The Bilerico Project | Daily experiments in LGBTQ

When John resigned his officer's commission from the U.S. Air Force, his friends said he didn't just come out of the closet, he "kicked the door down."

During his time flying special ops helicopters, a fun thing indeed to do in your 20s, he "figured" out he was gay and decided to live life on his own terms, rather than living a lie inside the military. Following his new-found freedom, he worked for several healthcare agencies, including AIDS Project Los Angeles and the city and county of San Francisco health department. As the West Coast Director of the AIDS Marathon, he was instrumental in expanding the cause beyond just Washington, D.C.

He has served on the boards of directors of several gay and lesbian organizations, as well as was the lead member of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Gay and Lesbian Conference Committee.

He has extensive media experience, at one time working as an international broadcaster for the Voice of America.

He and his partner Brian are legally recognized as a couple and reside in the District of Columbia.