Openly gay Air Force mand chief at Ramste lends voice of personal experience for Pri Month | Stars and Strip

Contents:

• I'M A GAY ARMY OFFICER—QUEER TROOPS MT FIGHT BACK
• THE REVOLUTNARY WAR HERO WHO WAS OPENLY GAY
• OPENLY GAY AIR FORCE MAND CHIEF AT RAMSTE LENDS VOICE OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCE FOR PRI MONTH

I'M A GAY ARMY OFFICER—QUEER TROOPS MT FIGHT BACK

But as a gay man, I have been fightg my whole life to enjoy the very privileg I am entled to as both a beholr and protector of them. I was one of few soldiers who joed the service before graduatg high school, but the admistratn at the time, which I believe was homophobic, chose to act as if I never existed bee of my queer hate that I experienced growg up on Long Island was my first enunter wh how others would treat me as a queer soldier. Gay men have always been part of the Amerin ary.

In an era before gay marriage or open pri, ary men fell love, formed passnate iendships and had same-sex enunters. But the se of one of the ary’s foundg hero, homosexualy was always part of the story. Historians also thk he was homosexual—and served as an openly gay man the ary at a time when sex between men was punished as a crime.

He also downplayed mors that the baron had been dismissed om the Pssian ary for homosexualy. But he was gay, and homosexualy was viewed as a crimal aberratn by many of his peers. ”After the war, von Stben legally adopted both men—a mon practice among gay men an age before same-sex marriage was legal.

THE REVOLUTNARY WAR HERO WHO WAS OPENLY GAY

John Mulligan, who was also gay, served as von Stben’s secretary and is thought to have had a relatnship wh the baron. Durg von Stben’s lifetime, the ncept of gay marriage, gay pri or g out was unthkable and there was no language or open culture of homosexualy.

But historil homosexual relatnships were actually don’t mean beg gay was ndoned: Sodomy was a crime lonial Ameri. Grisham hop his experience of servg the Air Force for more than 20 years as a gay airman n reassure and spire other LGBTQ ary personnel. As far as he knows, he’s the only openly gay mand chief the Air Force.

Until 2011, when the repeal of the ary’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy took effect, openly gay and lbian people were barred om servg the U.

OPENLY GAY AIR FORCE MAND CHIEF AT RAMSTE LENDS VOICE OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCE FOR PRI MONTH

Nor did beg gay hr his advancement opportuni his 20-pl years the Air Force. Gay and lbian service members have largely found acceptance the ary, he said. Grisham, as far as he knows, is the only openly gay mand chief the Air Force.

Before "don't ask, don't tell" was officially repealed for gay, lbian, and bisexual ary personnel 2011, a photo of a male Mare drag uld have land him hot water. "Lbian, gay, and bisexual ary personnel had been servg our untry for s whout receivg equal protectn, while transgenr troops are still prohibed om servg openly.

"As a gay man, I n relate to what is still the opprsive stigma of homosexualy. To date, there have been five openly LGBTQ+ people who have served as a natnal head of ernment, Iceland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland, and Serbia -- but gay, bisexual, lbian, and even transgenr lears have guid natns sce time immemorial.