It wasn’t the big deal that people made it out to be.”
Joshua said the day marriage equality was legalized, and thus acceptance of same-sex marriages under the Department of Defense, was relatively uneventful, “It was just a normal day on the flight line. “I had to keep myself educated, because I was that person that everyone was coming to,” Joshua said. As the legalization of marriage equality grew imminent, Joshua became the go-to expert for questions regarding LGBT issues within his organization. Thankfully, instances of discrimination and inadequate community support were few, and lessened with time. Because, they didn’t want to help me out when my family needed it, and we were only married maybe six months.” “My first sergeant told my husband to quit school-he was on the dean’s list-and move to Maryland with his family until I got back because there was nothing they could do for him, because he was not considered my spouse,” Joshua said, remembering the community that he had so often helped during others’ times of trouble. Since marriage between same-sex couples still was not legally recognized nation-wide at the time, to include the military, Ryan was unsure of where to go for help, and ultimately called Joshua’s first sergeant. During the deployment tragedy struck when Hurricane Irene made landfall, flooding the couple’s Virginia home. He was also faced with much less supportive situations however-one supervisor even flatly telling him, “Gay people shouldn’t be in the military,” to his face.Īfter returning from deployment and marrying Ryan, Joshua deployed again. Some long time coworkers accepted him and continued to interact with him based off his work ethic rather than his sexuality.
Joshua left for deployment shortly after the repeal, and was faced with a myriad of reactions to his openness. The secrecy ended with the repeal of the DADT policy in 2010, soon after Joshua met Ryan, his now husband, while stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. “Off of work was off-work, and on work was on work, and I kept them very separate.” “When I lived in the dorms I knew two individuals who got found out, and they got kicked out,” said Joshua. Avoiding topics such as relationship status, dating life and even who he socialized with on the weekend were all regular practices. Interactions with coworkers, even down to casual small talk, would be strained. But, it was still that factor of I could be kicked out at a moment’s notice.” Whenever you work hard, do what you’re told and meet and exceed standards they don’t care what you do, they treat you as the work that you do. “I didn’t have a lot of issues, because I worked hard. “I could lose my job it didn’t matter how good of a worker I was, how many awards, what I got on my (performance report),” said Joshua. Under the policy, enacted in 1994, service members could be removed from service for displaying any evidence of being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
When he enlisted in June of 2003, however, Joshua was required to keep a large portion of his life separate and secret-serving as a gay man under the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. I knew I wanted to make him proud of me and when I retire from the military, I want to share that with him too.” “Finding out that we shared a weapons career without even knowing it gave me a feeling that I was meant to do it and he was with me in spirit.
“I knew I wanted to be in the Air Force ever since I was in seventh grade,” Joshua recalled, adding it was not until after attending tech school for aircraft armament systems that he found out that he would be working in the weapons career field-the same field as his grandfather.Īt 5 years old, I only remember him as the grandpa that brought me ice cream,” Joshua said. Joshua Chevalier, 49th Maintenance Group weapons contracting officer’s representative, a career of service had always been the plan. Being able to relate to and depend on fellow service members for support and camaraderie is integral to a career of successful service.įor Tech. The permanent change of stations, the deployments and the even standardized work uniforms all affect not only the member serving, but also their spouses, families and friends. military can affect nearly every portion of a person’s life.