Panel Discussion on Gays in the Military
Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 10:37AM On Saturday, January 14th at 5pm, Fovea will present a panel discussion featuring the first-hand experiences of those who have served in our armed forces under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." The panel will explore the issues--both on a personal and at a national level--raised in the current exhibit Gays in the Military: How America Th
anked Me by Vincent Cianni.
In addition to presenting a brief history of the the ban on homosexuality in the militrary, Cianni will join several of his subjects, all of whom were at the front lines of this debate. They include:
Lieutenant Colonel Victor Fehrenbach, U.S. Air Force, 1991-2011 of Washington, D.C. He retired on September 6th, 2011, two weeks before the repeal of DADT, having successfully fought his discharge after coming out on the Rachel Maddow show in 2009. He is a former F-15E fighter pilot who has flown 88 combat missions with 400 combat hours.
Captain Chuck Maxwell, U.S. Air Force,1980-1991. A graduate of The Citadel, as a commissioned officer he was dismissed for conduct unbecoming an officer/participating in homosexual acts. He will be traveling from Decatur, Georgia.
Lieutenant Don Bramer, U.S. Navy, 2002-present. Lt. Bramer is an active duty officer who has top secret security clearance and has served multiple deployments to the Middle East, and received numerous medals and commendations from his combat operations. He provided anonymous testimony during the hearings to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”.
Private Nathanael Bodon (U.S. Army Reserves 2007-2009), of Marlboro, NY, was discharged honorably under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell after being outed while serving in Iraq by a fellow soldier. Mr. Bodon’s story was the impetus for Mr. Cianni’s project.
Joining the discussion will be Mary Barber, M.D. She is the clinical director at Rockland Psychiatric Center, and co-editor of the Journal of Gay and Lesbian Mental Health. Her expertise includes the effects of the ban on the mental health and lives of service members.
Gays in the Military: How America Thanked Me will be on exhibit at Fovea through Sunday, Feburary 5th and is open weekends from noon until 6pm, and by appointment. info@FoveaExhibitions.org.