Fovea Exhibitions is proud to present another panel discussion that furthers their mission to promote understanding of global and social events through the medium of photojournalism.
The upcoming panel being held January 14, at Fovea Exhibitions in Beacon, NY, at 5pm, is an opportunity to further explore the important issues--both on a personal and at a national level--raised in the current show Gays in the Military: How America Thanked Me.
Photographer Vincent Cianni will present a brief history of this project and speak with Invited panelists who have all been at the front lines of this ongoing debate and include:
Lieutenant Colonel Victor Fehrenbach of the U.S. Air Force from 1991-2011, is traveling from Washington D.C. to join this panel. He is now retired, having successfully fought DADT after coming out on the Rachel Maddow show in 2009. He is a former F-15E fighter pilot with tours of duty in Iraq (including Operation Iraqi Freedom), Kuwait and Afghanistan, having flown
88 combat missions with 400 combat hours.
Captain Chuck Maxwell of U.S. Air Force from 1980-1991, and currently
living in Decatur, Georgia will be traveling to Beacon to attend this event.
A graduate of The Citadel, as a commissioned officer he was dismissed
for conduct unbecoming an officer.
Lieutenant Don Bramer of the U.S. Navy, 2002-present, and currently from Washington, D.C. Lt. Bramer has top-secret security clearance and served multiple deployments to the Middle East, receiving numerous medals and commendations from his combat operations. He provided anonymous testimony during the hearings to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”.
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.
These guests will discuss their experiences and the ramifications of the ban during the time they served and the effects of that ban on the mental health and lives of service members.
The panel discussion will provide an opportunity for the public to hear first-hand the unique experiences of those who have served in our armed forces under such policies as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", and discuss the damage such harassment and discrimination have caused--both in lost careers and their own personal lives.
The definition of the word fovea is "A small depression in the retina, constituting the point where vision is most clear." This event is bound to bring clarity to an issue that has brought out the very worst is some and the very best in others
of our American society, all played out on both private and public arenas, vitally concerning professionals who in the military already face challenges
in their line of work.
The photographic exhibition by Vince Cianni began when he heard the story
of a private who had been discharged from the Army while serving in Iraq as a result of being "outed" by a fellow soldier. Since then, Mr. Cianni has traveled the country and recorded oral histories and portraits of over 50 veterans and service members--and these must represent the thousands of stories that have gone untold.
"Gays in the Military: How America Thanked Me: will be on exhibit at Fovea through Sunday, February 5th and is open weekends from noon until 6pm, and by appointment at info@FoveaExhibitions.org.
Fovea is an educational charity and with a 100% volunteer staff have presented almost 25 exhibitions and educational programs in the past four yeas on topics as diverse as The Iraqi Refugee Crisis, The Children of Darfur, Bosnian Diaries, Planet China, Lebanon Conflict, Prison Culture Behind Bars, Rwandan Children of Violence, the earthquake in Haiti, and the Japanese Tsunami disaster.
FOVEA EXHIBITIONS: Gays in the Military: How America Thanked Me
November 12th 2011 through February 11th 2012
Panel Discussion Saturday 14th 2012 at 5pm
143 Main Street, Beacon, New York 12508
845 765 2199 www.FoveaExhibitions.org info@Fovea Exhibitions.org
