Photo By Sgt. Lianne Hirano | Hawaii Army National Guard (HIARNG) Sgt. 1st Class Theresa E. Gualdarama, a chief...... read more read more
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PEARL CITY, Hawai’i – June is Pride Month, where LGBTQIA+ communities around the world celebrate the freedom of being themselves. The Hawai‘i Army National Guard (HIARNG) recognizes and celebrates its diverse force by sharing their stories.
Serving and living in Hawai‘i where acceptance and inclusion are part of living the “Aloha” lifestyle, things are much more comfortable for someone within the LGBTQIA+ community now compared to more than a decade ago.
“I enlisted after ‘don't ask, don't tell' (DADT) ended and today you can see the importance of Pride Month and how it really impacts service members,” said Spc. Casandra B. Ancheta, a Mass Communications Specialist with the HIARNG. “Especially those who have served through that era.”
Ancheta initially enlisted in the 111th Army Band in 2016. Although she was not outspoken about her sexuality, she did not feel the need to hide anything in the HIARNG.
“I didn’t feel like if people were to find out about my sexuality, I’d feel worried about being scrutinized, ostracized or being chaptered out,” said Ancheta. “They would just go on about their day and treat me the same way they’ve been treating me.”
During the 17 years the DADT was in place, from 1994 to 2011, the policy prohibited service members from being open about their sexual orientation. Openness about being a member of the LGBQTIA+ community could result in being discharged from service.
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Theresa E. Gualdarama, a Chief Public Affairs NCO who enlisted in the HIARNG in 1999, recalls serving in fear during the years DADT was still in effect.
“We couldn’t be an individual,” said Gualdarama. “We had to try and be somebody else, and navigating that was difficult.”
Gualdarama felt like she and Soldiers like her had to keep to themselves.
“We had our own little group of people who we knew were just like me, so that’s where we thrived,” said Guadarama. “Outside of that, we couldn’t say anything for fear of being reported higher.”
It was a challenging time for Gualdarama during the DADT policy.
“When I was coming up in the Guard, everything was hush-hush,” said Gualdarama. “If an investigation was opened against an individual, there was a potential for them to be chaptered out.”
The DADT policy was repealed on September 20, 2011. Gualdarama remembers that day with disbelief. As she recounted, it was a glorious day for all.
“I honestly didn’t think they were gonna pass it and it’s going to be years before it’ll be repealed,” said Gualdarama. “When it did pass, I got phone calls from everybody and their mama celebrating this milestone with me. It was a breath of fresh air. I could finally be myself.”
Gualdarama saw an immediate positive change and felt like a weight was lifted off her shoulders.
“All I wanted was to be accepted,” said Gualdarama. “To see diversity celebrated in all aspects and being able to freely express myself in the organization I dedicated my life to was indescribable.”
As the years passed, Gualdarama could see and feel the impact of the repeal.
“The one thing the Army did right was recognize that there was a problem that needed to be fixed,” said Gualdarama. “It is way better now, more accepting, more awareness. It’s much more of a positive environment now than it was back then.”
The military has taken huge strides in the positive direction for inclusion and acceptance of people who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community and embracing diversity in and out of uniform.
“Pride Month isn’t about you. It’s about everyone in the community and spreading awareness,” Ancheta said. “It's their chance to have representation and to have a voice and to know that who they are is being represented and it's okay.”
Gualdarama loves being a Soldier who is allowed to be herself, in the Hawai‘i Army National Guard and commits herself to helping others thrive.
“We all have to be on the same page and promote love, which is what Hawai‘i tries to do,” said Gualdarama. “I do hope we can continue to promote positivity and thrive, all it takes is one act of kindness to save someone, be that light.”
| Date Taken: | 06.01.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 06.27.2022 18:40 |
| Story ID: | 423892 |
| Location: | PEARL CITY, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 259 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, LGBTQIA+ Pride Month: Path to Acceptance, by SGT Casandra Ancheta, SPC Tonia Ciancanelli, SPC Bethany Cravalho, SSG Matthew Foster, SGT Lianne Hirano, SGT Mariah-Alexsandra Manandic-Kapu, SSG John Schoebel and SPC Sean Walker, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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