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OU R T I M EB R E A K I N G T H E S I L E N C E O F “ D O N ’ T A S K , D O N ’ T T E L L ”

J. D. SMITH

Active-duty LGBT soldiers share their stories of serving under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” revealing an intimate portrait of military life

Our Time marks the end of more than a decade of silence, giving voice to the LGBT men and women who served under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” These individuals enlisted knowing that the military would ask them to bury an integral part of themselves and yet joined because of their deep belief that the values of the military were worth the tremendous sacri#ce. Our Time is their story. Edited by air force officer J. D. Smith, a cofounder of the underground LGBT military organization OutServe, Our Time is a collection of remarkable depth and diversity. We witness the abuse—physical and mental—endured at the hands of fellow soldiers and superiors. We see the hardships faced by their families and partners and feel the pain of the choice between

military and self. There are also examples of humanity at its very best: leaders with the courage to support their comrades in the face of tremendous pressure, friendships forged and minds opened, and love that endures the very toughest of odds. Throughout we are reminded of the bravery and sel$essness of the men and women who chose to serve our country and defend our liberties while their own freedom was withheld. At once a testament to the wrongs of the policy and a celebration of the good that endured in spite of it, Our Time marks the start of a new era in our national history.

M A R K E T I N G

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Gay & lesbian/military/political media and print features

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Also available as an e-book

Active duty air force officer J . D . S M I T H (pseudonym) is a cofounder and codirector of OutServe, an under-ground network of LGBT actively serving military personnel. He graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2009 in a top cadet leadership position. He has appeared on CNN, HLN, and MSNBC in shadow and his comments are regularly sought by the media to represent gay active duty members. He was an invited guest to the presidential signing of the legislation to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

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from

OUR TIMEJ . D . S M I T H

Josh C.* I came out to my parents when I was sixteen. My father made it perfectly clear that I was no longer his son. I knew I needed to get away from this in$uence and decided to join the military as soon as possible.

I enlisted in the United States Air Force, and a year later was stationed at my #rst base: Mountain Home, Idaho. As I learned the di%erent mechanics of all of the di%erent aircraft, I also learned a lot about myself and I gained a sense of pride knowing that I was doing something that made such an impact.

After almost two years without contact with my family, I slowly started reopening communication with them. We made plans for the family to come visit for an air show.

When they arrived in town I met them for a nice dinner. It was almost like nothing had ever hap-pened. We shared stories of life over the last few years, enjoying the feel-ing of being together again. I showed them around the base and introduced them to my roommate, Owen. I had come out to Owen only a few months before, and luckily it didn’t hurt our friendship. He talked about his girlfriends like he always had, and we joked about

guys and friends of ours I found attractive. That evening I dropped my family o% at their

hotel. My father stayed behind and began to lecture me. Two years of pent-up frustration, shame, and hate let loose like a broken dam. The excitement and love that I had felt during dinner vanished. All that I had worked for was for nothing. I failed at making him proud. After what felt like an eternity he stopped.

I took a deep breath and then asked him to get out of my truck.

When I got back to base, I slammed the door of my room and screamed in frustration . . . anger . . . pain. My roommate walked over to the door and just stood there. He didn’t say anything. He stepped up to me and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me in tight. It was too much for me and I started sobbing in his arms. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to.

In that hour he saved my life. This single person who didn’t see

a sinful wretched abomination pulled me from the edge and made sure I made it through the night. He didn’t care that I was gay. He cared that I was hurt.

*pseudonym