Only 15 years ago, Chief Master Sgt. Jeremiah Grisham never imaged he’d be where he is today: the top enlisted lear for the 521st Air Mobily Operatns Wg at Ramste. As far as he knows, he’s the only openly gay mand chief the Air Force.
Contents:
- OPENLY GAY AIR FORCE MAND CHIEF AT RAMSTE LENDS VOICE OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCE FOR PRI MONTH
- MY BIG GAY AIR FORCE LIFE
- THE FIRST OPENLY GAY U.S. AIR FORCE AMY COMMANDANT
- WEARG NIKE'S PRI-THEMED AIR FORCE 1: SUPER GAY, SUPER GOOD
- TELL: AN INTIMATE HISTORY OF GAY MEN THE MILARY
- 2 GENERATNS OF GAY AIR FORCE OFFICERS SCRIBE LIFE BEFORE AND AFTER "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL"
- GAY SERGEANT CHALLENG THE AIR FORCE
- AIR FORCE HONORS GAY RIGHTS IN THE SERVICE KICKED OUT 1975
OPENLY GAY AIR FORCE MAND CHIEF AT RAMSTE LENDS VOICE OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCE FOR PRI MONTH
Last week, the U.S. Air Force announced the lnch of two new diversy and cln programs, cludg a Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgenr and * gay air force *
Air Force announced the lnch of two new diversy and cln programs, cludg a Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgenr and Queer/Qutng iative team (LIT) and the Indigeno Natns Equaly Teams (INET).
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.
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. The Uned Stat ary stggled wh s stance on gay service members for s prr to the signg of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” 1993 by former Print Bill Clton. “No longer will our untry be nied the service of thoands of patrtic Amerins who were forced to leave the ary – regardls of their skills, no matter their bravery or their zeal, no matter their years of exemplary performance – bee they happen to be gay, ” said former Print Barack Obama.
MY BIG GAY AIR FORCE LIFE
* gay air force *
Prr to World War II, there were no official laws banng homosexual persons the ary, however, there were laws place agast homosexual acts.
THE FIRST OPENLY GAY U.S. AIR FORCE AMY COMMANDANT
The Uned Stat ary stggled wh s stance on gay service members for s prr to the signg of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” 1993 by former Print Bill Clton., * gay air force *
Milary psychiatrists theorized that heterosexual mal uld participate homosexual acts while alg wh the strs of war due to the lack of ‘normal’ sexual outlets war-torn areas.
To protect Ameri’s servicemen om the ‘threat’ of homosexual men wh their ranks, the ary created more -pth physil and psychologil screengs of potential ary members.
WEARG NIKE'S PRI-THEMED AIR FORCE 1: SUPER GAY, SUPER GOOD
As "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" to an end, we sent Chris Heath to terview dozens of gay servicemen om the past and prent to fd out what life was really like as Ameri's ary stggled wh s last great inty crisis * gay air force *
The ary doctors believed that homosexualy uld be tected the physil featur and mannerisms of men and would dismiss recs who displayed the characteristics. “When was ascertaed that the basis of the maladjtment was homosexualy and this was reported to the dividual’s mandg officer, the subject ually received a ‘blue’ discharge, ” said Lt.
TELL: AN INTIMATE HISTORY OF GAY MEN THE MILARY
I am an Amerin Airman. I am a warrr. I have answered my natn’s ll.I am a wgman, a photojournalist and a hband.I am gay., * gay air force *
Gay ary members no longer need to fear that their learship learng of their sexual orientatn will e them to lose chanc at promotn and advancement their reers.
Gay servicemen and women are protected unr the same laws as any other person and offered the same opportuni to excel and live wh a cent qualy of life whout fear of stroyg their reers. “That is why I say to all Amerins, gay or straight, who want nothg more than to fend this untry uniform: Your untry needs you, your untry wants you, and we will be honored to wele you to the ranks of the ft ary the world has ever known, ” stated Obama.
Ten years after the ary’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy began to phase out, gay and lbian Airmen say there’s more the Department of the Air Force n do to support the LGBTQ muny.
2 GENERATNS OF GAY AIR FORCE OFFICERS SCRIBE LIFE BEFORE AND AFTER "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL"
22, 2010, Print Barack Obama signed legislatn that led to the repeal of DADT, which for nearly two s blocked openly gay personnel om servg the ary. Several gay and lbian Airmen who spoke to Air Force Magaze said they have bee better wgmen sce the fall of DADT, and are optimistic about a ary where the LGBT muny is better reprented and accepted. Some wish the ary health re system was better attuned to the needs of lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, and queer personnel, rangg om HIV preventn and treatment to pregnancy issu.
GAY SERGEANT CHALLENG THE AIR FORCE
Perhaps the most notable high-rankg gay ary official recent history is Eric Fanng, print and chief executive officer of the Aerospace Indtri Associatn. Fanng, a former Army Secretary and Actg Air Force Secretary, is the only openly gay person to have held senr posns the Army, Air Force, and Navy, as well as the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
AIR FORCE HONORS GAY RIGHTS IN THE SERVICE KICKED OUT 1975
“You uldn’t get a clearance if you were gay until 1998, ” said Le Schlsener, print of the advocy group Out Natnal Secury and a former speechwrer to Defense Secretari om 2012 to 2017. Airmen praised openly gay learship at their lol uns but worried that Air Force efforts to embrace diversy promotns will lead to tokenism.
Michelle Johnson’s e-mail to staff, obtaed by the Colorado Sprgs Inpennt, pats a picture of an acplished officer — the former vice manr of the 59th Bomb Wg and wg manr of the 2nd Bomb Wg, wh experience flyg at least a half-dozen different typ of ary aircraft cludg the B-2 Spir stealth is standard, Johnson left Goodw’s personal life out of the bgraphy, although is signifint, as Goodw will be the first openly gay mandant at the amy.