Obama names openly gay veteran to West Point advisory board

by On Top Magazine

A co-founder of Knights Out, Brenda S. 'Sue' Fulton, has been named to the Board of Visitors of the United States Military Academy

An openly gay co-founder of Knights Out, Brenda S. 'Sue' Fulton, has been named to the Board of Visitors of the United States Military Academy on Tuesday.

The board advises President Barack Obama on the West Point military academy.

Fulton's appointment was announced in a White House press release. Her presidential appointment does not require Senate confirmation.

The 52-year-old Army veteran heavily lobbied for repeal of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell,” the 1993 law that bars gay and bisexual troops from serving openly.

In addition to serving as the executive director of Knights Out, an organization of LGBT West Point graduates and allies, she's also a founding board members of OutServe, the nascent group dedicated to LGBT people serving in the military. She graduated from West Point in 1980 and currently lives in New Jersey.

“I would hope it would symbolize to all people gay and straight that anti-gay bias in the military is a thing of the past,” Fulton told The Wall Street Journal of her appointment. “I would hope it would tell them that if you're willing to serve your country and you're qualified, other factors don't matter. I see my role as in some sense helping West point send that message – that we respect all people equally. That's part of our values, that's part of our code.”