Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, BETHESDA, Md  –   Walter Reed observed Pride Month with a panel discussion featuring Maryland Secretary of Veteran Affairs Anthony Woods and U.S. Navy Cmdr. Emily “Hawking” Shilling, on June 20 at the medical center.

Woods is also a U.S. Army Reserve major, and Shilling is a distinguished naval aviator, test pilot and aerospace engineering duty officer.

The theme of the discussion focused on “Pride In All Who Serve – A Place for All,” explained Ron Madison, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) officer at Walter Reed.

Pride Month centers on acceptance, equality, and celebrating the work of LGBTQIA+ people, education in LGBTQIA+ history, and raising awareness of issues affecting the LGBTQIA+ community. Pride Month traces its roots to the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City, that began in June 1969, Madison explained.

Woods, a native of Fairfield, California, is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Armor branch in July 2003 and twice deployed to Iraq.

In 2008, Woods was discharged from the U.S. Army under the government's now repealed “Don't ask, don't tell” policy after he outed himself as gay. In 2014, Woods joined the U. S. Army Reserve as a military intelligence officer. He became the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs in 2023.

“There will be no greater accomplishment in my career than bringing all of my Soldiers home from those deployments,” said Woods. After returning from his second deployment and receiving the opportunity to teach at his alma mater, West Point, Woods said he realized that “It was time to come to terms with who I am and who I was.”

“Those of us in uniform and who have served in the military know that the military is, for good reasons, a very active part of your life. They take care of the whole service member, the family and are very much involved in your life in ways that the average civilian employer is not. I also knew that if I was standing in front of a classroom of cadets every single day who are under an honor code to not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do, and I’m lying about my life situation and what’s going on, I would be making compromises to my integrity that I did not want to do,” Woods shared.

“I also had the experience of leading Soldiers overseas and realizing it isn’t good for good order and discipline, it isn’t helpful for unit cohesion, and it isn’t benefitting morale for me to lie and hide,” Woods added.

Shilling came out as transgender on April 14, 2019. She is the Navy’s most senior openly transgender line officer and aviator. During her more than 15-year career, Shilling has served on two aircraft carrier deployments, completed over 60 combat missions, and accumulated more than 1,700 flight hours piloting 21 different types of aircrafts. She now oversees acquisitions for a fleet.

“The Navy has been wonderful,” said Shilling in describing her journey to serve as the first openly transgender naval aviator. She’s now the deputy program manager for Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System for the Unmanned Carrier Aviation Office (PMA-268) at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland. “The people of the U.S. Navy, those in command and those on the line, unrelenting support truly let me thrive while serving,” she has stated.

“During the time period the [transgender] ban was enacted, I lost 31 [service members] who decided to die by suicide rather than exist in a non-supportive [environment],” Shilling added. She explained that after the ban was repealed, those suicides declined drastically.

Shilling said that she didn’t come out as transgender but was “kicked out of closet” and received diagnoses of gender dysphoria because of the policy regarding transgender service members in uniform at the time.

“For those who were advocating for the abolition of slavery, for women suffrage, or for the Civil Rights Act and so forth, these were generational struggles,” Woods furthered. “More often than not, those who are part of the generational struggles don’t get to benefit or see the fruits of their labor.” He added that he’s been blessed to have been able participate in the advocacy of the repel of “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” and the changing of the law.

“Having the opportunity to go back in and serve [in uniform] was really important to me because it’s a privilege [to serve],” said Woods.

He added that 1 out of 5 five members of Generation Z identifies as “something other than straight.”

“If we are thinking about our recruiting challenges, of trying to sell the opportunity of military service, we need to mindful of where this generation is and the value propositions that we’re presenting to them,” he continued.

“Creating an inclusive space that cares for and respects the differences amongst us is so incredibly important,” Woods continued. “We have a lot of work to do to get to that [point], but I think it’s important we realize there is a national security imperative to being an inclusive, welcoming and affirming environment.”

Madison added that if you or someone you know is struggling or having thoughts of suicide, call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at https://988lifeline.org or https://988helpline.org. In life-threatening situations, call 911.