle value as a person. Beg the only gay kid a seemgly endls sea of straight people. I first realized I was actually gay middle school, when all of my male iends began obssg over girls our class.

Growg up, I was tght homosexualy was a s. He was a nfint, out gay guy who was well-liked, which nstcted my view of the stutn. As a gay ary member, n be difficult to forest a life whout seeg other queer people dog too.

HE’S GAY, A COAST GUARD OFFICER AND A ROWER WH OLYMPIC DREAMS

When John Olbrys was rowg for the Coast Guard Amy, he was dog durg the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell era, when livg openly as a gay man, or simply mentng he was gay to a teammate, uld rult him beg expelled om the school and the ary. “I did have iends at the amy who knew I was gay, but they were also fellow queer folks who were at the school who were nng the same gay unrground that we created, ” Olbrys says. He also talks about fdg his way to Potomac, racg gay events that he says are a lot of fun, and aimg for the U.

OPENLY GAY COAST GUARD NNER SETS SCHOOL RERD TRACK MEET

There was one problem though: I’m gay and I’ve known that sce I was very young (maybe around 10). Though my mom equently remd me that she would love me no matter who I felt attracted to, I felt like I uldn’t tell her bee everyone school poted out how wrong beg gay was. A handful of ts found out when Melissa put together a gay unrground that preced what is now CGA Spectm, the first service amy Queer Affy Group.

I don’t prent an overly “gay” way, whatever that is, so often as a surprise to lleagu and teammat when I e out to them some sual way or another. A Department of Defense–fund study published the Journal of Trmatic Strs nfirms that lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr (LGBT) ary members experience higher risks for sexual asslt and sexual harassment.

| Eric Gay/AP Photo. However, unr "don't ask, don't tell, " beg openly gay at a service amy was forbidn and uld lead to expulsn.