During the 43 years Brig. Gen. Keith Kerr served in the military, he didn’t so much lie about his sexual orientation as he let others draw conclusions from intentionally vague statements.
Brig. Gen. Keith Kerr headlined a “Patriots Circle Reception” hosted by Atlanta couple Randy New and Russell Tippins on March 14. The event recognized donors who contribute more than $1,000 annually to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which advocates on behalf of gay, lesbian and transgender soldiers and veterans.
Kerr told Southern Voice he served silently for most of his military career. “I didn’t bring it up,” he said. “For example, someone might ask, ‘What did you do this weekend,’ and then I would say, ‘I went to Yosemite and hiked,’ not ‘Alvin [his late partner] and I went to Yosemite and hiked.’”
Kerr’s quiet, private life came to an end in 2003 when he stepped out of the closet in a press conference with another general and a rear admiral to protest the DADT policy that prohibits gays from serving openly.
Although the proclamation made waves at the time, Kerr’s name is most recently tied to the 2007 CNN/YouTube Republican Debate. A member of SLDN’s military advisory committee, Kerr was a flashpoint in the presidential election last year when his question about “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was selected for the highly publicized debate.
CNN drew criticism when it was later revealed Kerr was a member of a gay steering committee for Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton.
CNN flew him to the debate, and brought him on stage briefly in what many Republicans saw as purposed attack on Republican candidates by someone with ties to Clinton’s campaign. Kerr did lend his name and rank in the California State Military Reserve to two veteran groups supporting Clinton, but denies being a Clinton decoy, or that he had any involvement with the campaign.
“What happened was in April or May of 2007, one of my friends called and asked me if I would add my name to the list of veterans for Hillary, and I said ‘yes’ because I knew she supported a repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’” Kerr said.
“I totally forgot about that at the time I submitted the YouTube question. I probably belong to 12 or 14 other organizations. As a matter of fact, I’m still a member of the Log Cabins Republicans.”
After the initial rush of media inquiries passed, Kerr, a man who once brought women to parties instead of his partner, has become comfortable moving in the public spotlight.
“I’ve enjoyed it, but I’ve enjoyed meeting people whose stories are even more compelling than mine,” he said.
Kerr’s involvement with the military began in 1953 when he enlisted in the Army as a teenager still coping with his orientation.
“I really didn’t accept my sexuality until about 27 or 28. I knew that I was attracted to same-sex people, but I also knew I was expected to join the military. I would have been disowned if I hadn’t, but I was looking forward to it,” Kerr said.
While Kerr served during the Korean War, the Army assigned him to Europe debriefing Eastern European defectors. While stationed in Germany he avoided that country’s gay scene.
He didn’t date, and when he went off base, he didn’t bring friends with him.
“I pretty much kept my weekend experiences to myself. I had to if I was going to survive,” he said.
“Later, after becoming an officer I was a little concerned about [not having a girlfriend]. I even began wearing my college ring, which I still wear to this day. So it wasn’t so obvious that I didn’t have a wedding ring.”
It wasn’t until 1974, after he returned to America and was serving in an active reserve unit, that he met a man in a similar situation. Alvin Gomer was an ordained Episcopalian priest, and like Kerr, had to build a wall between his public and private life.
“Alvin was an ordained Episcopal priest and a licensed psychologist. He had a parish for a short time, but then he went into counseling and running a counseling center,” Kerr said.
While Gomer could be more forthcoming, Kerr had to keep a tight rein on his private life or risk a dishonorable discharge from the California Military Reserve, where he rose to Brigadier General after leaving the Army in 1986 as a colonel.
“It was a difficult situation because I didn’t take him to social functions,” Kerr said. “I did take dates occasionally, ladies that I knew. I never discussed my sexuality with those dates, but they were good friends and probably had some inkling of my orientation.”
After 26 years together, Alvin died in 2000. Although Kerr still wears his gold class ring, he often speaks in deliberate, unprompted statements. When he talks about his partner dying, he is quick to add, “Not of AIDS.”
The general now launches pre-emptive strikes with detailed information.
“Later on I found people in the military assuming he died of AIDS, so I sometimes emphasize that point,” he said.
