Buffalo resident one of nation’s first service members to be named as a service member living with HIV

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Buffalo resident and 2014 U.S. Naval Academy graduate Kevin Deese was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy Reserve during a Memorial Day ceremony Friday at Naval Park from Buffalo. While this is a big achievement for Deese, it is also a big moment in the United States, as he is one of the first service members in the country living with HIV to be appointed.

Kevin Deese will now serve as a supply corps officer, conducting exercises out of the Navy Reserve Center in Buffalo.

To get to this point, he had to fight tooth and nail, paving the way for LGBTQ+ service members in the future.

Ten years ago, Kevin Deese sat by as other classmates at the United States Naval Academy took the oath of office.

While at school, he was diagnosed with HIV, leading the Department of Defense to reject him from the military.

“As difficult as that day was and many others since, the journey has brought me here today, where I can raise my right hand before my family and my village, in my home in Buffalo, to swear to protect and defend the constitution. as a Navy officer,” Deese said.

In 2018, Deese filed a discrimination lawsuit against the Department of Defense.

“We overcame some obstacles initially when the government asked the court to dismiss the case, but fortunately that was not the case,” said Peter Perkowski, a member of Deese’s legal team. “Once we started getting those wins on the field, everything went well.”

Deese won the case, which contributed to the Department of Defense announcing policy changes following the groundbreaking spring 2022 court ruling ordering the Department of Defense to stop enforcing what l These are now called “irrational and discriminatory policies”.

This led to Deese and future cadets receiving the commissions they earned.

“Let him say: ‘It’s not enough, I was born to serve, I have a vocation that I must fulfill.’ And he found a way to do it,” said retired U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Kevin Green.

“What Kevin demonstrated was a lot of dedication and commitment,” added National Guard First Lt. Nicholas Harrison. “I think that’s exactly what you look for in a Navy officer.”

Deese said everything happens for a reason, and he is honored to be able to play an important role and milestone in Buffalo’s LGBTQ+ civil rights history.

“I wanted to fight for the chance to serve alongside my classmates and thank the country,” he said. “The choice and desire to make an impact wherever possible is truly within each of us. I really think that at the end of the day, we all aspire to have a chance to make a positive impact.

Deese has embraced Buffalo since moving here in 2021 living downtown, working at M&T Bank, and even being nominated for the 2024 Artie Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical for his performance in as Jimmy in the musical “Reefer Madness” at Shea’s Smith Theater. .