Brenda 'Sue' Fulton, Openly Gay Veteran, Named To West Point Advisory Board

President Barack Obama has named Brenda S. “Sue” Fulton to the Board of Visitors of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, making her the first openly gay or lesbian person to serve there.

Fulton is an army veteran who graduated from West Point in 1980, part of the first class to include women. She is the executive director and co-founder of Knights Out, an organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered West Point graduates and their supporters, and a founding member of OutServe, which represents actively-serving LGBT military personnel who cannot reveal their sexual identity.

“I would hope it would symbolize to all people gay and straight that anti-gay bias in the military is a thing of the past,” Fulton told the Wall Street Journal about her new appointment. “I would hope it would tell them that if you’re willing to serve your country and you’re qualified, other factors don’t matter,” she said. “I see my role as in some sense helping West point send that message -- that we respect all people equally. That’s part of our values, that’s part of our code.”

Fulton told the Journal that she realized she was a lesbian while serving in the Army in Germany after graduating from West Point, but she did not come out until 1993, after she had finished her military service and while campaigning to repeal the “don't ask, don't tell” policy.

Comments

[blackreign]

11:39 AM on 07/07/2011

When I was considering where to do Officer training, I remember idolizing WestPoint and wishing I could go there. They used to have an impeccable reputation for producing the most capable military leadership with impeccable moral character.

WestPoint and other American military academies will continue to decline in popularity, and reverence, assuming they never reevaluate the azimuth of their moral compass.

[schildpad]

12:28 PM on 07/07/2011

Oh yeah, I'm sure they're really regretting that you didn't attend.

[TXanimal]

01:23 PM on 07/07/2011

If someone decides not to attend a military academy because they don't discriminate *enough* based on silly superficialities, then they don't belong in the officer corps.

[blackreign]

07:43 PM on 07/08/2011

The military is an extremely discriminatory profession, and for good reason. I'm speaking about the U.S. military, in case you didn't know.

[Atwill]

08:34 AM on 07/07/2011

DADT is a special right for straight miliary personal. It is designed to keep the straights happy. And to allow for witch hunts. It is a law that says "you straights, have the freedom of speech. gays, you do not." DADT is wrong. I wonder how straights in the military would feel if DADT was for both straights and gays. Meaning, straight men, you better not mention your wife or girlfriend, if you do , you are kicked out.

[Ioan Lightoller]

09:10 AM on 07/07/2011

I suspect that straight military personnel would tolerate this for five minutes let alone all the years that GLBT service people have dealt with it.

[TXanimal]

11:50 AM on 07/07/2011

Especially if they had to give up all the extra pay and special benefits their opposite-sex spouses receive...

[blackreign]

11:46 AM on 07/07/2011

When I was in the Army, I don't remember any witch hunts. What I do remember is the severe intolerance of any inappropriate sexual behavior by anyone, gay or straight.

Military leaders were concerned with issues that could provide distractions and disrupt cohesiveness in units. Anyone that has served active duty, understands how important cohesiveness is in the military.

[Atwill]

10:00 PM on 07/07/2011

When i was in it was all about what girl you were going to get. Getting drunk , smoking pot and finding a a hooker.

[Edward Goodwin]

05:03 AM on 07/07/2011

Shazam! This is so heartening. While the reactionary candidates posture and preen on Fox, promising to "take back America" America is actually moving forward. And to make matters worse (for them) there are Republicans that will applaud this move as a necessary step forward.

The tide is turning and there will be no going back. There will be a time in the not too distant future when Americans will look back at events like this and wonder; "Why was that such a big deal?"

[Ioan Lightoller]

08:18 AM on 07/07/2011

I think that you are right on the tide turning. Things such as the appointment Ms Fulton to the West Point Advisory Board, the implimentation of the DADT repeal, and hopefully soon, marriage equality across the US and on a federal level will go a fair ways toward making American a land for EVERYONE, regardless of race/ethnicity, disability, gender, and sexual orientation. We have come a long ways, but there is still farther to go.

[blackreign]

07:44 PM on 07/08/2011

You may want to look out your window, read a few news blogs, etc...

America is certainly not moving forward, This is yet another dire example.

[TXanimal]

10:18 AM on 07/11/2011

Giving a gay person a job is not considered moving forward?

[cptamer2]

12:03 AM on 07/07/2011

Just a question. I know that men and women don't share bunks or sleeping quarters last time I checked. How does straight people deal with bunking with the same sex that may also be attracted to them?

[Ioan Lightoller]

03:24 AM on 07/07/2011

Like mature adults.

[blackreign]

07:46 PM on 07/08/2011

Easy for you to say....

[kimpjones]

06:47 AM on 07/07/2011

Contrary to popular belief, the majority of gays/lesbians do not hit on straight people. In addition, there have been gays in the military since the beginning of time. Why should it be a problem now?

[AnotherAngle]

10:00 PM on 07/06/2011

We would have known she was a lesbian without a caption.

[Ioan Lightoller]

08:26 AM on 07/07/2011

Oh, and how would you know that? Are you saying lesbians are easy to recognise? That all lesbians look like her? I know some very butch looking women who are heterosexual and I know quite a few women who are very feminine-looking yet are lesbians. Like just about everyone else, lesbians come in all shapes sizes and appearances--from very butch to very feminine.

