Photo By Sgt. Collin MacKown | Spc. Sevyn Guerra, a Human Resources Specialist, assigned to Headquarters and...... read more read more
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Soldiers in the U.S. Army come from all walks of life. After “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” being repealed in 2011, the Army has taken a much more modern mindset to the inclusion of Soldiers in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer+ community.
Spc. Sevyn Guerra is a Human Resources Specialist assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, is 28 years old, grew up in Palm Beach, Fla. and was raised by her grandmother.
While in Basic Training for the U.S. Army, Guerra recalls one of her battle buddies saying “You’re gonna marry a man, have kids with him, and realize you’re not happy”.
“I always knew that I was gay but I never fully accepted it,” Said Guerra.
At the age of 19, she openly dated a woman, but Guerra’s family hated it at the time.
They were old fashioned and very religious.
“They shunned me, so I went back in the closet and basically only dated men for a while,” said Guerra.
For five years, Guerra forced herself to be straight due to what her family thought.
“I just wanted my family to accept me and still be my family,” said Guerra. “I just wanted an easy life, I knew that marrying a man and having kids with a man is a lot easier and more accepting than saying ‘oh here’s my wife!’, I was afraid of what everyone would think.”
Guerra recalls the exact month and year she fully came out as gay.
“I came out in June, 2020” said Guerra. “Very close to one year ago!”
At the age of 27, she finally felt like herself.
While the Army can be known for being an old-fashioned and tradition-based organization, the people who seemed to help Guerra the most were her fellow Soldiers.
Sgt. Savannah Mae Mcmullin is a Battle Management System Operator assigned to 4th Inf. Div. Artillery. She is 24 years old and grew up in Richmond, Ky. In 2013 she enlisted in the U.S. Army.
While in a dining facility during Advanced Individual Training, Mcmullin heard about same sex marriage being legalized on the federal level.
“I was 18 years old and I remember the amount of joy I felt,” said Mcmullin. “When I came back from AIT, I spoke to my mother and step-father about it”
Unfortunately, Mcmullin’s step-father had a different opinion on same sex marriage at the time.
“He didn’t mean to hurt my feelings at the time, but my step-father said ‘I just don’t believe it is a real marriage,’ Honestly, it was just the way he was brought up,” said Mcmullin.
Over the years, Mcmullin’s step-father has become much more supportive of her sexuality. He went from not seeing same sex marriage as a legitimate form of marriage to asking Mcmullin if he could walk her down the aisle at her own wedding.
“He is probably my biggest yet quietest supporter in his own way,” says Mcmullin
Mcmullin is one of the many Soldiers in the Army who helped Guerra be herself and not care about what others think.
“I think something that Guerra always noticed about me is the fact that I would never back down,” Says Mcmullin. “If anyone ever asks me about my sexuality, I am always confident and honest about my marriage and who I am as a person.”
Mcmullin feels that allies are an incredibly important part of the LGBTQ+ community.
“It doesn’t have to be somebody who flies a pride flag,” says Mcmullin. “An ally is anyone who sticks by us and shuts down any negative agendas against us.”
Luckily in the Army, the support system is getting larger every year.
“If I did not have a support system when coming out, I would not have been able to do it,” said Mcmullin. “I would probably be a fake version of myself my entire life.”
One of the most important parts of being an ally is helping normalize everything about the LGBTQ+ community.
“An ally is super important to me because even though its 2021, being homosexual is still looked down upon by plenty of people,” said Guerra. “It’s great to have people who show support and tell you that you aren’t alone.”
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| Date Taken: | 06.23.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 07.16.2021 16:02 |
| Story ID: | 399545 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, CO, US |
| Web Views: | 539 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, U.S. Army Adopts Modern Mindset, by SGT Collin MacKown, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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