We served across every branch of the military. Sherrill and Lilly served in the United States Navy. James is an Army veteran. Hayden was in the Air Force. I, Jules Sohn, served in the Marine Corps. Yet for years, many of us did not feel we could call ourselves “veterans.” Because we were discharged under policies that criminalized our identities—often with “other than honorable” or similar discharges—we were denied not only benefits, but dignity. 

Each of us is a survivor in our own way.