Or is it that you just don't like that her orientation was mentioned. She is the first openly GLBT person--male or female--to serve on the board. GLBT people are part of our country, too.

[Bill J4321]

11:02 AM on 07/07/2011

Are you SURE you're no relation to Sharon, you classy dude?

[Atwill]

09:12 PM on 07/06/2011

Fantastic. Good for her. hope she does a great job.

[usmc32yr]

09:06 PM on 07/06/2011

She violated the Honor Code when she was at West Point .

[Erin Scott]

10:22 PM on 07/06/2011

Um...relevance?

[Atwill]

07:43 AM on 07/07/2011

So did thousands of other gays who were in , so what? You want me to name all of the guys who were in the military with me that i saw smoking pot and cheatting on ther wives with hookers?

[wardropper]

08:41 PM on 07/06/2011

What the heck is "openly gay" anyway?

Does it mean when you apply for a job that you say: "Well, I'm gay, but here are my qualifications and experience. I'm a decisive gay person and I have standards, which means I can organize others, gay or not, as well as fit in with others who also have standards, irrespective of their sexual orientation. I have a sense of humor as much about myself and my gayness as about others and their gayness or not-gayness, but when serious matters arise I treat them seriously, although I am in touch with my gay side. I love classical music, like many other gay people, and I play tennis to keep myself in physical trim and meet other gay people. Oh, and did I tell you, I'm gay"...

If I were in charge of hiring, I'd be inclined to say, "Please shut up - you got the job already"

[Atwill]

09:14 PM on 07/06/2011

openly gay means that the person doesnt hide who they are or who theyy are with. Example. when you ar at work and all the co - workers are talikng of their wives and husbands, the gay person says "My boyfriend / girlfirend." They do not lie and say "My brother or sister or cousion or friend." That is the important part of being OPEN.

[Ioan Lightoller]

08:35 AM on 07/07/2011

Yep, Atwill. That is exactly how I have always defined "openly gay". The poster above you must not know many GLBT people, if he did, he would never have come up with such a ridiculous scenario.

[Erin Scott]

10:27 PM on 07/06/2011

Nope. The above scenario was one you made up with a touch of sensationalism and plenty of exageration. Here's openly gay: "Will you be bringing a date to the company Xmas party?" Yes, I'm going to bring my boyfriend." Another example: "Yes, that sounds good, but I also have to ask, do you provide any kind of domestic partner benefits?"

[leewall]

08:40 PM on 07/06/2011

maybe we can raise a battalion of Amazonian soldiers to take on Al Qaeda. that would put the fear of God in them.

[wardropper]

09:14 PM on 07/06/2011

Fanned for sheer wickedness.

[Riyter]

06:03 PM on 07/07/2011

Especially if they are menstruating....something about being touched by menstruation blood makes a man unclean and therefore unable to enter heaven (that's what some of these guys believe). Oh no! Incoming tampons!

[Indaba]

08:02 PM on 07/06/2011

Good going. She looks like someone I would respect. I am all for that. Best of luck in your new role.

[Ioan Lightoller]

08:42 AM on 07/07/2011

Fanned and faved. I think she does, too. I wish her all the luck in the world.

[ez duz it]

11:30 PM on 07/06/2011

Hi, JRS9000--

Even though she’s no longer in active duty with the Army, her haircut shows she is leading by example. She is in strict compliance with the directives specified in Army Regulation 670-1-8.a.(3)(a)-(e) concerning: “Uniforms and Insignia: Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia.” [1]

--ez
---------------------------
Check out page 27/362 of the official Army document at: http://www.apd.army.mil/pdffiles/r670_1.pdf

[Ioan Lightoller]

08:46 AM on 07/07/2011

What? Lesbian hairstyles range from buzz cuts to very feminine hairstyles. As near as I can tell, her hairstyle is well within the regulation for military women's hairstyles.

[rrpatreilly]

07:31 PM on 07/06/2011

I'm sure that was just what West Point needed!

[Ioan Lightoller]

08:47 AM on 07/07/2011

I'm sure that West Point will survive. Get over yourself.

[tlee47ftw]

07:06 PM on 07/06/2011

War. Rape. Murder. Poverty. Equal rights for gays. Guess which one the Southern Baptist Convention is protesting? ~The Value of Families

[tlee47ftw]

07:05 PM on 07/06/2011

You don't have to be straight to be in the military; you just have to be able to shoot straight. ~Barry Goldwater

[Ioan Lightoller]

08:48 AM on 07/07/2011

Barry was definitely da bomb.

[deanoj]

06:41 PM on 07/06/2011

Janet Reno's older brother?

[tlee47ftw]

07:04 PM on 07/06/2011

When one has no argument, one resorts to insults.

[usmcqtco]

09:11 PM on 07/06/2011

Well, the dim libs throw out a lot of insults here, so thanks for giving the secret away. I always knew they had no argument, so now I know the reason for all the insulting and name-calling they do.

[ez duz it]

07:11 PM on 07/06/2011

Glad to meet you!