Veterans Day (proclaimed a federal holiday in 1938 by President Woodrow Wilison) began as Armistice Day on November 11, 1918, marking the end of major fighting in World War I at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
Unlike most federal floating holidays, it’s always on the 11th day of November. In 1954 congress renamed the holiday to Veterans Day to honor all U.S. veterans of all wars, signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Veterans Day honors all American veterans who served in war or peacetime. Not some, all. In a democratic nation, including one threatened by fascist rule, recognizing all citizens is fundamental to the integrity, legitimacy and sustainability of a democracy.
At its core, democracy rests on the principle that every citizen has inherent value, deserves equal protection under the law and should have a meaningful voice in the decisions that shape their lives. When a democracy recognizes and respects all its citizens, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status or political affiliation, it strengthens public trust, encourages civic participation and promotes a more inclusive society.
Conversely, when certain populations are marginalized, excluded or denied equal opportunities for representation, the very foundation of democracy is weakened. Such exclusion can foster distrust, deepen social divisions and undermine the principle of government by and for the people.
A democracy is not defined solely by the right to vote, but also by whose voices are heard, whose rights are protected and whose humanity is acknowledged. True democratic representation requires more than simply counting citizens; it requires ensuring that every citizen counts. That said, and with Veterans Day quickly approaching, Qnotes sat down with a few of our LGBTQ+ community veterans who shared their thoughts on their experiences as military personnel.
Unfortunately, due to the state of affairs under our current administration, there were those who opted not to speak with us and others whose names we were asked not to use out for fear of retaliation that could negatively impact their lives — after having pledged to give their own lives for the freedoms most Americans hold dear.
Talking with a former veteran of the Navy, we learned why and how deeply those concerns run. Hazel Jones, a former U.S. Navy service member whose name has been changed to protect her privacy and concerns for job security, shared her experiences navigating military service as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
She addressed her hesitation to speak with us, explaining, “It’s still not safe, especially for the older ones because there are no standards of abiding by the law in the military. It’s not like that with this current administration.” Jones continued, “With the Department of Defense, now [being referred to] as the department of war; it all boils down to whoever is in charge being able to implement their state of mind and ideology. The military is supposed to be a protector of all, not some.”
While reflecting on her time in the Navy, Jones shared some harrowing experiences of not being protected while she actively served in a military whose goal it is to protect its citizens and a democratic way of life.
From her home in South Carolina she talked about her experiences passionately. “During the ‘80s when I was in — you had to pretend you were straight or be put out. Men profiled women they thought were gay and forced them to sleep with them just to keep their orientation secret. The humanity of not singling out vulnerable people didn’t start changing until the ‘90s, especially [for] Black gay women. I personally went through a lot with men in the military. I was sexually attacked — raped — sexually assaulted, by a superior officer.”
As a result of the climate and the attack, Jones says she learned to fight while in the military. Not as a means of necessarily becoming a more capable soldier, but as a means of self protection. “I survived, but many women [who suffered similar circumstances] are still living with that, not knowing how to fight and having nowhere else to go. Where do you run when you’re far away from home and in the middle of the ocean?”
In Jones’ opinion, and with what we’ve been seeing with the treatment of trans vets and in review of the atmosphere, culture and state of affairs fostered by previous administrations, she concluded: “President Obama changed the whole mindset of the world and instilled a respect for all Americans serving in the military, making it okay to say you have PTSD, suffer from depression or you’re a sexual assault survivor, and now you have an administration that has rolled all that back.”
Victoria “Vickie” Green, an LGBTQ+ woman with 28 years of military service, spent most of her youth in Charlotte and is currently the board chair of the Carolinas Chamber of Commerce. She entered the Air Force in 1982, prior to the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” era, and continued to serve during DADT. Neither gave you the option of being out, but she did experience service post discriminatory policies, as well.
“It was tough when I first enlisted,” she began. “We actually had to sign off on a little paper. They kind of rubber-stamped it, and it said, ‘I promise I’m not going to be gay. I promise I will not do any homosexual activities while I’m in the military.’” She recalled being prompted to initial the statement, gazing at the recruiter and inquiring, “What if I don’t want to sign this?” Green was advised to sign if she wanted to enlist. Green pushed back: “I’ll tell you what. I will sign it, but I’m signing it under duress, and I’m not going to promise anything.” The recruiter responded, “I don’t care. You just need to sign it to get in.”
