Norwich University is America’s oldest private military academy, and officials at the Northfield campus say that starting today, it’s marking another first – becoming the first private military academy to host a gay pride week.
The six days of pride events comes six months after the end of the military’s "don’t ask, don’t tell" policy that prohibited gay service members from serving openly as gay in the military.
Norwich’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, and Allies Club held its first meeting in September within hours of the end of "don’t ask, don’t tell."
The Club President is Joshua Fontanez, a senior from Browns River, N.J.
Fontanez tells VPR’s Mitch Wertlieb it may be surprising to some to see a military Academy host gay pride events, but doing so is very much in keeping with a military tradition of leadership.
Click listen to hear the interview.
