Soldier of Change: From the Closet to the Forefront of the Gay Rights Movement - Paperback

by Stephen Snyder-Hill (Author), George Takei (Foreword by)

When the U.S. military repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," its official policy on homosexuality in the services, Capt. Stephen Snyder-Hill was serving in Iraq. After years enduring the culture of fear and secrecy for gay soldiers, Snyder-Hill submitted a video to a Republican primary debate, asking the participants whether, if elected, they would extend spousal benefits to legally married gay and lesbian soldiers. His video was booed by the audience on national television.

Snyder-Hill's story riveted the nation's attention from national news shows to an episode of HBO's The Newsroom to comments by President Obama. Soldier of Change not only captures the media frenzy as Snyder-Hill took his place at the forefront of this modern civil rights movement but also documents his twenty-year journey as a gay man in the army, which culminated in the most important battle of his life: defending the disenfranchised.

Author Biography

Stephen Snyder-Hill joined the military in 1988 and fought in the first Gulf War before his honorable discharge in 1996. After reenlisting in 2001, he deployed to Iraq in support of Operation New Dawn in 2010. George Takei is an actor, social justice activist, and author of Oh Myyy! There Goes the Internet. He is best known for his portrayal of Sulu in the Star Trek television series and movies.