DirtyLopez
January 31st, 2009, 04:40 PM
Barry Winchell 1977-1999
Most of you may already know about this, but it is news to me. I just saw the made-for-TV adaption(Soldier's Girl), and it was quite disheartening.
Barry Winchell (31 August 1977 – 6 July 1999) was an infantry soldier in the United States Army, whose murder by a fellow soldier, Calvin Glover, became a point of reference in the ongoing debate about the law known as "Don't ask, don't tell" that enforces the military to discharge service members based on sexual orientation.
A native of Missouri, Winchell enlisted in the Army in 1997 and was transferred in 1998 to Fort Campbell, Kentucky. As a Private First Class, he was assigned to the 2/502nd Infantry of the 101st Airborne Division. While stationed at Fort Campbell, he received a Dear John letter from his high school sweetheart. Winchell later accompanied his roommate, Justin Fisher, and other soldiers for an excursion to the Nashville downtown bars. In 1999, Fisher and others took Winchell to a Nashville club featuring transgender performers, and Winchell met a male-to-female transgendered showgirl named Calpernia Addams. The two dated and Fisher began spreading rumors of the relationship at Ft. Campbell where both were serving. Winchell then became a target of ongoing harassment and it is apparent that his superiors did little to quell the harassment.
The harassment was continuous until the Fourth of July weekend, when Winchell and fellow soldier, Calvin Glover, fought after Winchell accused a boasting Glover of being a fraud. Both were drinking beer throughout the day. Glover was soundly defeated by Winchell, and Fisher harassed Glover about being beaten by Winchell. Fisher and Winchell had their own history of physical altercations as roommates in the barracks of Ft. Campbell. Fisher continued to goad Glover about being beaten by Winchell. Subsequently, Glover took a baseball bat from Fisher's locker and struck Winchell in the head with the baseball bat as he slept on a cot outside near the entry to the room Winchell shared with Fisher in the early hours of 5 July 1999. Winchell died of massive head injuries on 6 July. Glover was later convicted for the murder of Winchell; Fisher was convicted of lesser crimes regarding impeding the subsequent criminal investigation, and both were subsequently incarcerated at the United States Disciplinary Barracks. The murder charges against Fisher were dropped and Fisher was sentenced in a plea bargain to 12.5 years, denied clemency in 2003, released to a halfway house in August 2006, and released from all custody in October. Glover is serving a life sentence.
Winchell's murder led President Bill Clinton to order a review of the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy, a policy which some assert was a significant factor in the murder of Winchell by Calvin Glover.[6][7][8] The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network was a prominent critic of how the policy was implemented, and they demanded to know who, in higher ranks, was responsible for the climate on base.[9]
Winchell's parents, Wally and Patricia Kutteles, and many others continue to press for a re-examination of the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy. Despite campaigning by the Kutteleses and LGBT activist groups, the Commanding General of Fort Campbell at the time of the murder, Major General Robert T. Clark, refused to take responsibility for the purported anti-gay climate at Fort Campbell under his command.[10] After being exonerated, he was nominated and approved for promotion to Lieutenant General on 5 December 2003.
Lieutenant General Timothy Maude however, did visit with Patricia Kutteles. He was a point man on LGBT issues for the U.S. Army and his services to that community were greatly appreciated by C. Dixon Osburn, Executive Director of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. Maude was killed in the 9/11 attacks.
Barry Winchell
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/164/399677693_0c24161a72.jpg
Calpernia
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/135/399677259_2032d77ec5.jpg
I highly recommend the movie. It's quite a tear jerker. I only wish the true interview with Calprenia was on youtube.
Here's a trailer:
YouTube - Soldier's Girl Trailer
They killed Barry to one of my fave Annie Lennox song's... Cold.
Most of you may already know about this, but it is news to me. I just saw the made-for-TV adaption(Soldier's Girl), and it was quite disheartening.
Barry Winchell (31 August 1977 – 6 July 1999) was an infantry soldier in the United States Army, whose murder by a fellow soldier, Calvin Glover, became a point of reference in the ongoing debate about the law known as "Don't ask, don't tell" that enforces the military to discharge service members based on sexual orientation.
A native of Missouri, Winchell enlisted in the Army in 1997 and was transferred in 1998 to Fort Campbell, Kentucky. As a Private First Class, he was assigned to the 2/502nd Infantry of the 101st Airborne Division. While stationed at Fort Campbell, he received a Dear John letter from his high school sweetheart. Winchell later accompanied his roommate, Justin Fisher, and other soldiers for an excursion to the Nashville downtown bars. In 1999, Fisher and others took Winchell to a Nashville club featuring transgender performers, and Winchell met a male-to-female transgendered showgirl named Calpernia Addams. The two dated and Fisher began spreading rumors of the relationship at Ft. Campbell where both were serving. Winchell then became a target of ongoing harassment and it is apparent that his superiors did little to quell the harassment.
The harassment was continuous until the Fourth of July weekend, when Winchell and fellow soldier, Calvin Glover, fought after Winchell accused a boasting Glover of being a fraud. Both were drinking beer throughout the day. Glover was soundly defeated by Winchell, and Fisher harassed Glover about being beaten by Winchell. Fisher and Winchell had their own history of physical altercations as roommates in the barracks of Ft. Campbell. Fisher continued to goad Glover about being beaten by Winchell. Subsequently, Glover took a baseball bat from Fisher's locker and struck Winchell in the head with the baseball bat as he slept on a cot outside near the entry to the room Winchell shared with Fisher in the early hours of 5 July 1999. Winchell died of massive head injuries on 6 July. Glover was later convicted for the murder of Winchell; Fisher was convicted of lesser crimes regarding impeding the subsequent criminal investigation, and both were subsequently incarcerated at the United States Disciplinary Barracks. The murder charges against Fisher were dropped and Fisher was sentenced in a plea bargain to 12.5 years, denied clemency in 2003, released to a halfway house in August 2006, and released from all custody in October. Glover is serving a life sentence.
Winchell's murder led President Bill Clinton to order a review of the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy, a policy which some assert was a significant factor in the murder of Winchell by Calvin Glover.[6][7][8] The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network was a prominent critic of how the policy was implemented, and they demanded to know who, in higher ranks, was responsible for the climate on base.[9]
Winchell's parents, Wally and Patricia Kutteles, and many others continue to press for a re-examination of the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy. Despite campaigning by the Kutteleses and LGBT activist groups, the Commanding General of Fort Campbell at the time of the murder, Major General Robert T. Clark, refused to take responsibility for the purported anti-gay climate at Fort Campbell under his command.[10] After being exonerated, he was nominated and approved for promotion to Lieutenant General on 5 December 2003.
Lieutenant General Timothy Maude however, did visit with Patricia Kutteles. He was a point man on LGBT issues for the U.S. Army and his services to that community were greatly appreciated by C. Dixon Osburn, Executive Director of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. Maude was killed in the 9/11 attacks.
Barry Winchell
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/164/399677693_0c24161a72.jpg
Calpernia
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/135/399677259_2032d77ec5.jpg
I highly recommend the movie. It's quite a tear jerker. I only wish the true interview with Calprenia was on youtube.
Here's a trailer:
YouTube - Soldier's Girl Trailer
They killed Barry to one of my fave Annie Lennox song's... Cold.