Gay Soldier Killed In Combat Helped Marriage Fight

[William769]

The parents of Minnesota's first known openly gar soldier to die in combat in Iraq or Afghanistan said campaigning for marriage equality in their home state has helped them deal with the death of their son.

The Wilfahrts spent Memorial Day reflecting on the death of their son Andrew, a 31-year-old Corporal who was killed while serving in Afghanistan in February 2011. This was the first Memorial Day since Minnesota established legal marriage equality, a right that their son will not be able to enjoy.

"We were talking about the other kids in the family getting married and he said, 'I'll never be able to get married,'" his mother Lori Wilfhart said to KARE News. "So that was 10 years ago. And today, he could."

The Wilfharts campaigned on Andrew's behalf to legalize marriage equality in Minnesota, which was approved earlier this month, and will go into effect August 1.

http://www.advocate.com/politics/military/2013/05/28/gay-soldier-killed-combat-helped-marriage-fight

[Brickbat]

1. One of the most effective ads of the "Vote No" push last fall was made from a speech on the

floor by Republican Representative John Kriesel about Andrew Wilfahrt. Fantastic stuff.

ETA: Voting NO meant you did NOT support amending the Minnesota constitution to define marriage as one man and one woman.

[William769]

2. ...

[DevonRex]

3. Oh my. I am so sorry he died.

I am glad he was able to serve openly. I'm proud of him for doing so. I served and I know it's not easy. But he died for his country and he died proving LGBTs are proud, strong, tough men and women who have been fighting for this country from the beginning. All of us veterans have known it. Almost all of us have been smart enough to have been damned grateful we were in it together.

RIP and peace to his family, as well. They deserve it. They continued a different, but important, fight. And it was won.

[William769]

4. In the past 10 years I have been to several funerals

Of LGBT Veterans of WWII, Korea & Vietnam who had to serve in silence & they did so willingly.

To serve a Country that treated homosexuality at the time as a sickness, I honestly don't think I could have.

They have my utmost respect as do African American's of the time.