Soldier of Change: From the Closet to the Forefront of the Gay Rights Movement

by Stephen Snyder-Hill, George Takei

Overview

When ôDonÆt Ask, DonÆt Tell,ö the official U.S. policy on gays serving in the military, was repealed in September 2011, soldier Stephen Snyder-Hill (then Captain Hill) was serving in Iraq. Having endured years of this policy, which passively encouraged a culture of fear and secrecy for gay soldiers, Snyder-Hill submitted a video to a Republican primary debate (held two days after the repeal). In the video he asked for the RepublicansÆ thoughts regarding the repeal and their plans, if any, to extend spousal benefits to legally married gay and lesbian soldiers. His video was booed by the audience on national television.

Soldier of Change captures not only the media frenzy that followed that moment, placing Snyder-Hill at the forefront of this modern civil rights movement, but also his twenty-year journey as a gay man in the army: from self-loathing to self-acceptance, to the most important battle of his lifeûprotecting the disenfranchised. Since that time, Snyder-Hill has traveled the country with his husband, giving interviews on major news networks and speaking at universities, community centers, and pride parades, a champion of LGBT equality.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781612347066
Publisher:	Potomac Books Inc.
Publication date:	09/15/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	348,414
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

STEPHEN SNYDER-HILL joined the military in 1988 and served nearly three years on active duty in Germany and fought in the first Gulf War in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Kuwait before his honorable discharge in 1996. He reenlisted in 2001 and was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation New Dawn in 2010. Throughout his military career, Snyder-Hill received numerous awards and decorations, including the Meritorious Service Medal. He is currently a registered dietitian and lives in Columbus, Ohio, with his husband and two dogs.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgments

1. A Leap of Faith

2. Don’t Say Gay

3. Boot Camp and Bible Study

4. Lost and Found in Iraq

5. Pink Triangles

6. Just Be You

7. Back in the Saddle, Back in the Closet

8. This Looks Like a Gay Dude’s House

9. Jessica Josh

10. Cemetery Ceremony and Insensitive Sensitivity

11. The Debate

12. The Fallout

13. The Lawsuit

14. Prepping for the Public Eye

15. Did Rosa Parks Have a Roommate?

16. The Right to Hyphenate

17. Presidential Momentum

18. One Year of Freedom

19. All Aboard the C-BUS of Love

20. Chariots and Superheroes

21. Activism vs. Politics

22. Trust the Power of Your Voice

Epilogue

Editorial Reviews

“Read [Snyder-Hill’s] story and know the price paid for intolerance and the limitless joy of triumph.”—Harvey Fierstein, Tony Award–winning actor and playwright

Harvey Fierstein

"[Soldier of Change] is an important story to read if you need to know where LGBT rights have been and who brought them forward. It’s also one to enjoy if you want an informal, easy-to-like memoir. Even in this post-DADT time, Soldier of Change is a book to call for."—Terri Schlichenmeyer, Washington Blade

Washington Blade - Terri Schlichenmeyer

At once a heart-wrenchingly intimate look at the corrosive consequences of being forced to live a double life, a love story, and a profile in hard-won courage.”—Christopher Goffard, author and staff writer for the Los Angeles Times  

Christopher Goffard

Stephen Snyder-Hill has written a compelling account of his experience as a closeted gay soldier in the era of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. It is at once a heart-wrenchingly intimate look at the corrosive consequences of being forced to live a double life, a love story, and a profile in hard-won courage. The book chronicles his journey from fear and secrecy to an unforgettable moment on the national stage—and beyond.”—Christopher Goffard, author and staff writer for the Los Angeles Times

“Here is the tale of an eagle who awakes to find himself shackled. He beats his wings and struggles mightily until his chains give way and he’s allowed to soar skyward. But listen and hear the rasp in his cries for freedom. Look and see his mighty wings are torn, his proud legs bloodied. Who dared enslave this majestic creature? Read his story and know the price paid for intolerance and the limitless joy of triumph.”—Harvey Fierstein, Tony Award-winning actor and playwright

From the Publisher