The San Diego LGBT Community Center (The Center) is proud to announce the 2022 inductees into the Benjamin F. Dillingham, III & Bridget Wilson LGBT Veterans Wall of Honor. The LGBT Veterans Wall of Honor Induction Ceremony will take place on Thursday, November 10 from 6-8pm, at The Center.
Since 2011, The LGBT Veterans Wall of Honor recognizes LGBTQ veterans with ties to San Diego who served under anti-LGBTQ policies, preventing their ability to serve, and serve safely and openly, as well as those who have served after the ending of those policies, recognizing the systematic discrimination they faced. By serving our country honorably and with distinction, each veteran honored as part of this Wall of Honor has served as a role model for advancing equality for all. The LGBT Veterans Wall commemorates these veterans’ lives in hopes that their courage, bravery, and sacrifices will continue to inspire future generations.
“The San Diego LGBT Community Center proud to be the first LGBTQ community center in the country to honor our LGBTQ veterans with a Wall of Honor after the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ in 2011. This year, we look forward to celebrating and sharing the powerful stories of the 13 honorees at our first in-person Veterans Wall of Honor ceremony since 2019”, said Rebekah Hook-Held (she/her), Chief Public Affairs and Civic Engagement Officer at The Center.
“I am proud of the work of the Veterans Wall of Honor Advisory Council, who has selected 13 outstanding veterans to honor this year,” said Sean Redmond (he/him) US Air Force (Ret.), Advisory Council Co-Chair. “It’s wonderful to see the recognition of our LGBTQ community’s military and community service.”
The 2022 San Diego LGBT Veterans Wall of Honor inductees are:
- Beth F. Coye (she/her), USN
- Bob Carney (he/him), USA
- David Charles Root (he/him), USA
- David Huskey (he/him), USA
- Edward Conlon (he/him), USN
- Hector Rodriguez (he/him), USMC
- Houston Burnside (he/him), USAF
- John Acosta (he/him), USN
- Lark Bearden (she/her), USN
- Michael Donovan (he/him), USAF
- Michael W. Klein (he/him), USN
- Midori Hirakawa Sabanal (she/her), USA
- Thomas Carey (he/him), USN
The public is invited to join the community in honoring the inductees at the ceremony on November 10, 2022, from 6-8pm at The San Diego LGBT Community Center, 3909 Centre Street, San Diego. The Center’s COVID safety measures require masking indoors, and proof of vaccination and one booster. The evening will include a brief program with celebration of military colors, the National Anthem, recognition of inductees, and special remarks. Community members are asked to RSVP for this event at bit.ly/vwoh2022.
About The San Diego LGBT Community Center
The San Diego Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center, Inc., (d.b.a., The Center) is one of the largest and most vibrant LGBTQ community centers in the nation. Functioning as the San Diego LGBTQ community’s anchor organization, The Center is led by an 11-member board of directors, employs more than 90 paid staff, and utilizes more than 1,200 community volunteers to achieve its twin goals of promoting LGBTQ health/wellness and human rights. The Center provides targeted programs and services to the full diversity of the San Diego LGBTQ community, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender, nonbinary, immigrant, and HIV communities to the betterment of our entire San Diego region. Last year, The Center provided more than 80,000 direct service visits to San Diego community members, and through its events, activities, and advocacy, touched the lives of thousands more. For more information on The Center, visit thecentersd.org and follow the nonprofit on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
