Miriam Ben-Shalom
| Miriam Ben-Shalom מרים בן שלום |
|
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Miriam Ben-Shalom |
| Born |
May 3, 1948 Waukesha, Wisconsin |
| Allegiance |
Israel (1968-1970) United States of America (1974-1990) |
| Service/branch |
United States Army Reserve Israeli Army |
| Years of service | 1974-1976, 1988-1990 |
| Rank | Staff Sergeant |
| Unit | 84th Training Division, 5091st Reception Battalion |
| Battles/wars | War of Attrition |
| Other work | Suing for her reinstatement Founding American Veterans for Equal Rights protesting against Don't ask, don't tell public school teacher |
Miriam Ben-Shalom (Hebrew: מרים בן שלום, born May 3, 1948) is an American educator, activist and former Staff Sergeant in the United States Army. After being discharged from the military for homosexuality in 1976, she successfully challenged her discharge in court and returned to military service in 1987, the first openly gay person to be reinstated after being discharged under the military's policy excluding homosexuals from military service. She served until 1990 when the Army succeeded in terminating her service after prolonged judicial proceedings.
Ben-Shalom was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin, one of six children in a Roman Catholic family, and grew up in the surrounding area of Big Bend and East Troy. After her mother died in an automobile accident when she was six, she was largely raised by her father, a World War II veteran and owner of a local chain of convenience stores. Graduating from high school in 1967, she married for a short time and had a daughter. The next year, she converted to Judaism and, at the age of 19, left with her daughter for a five-year residence in Israel, where she took up Israeli citizenship, remarried, changed her name to her current name and served in the Israeli Army during the War of Attrition as the driver of an armored personnel carrier. In 1971, she returned to the United States, divorced and entered the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, majoring in creative writing and graduating with a B.A. and M.A.
In 1974, Ben-Shalom enlisted in the United States army reserve and joined the 84th Training Division. In 1975, she read the cover story of Time magazine's interview with Leonard Matlovich, a Vietnam War Air Force veteran who decided to come out of the closet as a homosexual and was fighting his discharge. Although Ben-Shalom was out to her commander, the commander made no move to dismiss her until, after graduating from drill sergeant's school, she appeared on local television and outed herself as lesbian. Her commander filed discharge proceedings against her, and she was honorably discharged in 1976.
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