Brody's Notes... OutServe: First Armed Forces Leadership Summit Held In Las Vegas

By Brody Levesque | LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- OutServe, nation's only professional association for actively serving Gay & Lesbian military personnel, is holding its first annual 'OutServe Armed Forces Leadership Summit' in Las Vegas this weekend.

According to OutServe's website, the conference will enhance "military readiness through encouraging an environment of respect with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity" by offering the LGBT military community "a means of building professional networks, sharing best practices and formulating strategies that help build a stronger military community."

The sold-out conference kicked off Thursday at the New York-New York hotel and casino, attended by 215 attendees from all branches of the U. S. military along with veterans and civilian supporters. A spokesperson for the organisation said that the registration was capped to make the event manageable. In addition to several workshops, on of which was entitled "Scriptures and Homosexuality," there were private meetings scheduled for the heads of the organisation's 48 chapters.

"There are issues of leadership and faith and family that are specific to our community and that by addressing, our folks can be better soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and better leaders," said Sue Fulton, an OutServe founding board member, and the first openly gay West Point graduate who was appointed to the Board of Visitors of the U.S. Military Academy by President Barack Obama this past July.

The organisation announced Thursday that the Defence Department's openly gay Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Douglas Wilson, will be the keynote speaker at the gathering's Saturday night dinner. Also slated to appear Saturday evening will be Jeff and Lori Wilfahrt of Rosemont, Minnesota whose son Corporal Andrew Wilfahrt, lost his life to an IED in Kandahar, Afghanistan in February of this year. Wilfahrt was openly gay serving in an Army unit whose other members were aware that he was gay. The Wilfahrts will be honoured for paying tribute to their son's memory by their campaign of speaking out against against the ballot referendum to place an anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment on the 2012 Minnesota ballot.

The Associated Press reported:

"Part of the goal of the conference is to recognize the past, and also as an organization plan for the future," said Ty Walrod, a civilian who co-founded OutServe and served as its spokesman when his friend and co-founder, Air Force 1st Lt. Josh Seefried, used an alias to avoid being discharged under "don't ask, don't tell."

Nathaniel Frank, a historian whose 2009 book, "Unfriendly Fire," argued that banning gays from serving freely hurt U.S. military readiness, said that gay men and lesbians have formed secret social networks going as far back as World War I. Aided by technology, research and the public's increasing indifference to sexual orientation, OutServe is the first such group to be able to take its activities from anonymous to aboveground, he said.

"'Don't ask, don't tell' obviously required people who in many cases needed support, the support of each other and mutual assistance, to remain in the shadows even to one another," Frank said. "So to have a conference like this, where people can step out of the shadows and come together to discuss the things that are important to being the best soldiers they can be, is historic and is essential and is one of the reasons so many people have been advocating for an end to a policy that requires you to hide."

Aware that this event will be closely scrutinised by opponents of LGBTQ equality rights, organisers released a "Code Of Conduct" asking that attendees to abide by its guidelines while at the conference:

Central to the purpose of this conference is growing environments of respect and understanding within the military and the country as a whole. Please remember, the enemies of equality could use a discipline failure by a single attendee to overshadow all the good work achieved here. Therefore, we ask that all Summit attendees respect and adhere to the following guidance:

1. We represent the Armed Forces of the United States or her Allies.

Our conduct should reflect the highest expectations of these forces at all times.

2. Military standards of conduct apply even in Vegas: fraternization, political speech in uniform, and misuse of alcohol or drugs are always wrong.

3. “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas” does not apply in an era of YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and cable news. Assume there is a camera on you at all times when outside the workshops.

4. Every service member has a First Amendment right to speak to the media. You can also say “no.” If you have questions, speak to the Summit staff. While at the Summit, media may not attribute quotes to you or photograph you for publication without your express permission.

5. Save undue attention: do not wear military uniforms or OutServe T-Shirts outside of conference functions.

6. Most importantly: Contribute, dedicate yourself to growth within our military, have fun, and represent your services well.

The conference sponsors included the Central Intelligence Agency, virtually every major LGBTQ equality rights advocacy groups and political groups the Log Cabin Republicans and the Stone Wall Democrats of Nevada.