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Jennifer Dane

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      Jennifer Dane was born in the small town of Lockney, Texas on September 12th, 1987. She is an U.S. Air Force Veteran who served from March 16th, 2010 to March 15th, 2016 under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. She worked as an intelligence analyst and focused on geopolitical relations, terrorism, and threat vulnerability issues. During her time in the Air Force, she earned the rank of an E-5 Staff Sergeant, as well as a Military Service Medal, a Good Conduct Medal, and a Volunteer Service Medal. She was also able to earn her master's degrees in both Criminal Justice and Educational Policy. She was honorably discharged and now serves as the CEO fo the Modern Military Association of America, the nation's largest non-profit organization working toward advancing fairness and equality for the LGBTQ+ military and veteran community.

     In her interview, Jennifer Dane talks about her life growing up in a small town in West Texas and her struggles with her identity as she came out in an unaccepting place. She recalls of her transition into the Air Force as a member of the LGBTQ+ community during the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy era put in place by the Clinton Administration, as well as her own experiences with military sexual assault and trauma. She explains how she struggled with her mental health while working as an intelligence analyst, what her transition as like coming out of the military, and her educational goals.

    A lot of her work today surrounds preventing military sexual trauma and advancing equality within the military for members of the LGTBQ+ community. In her role as CEO of Modern Military Association of America, Jennifer speaks to of all the advocacy the organization does, including legislation wins, policy changes within the VA healthcare system, and giving back to the LGBTQ+ and various other minority communities within the military and beyond. She finishes her interview with a little more about her everyday life, her future plans as a advocate and as a hopeful candidate for Senator of Arizona, her family life now, and ended with her own personal message on what she has learned and how to pass it on. 

  Click to view Jennifer Dane's Full Transcript!

This page has paths:

  1. Jennifer Dane interview Madison Cholewa
  2. Women, Gender, and Sexuality in the US Military Madison Cholewa
  3. The Voices of Veterans Jason Higgins
  4. Bodies and Minds: Disability, Healthcare, and Mental Health Jason Higgins

Contents of this path:

  1. Coming Out and the Complexities Faced Externally and Internally
  2. Representation as a Member of the LGBTQ+ Community
  3. Impact of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" on Trial
  4. Serving Under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
  5. Jennifer Dane: Process of Healing
  6. "Am I On The Right Side of History?"
  7. The Disconnect Between the Community and LGTBQ+ Veterans
  8. Advocating for LGBTQ+ Military Kids
  9. Need for Inclusivity in Everyday Life
  10. Struggles with Lack of Family Support

This page has tags:

  1. Women, Gender, and Sexuality in the US Military Madison Cholewa

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