The magazine of the photo-essay
March 2017 back issue
by Vincent Cianni
“A free, really high quality photo-essay magazine. Fabulous!”
Stephen Fry. British actor, writer and film & documentary maker
Gays in the Military is a visual and audio investigation into how the military’s ban
on homosexuality has affected the lives and careers of LGBT service members
and veterans since World War II. The project combines photographs, text and
audio to document the overwhelming consequences of the gay ban over the
decades with intimate portraits of service members and veterans and their stories
of discrimination, harassment, and civil and human rights abuses based on sexual
orientation or the perception of sexual preference. This long history of abuse that
LGBT service members and veterans experienced resulted in lost careers and
damaged lives.
Beginning November 2009, I traveled across the United States recording oral
histories and making portraits of veterans and service members. The interviews
were conducted on analog audio and the photographs were made with a medium
format camera using black-and-white film. I interviewed and photographed over
100 subjects in the privacy of their homes, from different geographic, socio-
economic, ethnic, religious and racial backgrounds, and from all ranks in the
military, ranging from a 92-year-old World War II veteran to recent enlistees and
active duty personnel. The visual and oral histories reveal marked differences in
the effects of the ban on individual service members based on cultural, social and political milieu, religious background
and geographic location. The narratives recount incidents of unjust protocols, unrestricted interpretation of the law,
prolonged interrogations leading to cognitive and psychological damage, hazing, sexual harassment, violent rape and
abuse, mandatory outings of fellow service members, profiling, blackmail, betrayal and verbal abuse. Service members
are now allowed to serve openly, and yet even after the Defense of Marriage Act was overturned and ruled
unconstitutional in 2013, LGBT personnel, their spouses and families still are not receiving the same benefits as their
heterosexual counterparts.
Anthony Loverde, Little Rock, AR 2012
Staff Sergeant, U.S. Air Force, 2001 - present
Loadmaster. Active duty. Honorable discharge, homosexual conduct; deployed Iraq and Afghanistan; reinstated 2012 at
previous rank; continued career as if uninterrupted.
Debra Fowler, Lowell, MA, 2013
Specialist, U.S. Army, 1986-1988
Korean Linguist, Defense Language Institute Soldier’s Award
Dishonorable Discharge; Fraudulent Entry. Outed by former girlfriend when being investigated for top-secret security
clearance.
Don Bramer, Washington, D.C., 2011
Lieutenant (O3), U.S. Navy, 2002 – Present
Intelligence Officer; Top Secret Security Clearance; multiple deployments to the Middle East; numerous medals and
commendations from combat operations; provided anonymous testimony during the hearings to repeal “Don’t Ask,
Don’t Tell”
Zachary Werth, Boise, ID 2011
Specialist, Idaho Army National Guard, 2007-2010
Medic; General Discharge under honorable conditions, Erroneous Enlistment
(used as a smokescreen for homosexuality)
and
Dustin Hiersekorn, Boise, ID, 201
Private, U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, 2010
Discharged for medical reasons after two weeks of enlisting
Eric Alva, San Antonio, TX, 2011
Staff Sergeant E5, U.S. Marine Corps, 1991-2004
Retired; Honorable discharge. First U.S. military casualty in Operation Iraqi Freedom; Purple Heart recipient;
Presidential Unit Citation; advocate for equal rights.
Joanna Gasca Surprise, AZ, 2012
Senior Master Sergeant E-5; U.S. Air Force 1983-1987 and 2000-present; U.S. Air Force Reserves 1987-2000.
Senior Recruiter; Active Duty
Joseph Rocha , Washington, D.C., 2010
Master-at-Arms 3rd Class, U.S. Navy, 2004-2007
K-9 Unit Dog Handler. Received honorable discharge under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell after coming out to his commanding
officer; suffers PTSD from years of abuse, hazing and humiliation.
Kevin Brannaman, Seattle, WA, 2011
Specialist E-4, U.S. Army, 1978-1981 Cook, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
Sexually assaulted by Drill Sergeant during basic training at Fort Jackson, SC
Matt McCary, Orange Park, FL, 2011
Airman First Class E3, U.S. Air Force, 1998-2000
Intelligence Specialist. Honorable Discharge; read formal rights and put under arrest after being singled out by co-
worker; discharged within five days with no investigation
and
David Cochenic, Orange Park, FL 2011
Chief Petty Officer E7, U.S. Navy, 1992 - Present
Field Medical Service Technician; Aerospace Medical Technician. Received Navy and Marine Corps Commendation
Medal and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.
Nancy Russell, San Antonio, TX, 2010
U.S. Army 1962-1982
Battalion Commander and Staff Officer
Retired after 20-year service; testified to the Oversight Sub-committee of the House Armed Services Committee on
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in 1993
Nathanael Bodon, Marlboro, NY 2009
Specialist E-4, U.S. Army Reserves 2007-2009
Motor Transport Operator; Honorable Discharge under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
Paul Goercke, San Francisco, CA 2012
Messman/Staff Officer, U.S. Merchant Marines, 1944-1945
Retired; World War II veteran; served in Okinawa, Ie-Shima Island, Hawaii and Saipan
Travis Dobbs, Chicago, IL, 2010
U.S. Navy, December 1963-1969
Communication specialist; top security clearance; communication supervisor at Guantanamo Bay and on the U.S.S.
America during the Middle East War
Travis Jackson, Montgomery, AL 2011
Sergeant, U.S. Army, 2004-2009
Chaplain Assistant; Deployed to Iraq: 2007-2008
Discharged: Other Than Honorable Reason: Patterns of Misconduct.
Victor Fehrenbach, Boise, ID 2011
Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force, 1991-2011
Retired. F-15E Fighter Pilot. Tours of duty in Iraq (including Operation Iraqi Freedom), Kuwait and Afghanistan, 88
combat missions, 400 combat hours; successfully fought DADT after coming out on Rachel Maddow show in 2009
