Category Archives: General Info

Salute to Perry J Watkins

Perry J. Watkins was a young African-American living in Germany where he studied dance when he was drafted in 1968. Watkins, who was already living openly as a gay man, reported at his military induction that he was “homosexual,” but the Army took him anyway, despite the policy at the time that would not allow LGBT people to serve in the US military. Within the first 6 months of his service he was sexually assaulted and requested discharge 3 times. The Army refused to discharge him, stating that an admission of homosexual orientation was not sufficient to warrant discharge. He reenlisted in 1970, again stating that he was gay. In off duty hours he performed as a female impersonator, first in civilian settings, and then as a successful Army entertainer at enlisted clubs throughout Europe. He continued to reenlist, using his military benefits to obtain a college degree in business administration, and travelling the world, serving in both Europe and Korea. Each time he stated that the was gay. The Army would investigate, including mandatory psychiatric screenings, and each time recommend that his sexual orientation was “not detrimental to his job performance” and was no reason to discharge him. In 1980, after he had reenlisted a total of 3 times, the US Army revoked his security clearance. The ACLU sued the Army on his behalf to reinstate his clearance. The Army responded with discharge proceedings, claiming that under new regulations mandating discharge regardless of merit, an “admission of homosexuality” was sufficient to discharge. In 1983 he was allowed to reenlist a 4th time, but was discharged in 1984. His court case continued. In June 1988, the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals found that the Army’s “regulations violate the constitutional guarantee of equal protection of the laws.” It was the first time a U.S. appellate court ruled against the military’s ban on service by gays and lesbians and bisexuals. The Bush administration sought Supreme Court review of that decision without success. Watkins initially planned to reenlist but settled instead for a retroactive promotion to sergeant first class, $135,000 in retroactive pay, full retirement benefits, and an honorable discharge.  Watkins served as Grand Marshal of New York City’s Gay Pride Parade in June 1993. He died due to complications from AIDS IN 1996. He was 48.

President Bill Clinton signed the policy known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” into law in 1993, which prevented LGBT people from serving openly in the US military. President Barack Obama signed the repeal of the DADT Law in 2010, allowing Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual people to serve openly. The Obama administration also instituted a policy to allow Transgender people the right to serve. That policy has been reversed by the Trump administration.

Throughout his struggles with the military Perry Watkins believed he was a victim of white racism within the LGBT community. He believed that because he was African-American, a drag artist, and spoke frankly of his sexual relations, he was seen as a “public relations problem” by major LGBT organizations fighting the military’s ban on LGBT service. He felt he was overlooked and not invited to participate in campaigns. He felt he was betrayed.

American Veterans for Equal Rights joins many of our nation’s top military commanders in acknowledging that both in the military and US society in general we have a racial inequality problem that must be addressed. Black Lives Matter. Certainly in the case of US Army Sergeant First Class Perry J. Watkins, his life mattered to many of us who followed.

We proudly present the following interview with LGBT civil rights champion Perry Watkins which was recorded before his court victory in 1988.

Here is the link to the Perry Watkins interview: https://unerased.org/blog/salute-to-perry-watkins

Press Release

American Veterans for Equal Rights, the nation’s oldest LGBT Veterans Service Organization, acknowledges the important role that social protest has played in our own community’s fight for equality and justice in the United States. We struggle over the events surrounding the death of George Floyd.

Our Struggle, our struggle with anger. Anger that reaches into the depths of our souls, no matter our color or culture. Our struggle with frustration at the system, the injustice, the prejudice, and the inability to exactly say how we feel.

We are not okay, our country is in pain. The pendulum has very nearly reached its apex, the point of change is upon us and we must face it going forward, not looking back and taking full advantage of momentum to propel us forward.

We are upset and angry that police can brutally kill a man while he is in custody. We are upset that we still see color as a reason to fear each other. We are upset that some of our leaders refuse to acknowledge that racism exists. We are upset that some would take advantage of lawful protesting to loot and incite violence. We are upset that lawmakers wring their hands and speak platitudes but do nothing. We are upset that we are forced to stand against each other in the process of standing up to racism. We are upset that the color of our skin is still a reason to still the heart within.

White privilege has tarnished the words “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” for far too long. It’s past time to stop the hate, today I will not fear my neighbor.