Echoing much of Jones’ experience in the climate of serving in the military during the ‘80s, Green said, “At times, it was hard. Back in the early ‘80s, it was tough to be gay anyway, whether you were in the military or living in a neighborhood. I had a lot of friends who got beat up. I had one female friend who had been grabbed from a bar. It was a tough time. With the military, it was hard because you had to be very careful. We had our little select groups, and we would always go off base to somebody else’s house [for social interaction with other LGBTQ+ folks] because there were witch hunts all the time, really.”
“‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ provided little comfort or protection to LGBTQ+ military personnel during the era of that legislation. Examining how effective the legislation was in creating safety and impactful change, the now retired Master Sergeant said, “It was exciting, but it didn’t really do anything. If you think about it, ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ meant we still couldn’t be open. We could be a little more open, but there was always that threat. We would go to events, but we’d go to other cities to go out to bars and other places.”
Green spent a total of 28 years serving in the military, not all of which were active duty. “I did the first couple of years, and then I did the Reserves and then the Guard. But it was 28 years, from ‘82 until I retired in 2013.”
Though we might imagine that most LGBTQ+ military personnel face challenges with retribution inspired by the desire to simply be themselves, there are those who have had positive experiences being out while serving. One such individual is Dr. Joseph Laterza. Prior to earning the title of doctor as a family medical practitioner, Laterza served in the Navy (1999-2005) as an aviation ordnanceman who assembled the missiles and bombs for the U.S. military.
Laterza took us back to the day he made the decision to join the military. “Funny enough, I woke up mad at the world one day and was called by a recruiter who told me to come in to talk to him. My family didn’t really value education and had a mentality of just finish high school and get a job.
“I didn’t have a lot of direction at the time, signed up and didn’t tell my mom until two weeks before I left.” Sharing the leap from serviceman to physician, Laterza continued, “Somewhere along the way, I had friends that were officers and learned they got degrees while in the military. I was offered college courses while out to sea and began taking classes to get an associate’s degree. I got out early and attended interior design school and loved it, but was pulled to do something in healthcare and became a medical assistant. I then put myself through undergrad while working as an E.R. medical assistant. Once I received my bachelor’s in healthcare administration, a mentor who thought I wasn’t working to my full potential encouraged me to attend med school. I now have my own practice, specializing in family medicine.”
Like most, Laterza wasn’t out while serving. At least not initially. He was, however, outed unexpectedly. He had his “first [romantic same-gender] experience” while serving in the Navy and docked in Australia.
Leaving a club with a guy who kissed him as he got into a cab, Laterza’s interaction was observed and quickly reported to military officials. “It spread like wildfire, but everyone was cool. I had no issues and no problems at all, very different from some of my friends on the ship who weren’t as fortunate,” he said.
Fast-forwarding to current day, we asked Laterza his thoughts on how the Trump administration engages our trans brothers and sisters. He lamented, “I think many times LGBT service members are scapegoats for political talking points. Trans individuals are such a small minority portion of the population, they are easy to target.” He continued to bring attention to a particular type of hypocrisy as it applies to gender-affirming care within the military. “This image of a masculine military is troublesome.”
Laterza also shared his dismay with current Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who has been pushing the ideology that men in the military should all be on testosterone.
“He’s placing emphasis on physical attributes and ignores the negative side effects that come with high testosterone levels. They’re talking about not providing gender-affirming care, but that’s what that is.”
Despite his misgivings about the current state of the American military, Laterza offered his thoughts on personal responsibility and his pledge as a military veteran. “Sometimes I personally struggle wanting to support the military, but it’s really hard when the country doesn’t align with my values. At the end of the day I hold what I believe is true and hope that we bounce back to where more of us agree and are not so divided. As an LGBT veteran, I chose to defend the rights of everyone and not just the select few.”
This story is brought to you by Rosedale Health and Wellness and Dudley’s Place.
