Our Service, Our Stories : The Evolution of the LGBT Military Experience

Gayle Anderson reports the OC Fair and Event Center continues its series of special reports and special speakers’ series highlighting the unsung heroes of the military in conjunction with its special exhibition “Fighting for the Right to Fight.”

The special reports and special speakers’ series at Heroes Hall in Costa Mesa has featured African Americans in the military, Women in the military, Latinx in the military and now Gays in the military.

We preview the Saturday event happening at 1 p.m. Participants include individuals features in the documentary “Our Service, Our Stories – The Evolution of the LGBT Military Experience.” The film features LGBT veterans who served between 1951 and 2017. The short documentary was made by a small group of senior veterans at the Los Angeles LGBT Center to ensure that the history of those who served is preserved and shared.

Participating in the Saturday event are:

• Warren Tymony, who will tell his story of abuse in the armed forces.

• Jonathan Willet, who runs the LGBTQ Veteran Center in Los Angeles.

• Teri Thompson, who was a U.S. Marine. She will discuss the challenges of being a Lesbian in the military.

• Event moderator Stephanie Wade is a trans woman and a former U.S. Marine Corps infantry officer.

Visit the OC Fair website for more information on Saturday’s event.

The speaker series is part of the OC Fair’s “Fighting for the Right to Fight: African American Experiences in World War Two.” Visit their website for more information.

This aired on the KTLA 5 Morning News on June 16, 2022.