Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer

The Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Historical Society will be honoring leaders who have worked to help pave the way towards equal rights for LGBT people. The Historical Society will hold their annual gala on September 20 in the Sutter Room at the Regency Center, 1270 Sutter Street at Van Ness. Special guests will be Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer, Marine Staff Sgt. Eric Alva, and the Service Members Legal Defense Network.

In 1989, after serving in the US Army for 25 years, Col. Cammermeyer challenged the military’s anti-gay policies. Her story drew national attention and a TV movie staring Glenn Close in Serving In Silence. Her book, Serving in Silence, was published in 1994. In 1995, Close portrayed Cammer-meyer in the TV movie of the same title, for which Close won an Emmy.

Cammermeyer married her longtime partner, Diane Divelbess, in Oregon in March 2004, and they were blessed by the Episcopalian Church in July of that same year. Though their civil union was nullified by the Oregon Supreme Court, they still consider themselves married. Cammermeyer remains involved in politics, lectures on issues of human rights, and continues to work to overturn the 1993 “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law.

Marine Staff Sgt. Eric Alva was the first American wounded in the Iraq war. In 2003, Alva was severely injured and required a leg amputation. He has recently come out as gay and taken up a new fight - speaking against “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policies. When Gen. Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated recently that he supports the Pentagon’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” ban on gays serving in the military because homosexual acts “are immoral,” and compared it to an adulterous affair with the spouse of another service member, Alva vehemently spoke out against Pace.

Service Members Legal Defense Network is a national organization dedicated to ending discrimination and harassment of those affected by “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” On an average, the Pentagon fires two gay people every day.

Named after Willie Walker, the founder of the GLBT Historical Society, the Walker Award honors those who have made a significant contribution to the civic, cultural, and political life of the GLBT community. The awardee will be announced at the gala. Past awardees include: Billie Jean King, the first woman named Sports Illustrated “Sportsperson of the Year;” Esera Tuaolo, NFL all-star who played in the Super Bowl; Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, founders of the Daughters of Bilitis; Elliot Blackstone, the nation’s first police liaison to the GLBT community; and Bill T. Joes, founder of the Bill Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company.

“The GLBT Historical Society is our community’s Smithsonian,” said Paul Boneberg, Executive Director. “Our holdings and exhibits highlight the vital role of preserving and promoting GLBT history to inform meaningful public debate on pressing current events.”

The GLBT Historical Society is one of the world’s largest institutions housing gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender historical materials. The Society’s mission is to increase public understanding, appreciation, and affirmation of the history and culture of GLBT individuals and communities. Filmmakers, academics, journalists, and students regularly use the Society’s archives to craft truthful and inspiring representations of GLBT people and their history.