Josh Seefried
| Josh Seefried | |
|---|---|
| Born |
February 6, 1986 (age 30) Aurora, Colorado, U.S. |
| Residence | Washington, D.C. |
| Alma mater | United States Air Force Academy |
| Occupation | Active Duty Air Force Officer |
| Employer | United States Air Force |
| Known for | LGBT rights activism |
| Website |
www |
Josh Seefried (born February 6, 1986) is an active duty first lieutenant in the United States Air Force, an LGBT rights activist, and a former co-chairman on the Board of Directors of OutServe-SLDN, an association of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members of the U.S. Military. A graduate from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2009, Josh was formerly known by his pseudonym JD Smith during his campaign to end the discrimination against lesbians, gays and bisexuals serving openly in the United States military.[1][2]
Using social networking tools such as Facebook, Seefried organized LGBT active-duty military personnel into an underground association OutServe.[2] To preclude outing himself as gay while serving on active duty in the Air Force, a violation of the then- Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy for which he could have been prosecuted and discharged, he assumed the leadership role and interacted with the media and officials in the Pentagon and the White House using only his pseudonym.[3] He has appeared on CNN, HLN, and MSNBC in shadow; additionally, his comments continue to be regularly sought after by the media as a representative of lesbian, gay, and bisexual actively-serving military members. He was also an invited guest to the presidential signing of the legislation to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
On October 27, 2012, the two organizations OutServe and SLDN merged. Seefried was voted co-chair of the board of directors, making him the youngest at 26 to co-chair any major LGBT organization.[4] Seefried later resigned from the Board of Directors and left OutServe-SLDN.[5]
Book: Our Time
Shortly following the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", Josh worked with several LGBT military men and women to compile a book, Our Time: Breaking the Silence of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", ISBN 1594203318.
References
- ↑ Leo Shane III (September 20, 2011). "An outspoken anti-DADT activist reveals his identity". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
- 1 2 Chris Geidner (July 26, 2010). "OutServe to Launch Effort Representing Active Gay and Lesbian Troops". Metroweekly. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
- ↑ JD Smith (December 20, 2010). "Active-Duty Gay Officer Reacts To DADT Repeal". All Things Considered (Interview: audio/transcript). Interview with Robert Siegel. NPR. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
- ↑ "OutServe and Servicemembers Legal Defense Network Vote to Finalize Historic Combination, Elect Board Co-Chairs" (Press release). Zeke Stokes, OutServe-SLDN. October 27, 2012. Retrieved December 12, 2012.
- ↑ "Josh Seefried: In His Own Words" (Interview). Jerry Portwood, OUT Magazine. July 30, 2013.
External links
- Personal website and blog
- OutServe-SLDN
- "DADT Repeal: Airman Who Helped End Policy" (Video). ABC News. September 20, 2011.
- "Air Force Lt. Talks About Coming Out To Colleagues". All Things Considered. NPR. September 20, 2011.
- "Out and Proud to Serve". The New York Times. September 20, 2011.
- "An outspoken anti-DADT activist reveals his identity". Stars and Stripes. September 20, 2011.
- "Longmont native Josh Seefried is the face of 'don't ask, don't tell' repeal". Longmont Times-Call. September 20, 2011.
- "Gay troops come out after demise of 'Don't Ask'". Washington Blade. September 20, 2011.
- "I Am a Gay Airman". The Daily Beast. September 20, 2011.