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A group of about 75 people made history Feb. 13 at the Great Lakes Naval Station, north of Chicago.
It was the first public meeting of Gay, Lesbian and Supporting Sailors ( GLASS ) , believed to be the first non-academy, general base-sanctioned gay support group on any U.S. base in the world.
The Coast Guard can boast of having the first gay-straight alliance at a service academy, and such academies are located on a base.
The GLASS organizational charter was signed Feb. 10, and already other U.S. bases, including in Japan, have asked to see the bylaws to replicate the group in their areas. GLASS is thus an official Chartered organization of Great Lakes Naval Station.
This means that it is given the same weight and attention as the First Class Association, Chief's Mess, or any other Command-sanctioned organization.
GLASS, the brainchild of 25-year-old Petty Officer Ann Foster, got off to an emotional start at the meeting, held on base. Base Commander Robert Sullivan and other officers, sailors, friends, and representatives of LGBT groups celebrated the historic evening.
Members of the Chicago chapter American Veterans for Equal Rights ( Jim Darby, Patrick Bova, Ed Wosylus and Jean Albright, also of Windy City Times ) , PFLAG Chicago ( Meg and Fred Valentini ) and Links Pride Youth ( Tracy Katz Muhl ) addressed the attendees, who then enjoyed a social hour and celebratory cake for the event. There were other community representatives also at the event.
Several of the GLASS members were also at the Equality Illinois gala Feb. 11, and they spoke about how warm and accepting people at the gala were.
BMC Dena Partain, who has been in the Navy 24 years, is mentor and advisor to GLASS. "At the gala, veterans kept coming up to our table," she said, holding back tears. "They were just so happy we were there. To have that support, I can't even describe it."
Commander Sullivan was proud of the event. "It was great," he said. "It is a good opportunity for those who have not been able to express themselves, to show the military is comprised of a lot of good people. You do your job, and do it well. That is regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation. When we do that, we have a lot better country."
Foster, who is president of GLASS, was inspired to start the group in November after speaking to her roommate, who has a partner and is helping raise her partner's two children, about the lack of resources on base.
"I am overwhelmed," she told the crowd. "A month and a half ago, if you would have told me there would be 75 people, spanning the community, students, officers . I thought if someone was just 18 and just coming out, I wanted them to have resources."
One of the many straight allies, or "supporting sailors" as the group calls them, FCSA Zachary Quirk, explained why he was involved. He said about his friend FCSN Robert Baumgartner: "If my friend is brave enough to stand up, I'm certainly going to stand up with him."
Foster, who has addressed an estimated 4,000 people during open training sessions, said she has received "nothing but support from the start. From our Facebook page, emails, and every single person who has come out to us " she said, holding back tears. "The first thing people ask is, how can they help. I could not have done this without others."
Foster is leaving in two weeks for an assignment in San Diego, and she hopes to bring her experience in Illinois to that location. "We have our charter done and signed, all we have to do is take it to other bases." She said her colleague in GLASS, Vice President Beau Brisco, will be bringing the idea to his assignment, in Virginia.
"Never before in the military has this happened," Foster said, and this is indeed believed to be the first such group sanctioned on base. A U.S. Navy spokesperson said she was not aware of any similar group in the Navy. A Pentagon spokesperson said there is not believed to be another such group in any other branch of the military, but they were checking to verify.
OutServe, an association of actively serving LGBT military personnel, has more than 4,500 members worldwide. It launched near the end of DADT, on July 26, 2010, and therefore started during a time when its members could not be out. OutServe now has more than 42 chapters, many that meet on bases. The ones deployed such as in Afghanistan ( can obviously only meet on base )
OutServe spokeswoman Sue Fulton said while OutServe has chapters on bases in all branches of the military, it operates separate from the command structure, although there have been efforts to have some formal recognition. But such recognition would not happen for such an independent organization.
First gay group forms on U.S. military base
A group of about 75 people made history Feb. 13 at the Great Lakes Naval Station, north of Chicago.
It was the first public meeting of Gay, Lesbian and Supporting Sailors ( GLASS ) , believed to be the first non-academy, general base-sanctioned gay support group on any U.S. base in the world.
The Coast Guard can boast of having the first gay-straight alliance at a service academy, and such academies are located on a base.
The GLASS organizational charter was signed Feb. 10, and already other U.S. bases, including in Japan, have asked to see the bylaws to replicate the group in their areas. GLASS is thus an official Chartered organization of Great Lakes Naval Station.
This means that it is given the same weight and attention as the First Class Association, Chief's Mess, or any other Command-sanctioned organization.
