They Served Anyway

Honoring LGBTQ Veterans + Fallen Service Members

May 25, 2026

Before it was the unofficial start of summer, Memorial Day was a day of remembrance.

It wasn’t about mattress sales or backyard barbecues or going to the beach.

It was meant to honor our military personnel who never made it home.

And hidden inside that history are countless LGBTQ service members whose sacrifices have largely been erased from public memory and record.

For generations, queer Americans served this country while being told they were unfit to serve. They fought in wars, flew missions, worked as medics and intelligence officers, and died defending freedoms they themselves could not fully enjoy.

Many lost careers, benefits, and entire futures simply for being gay.

Some were dishonorably discharged. Others were forced to hide who they were for decades just to survive military life. Even after death, many remained invisible. Their partners could not openly grieve them. Their stories disappeared into silence.

And yet they served anyway.

That matters.

Because LGBTQ Americans have always been here. In every branch. Every conflict. Every generation. We were at Normandy, in Vietnam, in Iraq, and in Afghanistan. Part of the American story has always included queer people, even when politicians and pundits have pretended otherwise.

So this Memorial Day, enjoy the long weekend. Enjoy your friends and family. But maybe also take a moment to remember the people who paid for those freedoms, including the LGBTQ veterans and service members who were too often denied dignity by the very country they defended.

And if you are one of those veterans yourself, thank you.
You and your service deserve to be remembered too.

Thank you for being a friend!
Clint 🌈✌️