Julz Carey

President

 

James Apedaile

Vice President

 

Denny Meyer

Public Affairs Officer

 

Danny Ingram

President Emeritus II

 

 

AVER Bataan Making a Difference

AVER Bataan member Dorothee Baker making masks for our members in need as well as other front line individuals in need.

With the orders to STAY HOME, SOCIAL DISTANCE and WEARING MASKS now in affect for most of us (should be all), we are

trying to do our best.  This includes holding meetings via ZOOM, calling members, emails and texts to ensure our members are doing well.

Termination of Ban on Transgender Service

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
AMERICAN VETERANS FOR EQUAL RIGHTS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 17, 2020

RE: Termination of Ban on Transgender Service
Contact: AVER Public Affairs, Denny Meyer 718.849.5665 publicaffairs@aver.us

San Antonio, TX “Military City USA” (MAR 17, 2020) – At this urgent time of designated national emergency when US military forces are already deployed stateside in the effort to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus pandemic, American Veterans for Equal Rights calls for an immediate and purposeful termination of policies removing highly trained and skilled Transgender service members from the ranks of our armed forces. Prejudice, no matter how justified, should not be allowed to jeopardize national security. This is an “all hands on deck” critical moment in American history. We do not have a single skilled professional to waste. As we mobilize every effort to protect our American citizens from the danger of this pandemic, we should support every man and woman who has volunteered to defend our safety. End the ban on Transgender service. We cannot afford the loss of essential skills at this crucial point in our nation’s need.

American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER) is the nation’s oldest Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Veterans Service Organization, commemorating 30 years of service to the LGBT community in 2020.

AVER Welcomes Captain Caputo, USCG

American Veterans for Equal Rights is honored to welcome our newest member Captain Allison J. Caputo, United States Coast Guard. Captain Caputo, whose rank is equivalent to an Army colonel, is one of the highest ranking Transgender officers in the United States Military.
Captain Caputo graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1995 with a BS in Marine Science, holds a Master’s Degree in Marine Affairs from the University of Rhode Island, and has over 11 years of sea service aboard 5 different cutters in both the Pacific and Atlantic Areas. In 2015, Captain Caputo was assigned as Chief Living Marine Resources Enforcement officer at Coast Guard Headquarters where she implemented the Port States Measures Agreement, presented Ship-rider (Integrated Cross-Border Maritime Law Enforcement Operations) opportunities for Safe Ocean Network and established port denials for countries identified as Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing nations. As the Chief of Law Enforcement for the Seventeenth Coast Guard District in Juneau, AK she implemented high seas boarding and inspection for the North Pacific Fisheries Commission as the chair of the enforcement committee. She is the author of “A Global Fish War is Coming” published in U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings in August 2017.
Captain Caputo currently serves in San Antonio, TX, as the Planning Section Chief for Joint Task Force West, which was created in 2014, and coordinates intelligence, investigations and efforts by agencies within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security targeting transnational criminal organizations along the southwest border. Captain Caputo’s personal awards include: two Meritorious Service Medals, four Coast Guard Commendation Medals, and a Coast Guard Achievement Medal.
AVER is proud of the training and dedication of the Transgender service members like Captain Allison Caputo who keep our nation safe both here at home and around the world. Transgender Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airmen, and Coast Guardsmen form an integral and crucial part of the dedicated men and women who defend our nation’s freedom and maintain our national security. AVER supports their full inclusion and we call for the immediate termination of policies that exclude their service. Policies that exclude individuals from our armed forces for unjust reasons are not only an offense to the freedoms our service members risk their lives to defend but are also a wasteful danger to our collective safety.
Thank you, Captain Allison Caputo for your service to our nation and your commitment to authentic leadership. Your dedication is second to none. You are the best of us.

Exploring LGBTQ Military Servicemembers Stressors and Lived Experience

Dear Prior Military Service Members,

You are being invited to volunteer to participate in a research study about exploring LGBTQ Military Prior Servicemembers lived experience, associated stressors, and social support. The purpose of this study is to better understand the lived experienced, associated stressors, and social support of LGBTQ military prior service members. The study consists of completing an electronic survey that includes a demographic and personal history sheet along with several other research instruments. The time to complete the survey is approximately 18 minutes. You may skip the questions that you are not comfortable answering.  

FLYER attached: Survey Flyer