If this gay paratrooper could speak directly to Pete Hegseth, this is what he'd say

"First Lieutenant Brian Femminella is that he looks exactly like the kind of soldier the Army has long celebrated. Square jaw. Close-cropped hair. Solid, muscular physique. The posture of someone accustomed to carrying weight over long distances and standing motionless during inspection. In photographs from the 82nd Airborne Division, the patch sits cleanly on his shoulder, and the silver wings on his chest mark him as a paratrooper, someone who has stepped out of military aircraft into open sky."

"In another era, Femminella's sexuality alone might have ended his career. But Femminella, 26, an Army intelligence officer who has been in uniform since 2017 and previously led soldiers in the 82nd Airborne Division, came of age after the repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell,' during a period when many believed the question of whether LGBTQ+ Americans could serve had been settled."

First Lieutenant Brian Femminella is a 26-year-old Army intelligence officer stationed at Fort Liberty in North Carolina, serving in the 82nd Airborne Division since 2017. He embodies the physical and professional standards of a decorated soldier, wearing the silver wings of a paratrooper and the patch of the airborne division. Femminella is openly gay, a status that would have ended his military career in previous eras. His service reflects the changed landscape following the repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell,' a policy that previously prohibited LGBTQ+ individuals from serving openly. Femminella came of age during a period when many believed the question of LGBTQ+ military service had been resolved, representing a generation of openly gay service members in the armed forces.

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