April 15, 2014
Naval Academy LGBT Alumni Honor Class of 2014
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) alumni, midshipmen and their guests gathered here Saturday to recognize alumni and midshipmen accomplishments over the last year, commemorating seven months since repeal of the law commonly known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”.
Thirty-one midshipmen of all four classes and their guests attended, along with 34 members of USNA Out – the LGBT organization of U.S. Naval Academy alumni. Sixteen of the midshipmen are seniors, who will graduate on May 29 and be the first class at Annapolis to graduate under the new policy that now allows gay, lesbian and bisexual military members to serve without fear of discharge. The new policy became effective in September 2011, a few weeks after classes resumed for the year at the academy.
Senior LGBT midshipmen who are USNA Out members organized the annual event, a tradition which began in 2009. Naval Academy faculty and staff members and representatives of the Naval Academy Alumni Association also attended at the invitation of the midshipmen. During the event, the midshipmen met with LGBT USNA alumni from classes spanning six decades, including active duty and retired officers. The dinner was hosted at the residence of an USNA Out member who resides in the Annapolis area.
Throughout the event, alumni offered their insights about the exciting careers the senior midshipmen will soon commence and also encouraged all of the midshipmen to do their best in preparing to serve as officers in the Navy and Marine Corps. Following the traditional cutting of the cake by the most senior and most junior members present (Classes of 1961 and 2017), the Deputy Commandant of Midshipmen gave the keynote address reminding the graduating class to apply their Naval Academy training when they enter the Fleet and of their unique responsibilities as leaders in the Navy. An alumnus then presented each senior with Navy ensign insignia to wear following commissioning. The insignia will symbolically remind recent graduates serving the nation that the LGBT alumni stand behind them with pride. The evening closed with a singing of the Naval Academy alma mater “Navy Blue and Gold,” led by past and present members of the Naval Academy Glee Club in attendance.
As part of the dinner, He has been a USNA Out member since its founding in 2003 and its chairman of the board since 2009.
Since 2005, individual USNA Out members have donated more than $130,000 in private contributions directly to the USNA Foundation. According to Henderson, “Even before DADT’s repeal, many USNA Out members individually supported our alma mater because we believed in its special mission to provide leaders for the Naval Service and the nation. Their donations and those like USNA Out’s help fund school programs that provide a margin of excellence beyond what the government provides. And with organizations such as USNA Out, I anticipate more alumni will rejuvenate their relationships with USNA, their classmates and other alumni. For the vast majority of alumni, USNA played a significant role in our lives.”
“According to the feedback we have received from our midshipmen members, gay and lesbian midshipmen feel more comfortable and no longer must separate their personal identity from their professional identity” said USNA Out Executive Director retired Cdr. Steve Hall, of San Francisco (USNA Class of 1975). “They now can singularly focus on being good junior officers in the fleet like all of their classmates. We think that’s good for USNA, the Navy and Marine Corps, and the country on many levels.” Hall served on active duty for 20 years and commanded two nuclear powered attack submarines during his Navy career.
USNA Out officials report that DADT repeal appears to be going without incident for alumni on active duty and for midshipmen at the academy. According to Hall “The overwhelming feedback from our alumni out in the fleet is that repeal has been implemented without problems and in those instances where gay and lesbian alumni have told shipmates, there hasn’t been a problem. I think that’s what we expected. Sailors and Marines judge our alumni based on their performance, not their orientation.”
USNA Out is an independent organization established in August 2003 following discussions by various groups of LGBT alumni about how they could become more involved as alumni of the Naval Academy. The group organized as a 501(c)(3) in late 2009.
USNA Out currently has 330 members, including 73 active duty alumni serving in the fleet. USNA Out currently counts 32 midshipmen identifying as gay, lesbian or bisexual at the Naval Academy who are official members of USNA Out. Hall added, “We know there are more gay, lesbian and bisexual midshipmen simply based on the demographics of the Naval Academy, which draws students from the population of the U.S at-large. However, identifying as LGBT is a personal decision based on many factors Regardless, we as LGBT alumni have and will continue to be there to support them.”
USNA Out’s mission and objectives are available at www.usnaout.org/mission. For more information about USNA Out, visit www.usnaout.org.
–USNA Out–
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