Draft:Bill Kibler
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William G. "Bill" Kibler (born July 9, 1963) is an American United States Marine Corps veteran and LGBTQ veterans advocate. A Beirut-era Marine, he later became known for his work in veterans' commemoration and, in 2024, founded the LGBTQ veterans support organization GayVeterans.us.
Early life
[edit]Kibler was born on July 9, 1963, in Arlington, Virginia.[1]
Military service
[edit]Kibler served in the United States Marine Corps as a lance corporal attached to Marine Service Support Group 24 (MSSG-24), part of the 24th Marine Amphibious Unit. He was deployed to Beirut, Lebanon, with the multinational peacekeeping force from October 1982 to February 1983.[2] He had rotated out of Beirut several months before the 1983 Beirut barracks bombings of October 23, 1983, and was not present at the barracks at the time of the attack.[3]
Veterans' commemoration
[edit]As a member of Beirut Veterans of America (BVA), Kibler became active in efforts to commemorate the Beirut barracks bombing. In October 2006, he organized a three-day Beirut Remembrance Walk in Washington, D.C., during which participants walked 241 laps around the National Mall in memory of the 241 American service members killed in the 1983 attack.[2]
Kibler was a leader of a long-running campaign for a U.S. commemorative postage stamp honoring the Beirut peacekeepers and served as webmaster of the campaign's website, BeirutStamp.com. After the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee declined to recommend an official stamp, Kibler argued that the memorial's location near Camp Lejeune had caused the subject to be seen as regional rather than national in significance.[4]
Within Beirut Veterans of America, Kibler served as associate editor of the organization's newsletter, Root Scoop II, and was elected to its board of directors.[5][4]
LGBTQ veterans advocacy
[edit]Kibler was among those present at the White House ceremony on December 22, 2010, at which President Barack Obama signed the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010.[6]
In February 2024 he founded GayVeterans.us, an online community and support platform for LGBTQ veterans, operated through the Tennessee nonprofit GayVeteransUS Inc. The site grew to include user groups, forums, and resources, and partnered with Wreaths Across America to honor LGBTQ veterans.[7] Kibler, who describes himself as "a Marine who happens to be gay" rather than "a gay Marine," has been quoted as an advocate for LGBTQ veterans in coverage of U.S. military policy, and has contributed to the Washington Blade.[3][8]
Personal life
[edit]Kibler lives in Nashville, Tennessee. He worked for more than a decade at the Nashville VA Medical Center and is a life member of the Disabled American Veterans.[1][7]
References
[edit]- 1 2 "About". BillKibler.com. Retrieved 2026-06-25.
- 1 2 "D.C. Remembrance Walk draws praise" (PDF). Root Scoop II. Beirut Veterans of America. November–December 2006.
- 1 2 "'This is not the military I gave my life for': LGBTQ veterans respond to Hegseth". Washington Blade. October 14, 2025.
- 1 2 "Beirut stamp initiative" (PDF). Root Scoop II. Beirut Veterans of America. March–April 2010.
- ↑ "Annual meeting and board elections" (PDF). Root Scoop II. Beirut Veterans of America. January 2009.
- ↑ "New Web Page for First LGBTQ Veterans Memorial". Uken Report.
- 1 2 "New website expands horizons for LGBTQ veterans". Washington Blade. September 28, 2024.
Category:1963 births Category:Living people Category:United States Marine Corps personnel Category:American LGBTQ rights activists Category:Activists from Tennessee Category:LGBTQ people from Virginia Category:American gay men