GLASS, the brainchild of 25-year-old Petty Officer Ann Foster, got off to an emotional start at the meeting, held on base. Base Commander Robert Sullivan and other officers, sailors, friends, and representatives of LGBT groups celebrated the historic evening.
Members of the Chicago chapter American Veterans for Equal Rights ( Jim Darby, Patrick Bova, Ed Wosylus and Jean Albright, also of Windy City Times ) , PFLAG Chicago ( Meg and Fred Valentini ) and Links Pride Youth ( Tracy Katz Muhl ) addressed the attendees, who then enjoyed a social hour and celebratory cake for the event. There were other community representatives also at the event.
Several of the GLASS members were also at the Equality Illinois gala Feb. 11, and they spoke about how warm and accepting people at the gala were.
BMC Dena Partain, who has been in the Navy 24 years, is mentor and advisor to GLASS. "At the gala, veterans kept coming up to our table," she said, holding back tears. "They were just so happy we were there. … To have that support, I can't even describe it."
Commander Sullivan was proud of the event. "It was great," he said. "It is a good opportunity for those who have not been able to express themselves, to show the military is comprised of a lot of good people. You do your job, and do it well. That is regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation. When we do that, we have a lot better country."
Foster, who is president of GLASS, was inspired to start the group in November after speaking to her roommate, who has a partner and is helping raise her partner's two children, about the lack of resources on base.
"I am overwhelmed," she told the crowd. "A month and a half ago, if you would have told me there would be 75 people, spanning the community, students, officers … . I thought if someone was just 18 and just coming out, I wanted them to have resources."
One of the many straight allies, or "supporting sailors" as the group calls them, FCSA Zachary Quirk, explained why he was involved. He said about his friend FCSN Robert Baumgartner: "If my friend is brave enough to stand up, I'm certainly going to stand up with him."
Foster, who has addressed an estimated 4,000 people during open training sessions, said she has received "nothing but support from the start. From our Facebook page, emails, and every single person who has come out to us …" she said, holding back tears. "The first thing people ask is, how can they help. I could not have done this without others."
Foster is leaving in two weeks for an assignment in San Diego, and she hopes to bring her experience in Illinois to that location. "We have our charter done and signed, all we have to do is take it to other bases." She said her colleague in GLASS, Vice President Beau Brisco, will be bringing the idea to his assignment, in Virginia.
"Never before in the military has this happened," Foster said, and this is indeed believed to be the first such group sanctioned on base. A U.S. Navy spokesperson said she was not aware of any similar group in the Navy. A Pentagon spokesperson said there is not believed to be another such group in any other branch of the military, but they were checking to verify.
OutServe, an association of actively serving LGBT military personnel, has more than 4,500 members worldwide. It launched near the end of DADT, on July 26, 2010, and therefore started during a time when its members could not be out. OutServe now has more than 42 chapters, many that meet on bases. The ones deployed such as in Afghanistan ( can obviously only meet on base )
OutServe spokeswoman Sue Fulton said while OutServe has chapters on bases in all branches of the military, it operates separate from the command structure, although there have been efforts to have some formal recognition. But such recognition would not happen for such an independent organization.
First gay group forms on U.S. military base - 1326 - Gay Lesbian Bi Trans News - Windy City Times
The dude in the tee shirt, jeans, and 'stash.
Do people really dress like that?
Anything that fractures the military like it has fractured civillians will ultimately bring us toward the end game.
Monty Python- Camp Army Drill - YouTube
I hope this makes gay/bi/lesbian/goat fuckers/Dog wankers, feel like they belong in the hey its all good US Navy
Anything that fractures the military like it has fractured civillians will ultimately bring us toward the end game.
I had a woman who worked for me. She spent 20 years in the Army during the days of Don't Ask Don't Tell. I asked her about gays in her unit. There were some, everyone knew who they were. They never caused a problem and got along well with everyone else. Her opinon was that if some of them did not have such intense restraints on their behavior it would have been much different. If she had not already put in her time and got discharged would she have stayed in? No. Not simply because there were gays in the unit, there were always gays in the unit but because the permission they now have in their behavior would not be worth the effort.
Quote: Originally Posted by Katzndogz
Anything that fractures the military like it has fractured civillians will ultimately bring us toward the end game.
The dude in the tee shirt, jeans, and 'stash.
Do people really dress like that?
He's on a cross service assignment, he's actually in the Air Force.
>>>>
The dude in the tee shirt, jeans, and 'stash.
Do people really dress like that?
He's on a cross service assignment, he's actually in the Air Force.
>>>>
That eases my mind somewhat, I think.
