I’ve worn the uniform. I’ve led soldiers in training, watched them break under pressure and put them back together again. I’ve carried people through dark nights, both overseas and back home. And I’ve stood in formation next to people who couldn’t even tell the truth about who they loved — because if they did, they’d be discharged, disowned or disappeared by the very institution they were protecting.
Part of my service happened under “don’t ask, don’t tell.” That policy didn’t just silence LGBTQ+ troops — it forced them to compartmentalize their humanity. To lie by omission. To exist without acknowledgment, benefits or basic respect. And still, they showed up. Still, they served. Some of the best leaders I knew lived behind a wall just to stay in the fight.
Now here we are in 2025, and I’m watching state legislatures and school boards gut DEI programs and LGBTQ+ protections like it’s some kind of patriotic duty. Let me tell you something: Erasing people who served this country isn’t patriotism — it’s cowardice hiding behind tradition.
DEI isn’t some woke boogeyman. It’s how we start telling the whole truth about who built this country, who defended it and who’s still getting left out of the story. More than 1 million LGBTQ+ Americans have worn the uniform. More than 20% of veterans are racial or ethnic minorities. You don’t get to say “support the troops” while actively undermining the very people who kept you safe.
This isn’t abstract for me. I’ve seen what happens when people are told they don’t belong. I’ve seen it in the silence of a soldier sitting alone after formation because they’re afraid of slipping up and saying the wrong thing. I’ve seen it in the quiet erasure of folks from promotions, award ceremonies and memorials. I’ve seen it in the way people carry shame that was never theirs to begin with.
And I’ve seen what real inclusion looks like, too. It’s messy. It’s hard. But it’s honest. It’s when you stop pretending service comes in one color, one gender, one identity.
I served more than 11 years in the Army. I trained thousands of soldiers from every background you can think of. And when the pressure hit, the bullets flew or the stakes got real, nobody asked who you voted for or who you were dating. They asked, “Can I trust you?” And more often than not, that trust came from the people you never heard mentioned in recruitment ads.
We love to honor symbols in this country — the flag, the uniform, the idea of sacrifice. But what about the people behind those symbols? What about the folks who kept showing up even when they were invisible? What about the ones who came home and were told they didn’t belong in the story?
You want to do something meaningful this Pride Month? Start by telling the truth. Acknowledge that LGBTQ+ and minority veterans were always part of the fight — even if it took decades for the military or the country to admit it.
I’m not part of the LGBTQ+ community. But I am an ally. I’m someone who believes that if you were willing to lay your life down for this country, you deserve to be seen, respected and defended — in and out of uniform. That’s not politics. That’s decency. That’s what we swore to uphold.
So no, I’m not going to stay quiet while DEI programs get axed and LGBTQ+ service members are shoved back into the shadows. I didn’t survive my darkest days, I didn’t rebuild after my own collapse in 2014, and I didn’t come out the other side of this life just to play nice while people get erased.
Pride is patriotic. DEI is a matter of survival. And silence — especially from those of us who know better — isn’t an option anymore.
James Powers is a medically retired U.S. Army noncommissioned officer and national advocate for veterans and Afghan allies. He testified before Congress on military and mental health issues and continues to fight for those left behind — both in war and policy. He lives in Jackson Township.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Pride is patriotic: LGBTQ+ troops and veterans deserve recognition, inclusion | Opinion
Reporting by James Powers / The Repository
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
