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Tracy W. Thorne-Begland (born c. 1967) is an American judge on the General District Court of Richmond, Virginia, appointed in 2012. He was the first openly gay jurist elected by the Virginia General Assembly. After graduation from university, Thorne-Begland served in a jet combat squadron of the United States Navy. During the 1992 presidential campaign, he appeared on the television news program ''Nightline'' to criticize the Navy's policy of excluding homosexuals, identified himself as gay, and was honorably discharged from the service. As a result of the appeal processes, Thorne-Begland became interested in the law and obtained a law degree. After serving twelve years as a prosecutor, Thorne-Begland was nominated for an open seat on the General District Court of Richmond in 2012, but the Virginia House of delegates rejected him for the position for his perceived advocacy on homosexual issues. The Richmond Circuit Court judges granted him a temporary appointment to the post on June 14, 2012. On January 15, 2013, he was confirmed in the position by both houses of the Virginia General Assembly. ==Early life and military career== Tracy W. Thorne was born c. 1967 and grew up in a well-off family in West Palm Beach, Florida.〔〔 Following his graduation from Vanderbilt University, he entered the US Navy in 1988, inspired by reading Stephen Coonts' novel ''Flight of the Intruder'' about naval aviators in the Vietnam War.〔 He was first in his flight training class, and served in Attack Squadron 65, the "Fighting Tigers", at Oceana Naval Air Station flying the A-6 Intruder. Initially denying his homosexuality, Thorne accepted it in 1990 when he visited a gay bar for the first time on New Year's Eve. In 1992, Thorne came out to his squadronmates, who he later stated were supportive: "It was a complete non-issue".〔 In April he spoke with an aide of Colorado congresswoman Pat Schroeder, who encouraged him to go public with his story to build popular support for a bill to overturn the ban on gay service members. Thorne agreed to do so, and completed the process of coming out to family members, including his father and brother.〔 On May 19, 1992, during a presidential campaign in which Democratic candidate Bill Clinton was proposing an end to the military's exclusion of homosexuals, Thorne openly identified as homosexual during an interview with Ted Koppel on the ABC television news program ''Nightline''.〔 Thorne later appeared on NBC's ''Today Show'' and CNN's Sonya Live. Within days, the Navy began discharge proceedings against him, though he was not formally discharged until 1995.〔 By the time of his first discharge hearing in August 1992, Thorne had reached the rank of lieutenant.〔〔Thorne was represented at his discharge proceedings by Luther Ziegler, who later became an Episcopal priest and a chaplain at Harvard University. Harvard Chaplains: ("Rev. Luther Zeigler" ). Retrieved May 19, 2012. (Archived ) from the original on March 17, 2013.〕 On May 11, 1993, he testified before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, which was surveying the opinions of service members on the question of service by open homosexuals. He told the senators that his discussion with his peers following his television disclosure was "a nonevent" and called the policy banning service by homosexuals "Government-sanctioned discrimination." During the committee session, South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond advised Thorne to seek psychiatric help.〔 In 1994, President Clinton instituted "don't ask, don't tell" (DADT), a policy which barred open homosexuals from military service but forbade officers to investigate the sexuality of service members. Thorne's previous assertion became a test of this new policy, and proceedings against him continued.〔 While Thorne's discharge proceedings were under way, he was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal for "superb leadership, exceptional professionalism and total devotion to duty".〔''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'': (Richard Carelli, "Supreme Court refuses to review U.S. military's 'don't ask, don't tell' rule," October 19, 1998 ). p. 8A. Retrieved May 19, 2012〕 In 1994, a Navy board of inquiry recommended that Thorne be honorably discharged, though the discharge was not official until May 6, 1995.〔 Thorne then brought suit in federal court to overturn the discharge; the court ordered his reinstatement while the case proceeded. After he lost his challenge to DADT in both U.S. District Court and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal on October 19, 1998, and he was again discharged.〔 Thorne's various cases left him with a new interest in the law. He pursued a degree at the University of Richmond School of Law, graduating in 1997.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Tracy Thorne-Begland」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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