John McKinnon

John McKinnon said he launched OutMilitary.com on Dec. 28 — right after the Senate voted to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
OutMilitary.com is a social networking site for active military and their supporters including gay and lesbian military retirees. McKinnon calls the site a Facebook clone as far as usability.
After Reuters and ABC News picked up a story about the site, OutMilitary began adding several hundred new members a day. Today, about 2,000 members belong to the network.
McKinnon said they are setting up groups for every military base and creating events. Members have told him the site is “quite liberating.” Many active duty personnel have joined under their own names and listed their current location. Others have disguised their names and locations because “don’t ask, don’t tell” is still in effect and new service members may still be processed under the law.
Membership cuts across all branches and ranks.

— David Taffet

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition Feb. 4, 2011.