Zoe Dunning
In defiance of the military’s ban on gays serving openly, decorated Navy Commander (Ret.) Zoe Dunning came out in 1993 while serving as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Reserves. Two and a half years later, she won a legal battle to be retained in the Navy, and holds the distinction of having served her country as the only openly gay member of the U.S. military. Dunning is the Governing Board Co-Chair for Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, and was selected to stand next to President Obama as he signed the bill repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in 2010. “I was honored to stand next to President Obama not just because I served as an open lesbian, but because of my persistence and perseverance as I continued to speak out and advocate for the repeal of DADT for nearly 18 years,” said Dunning. “It wasn’t enough that I won my case; I wanted the policy repealed so all could serve without fear.” She is now a principal at Quintus Associates, LLC; facilitates graduate courses at Stanford University; serves on Senator Barbara Boxer’s Service Academy Advisory Committee; and was recently honored as “Woman of the Year” for the 8th Senate District of California. –DP
