We spoke to Marvin (he/him) at his home in Pittsford, NY on March 20, 2026. Marvin was drafted into the US Marine Corps in February of 1966 and deployed to the Vietnam War until December 1967. He was not out when he was called up for selective service, and he remembered that “when I went with a busload of other draftees for our pre physical in Buffalo about a month before official induction, there were questionnaires to be filled out. One question asked ‘yes’ or ‘no’ if one had sexual feelings or attractions for men. I lied and said ‘no.’”

Marvin came out three years after returning from Vietnam, but he thought back to his experience in the military as formative on his path to understanding his sexual identity. “Here’s the thing that happens in the military,” he said, “they encourage buddies, because you’re always with somebody who’s looking after you. It was not uncommon for guys to get really close on a one-on-one basis.” Reflecting back on that period and the relationships he formed while serving, he recalled that “it made my feelings strong.” 

Today, Marvin lives his spouse of 37 years, Steven, in Pittsford, NY. He’s not only open but also defiantly proud of his sexuality identity. “I don’t spend any energy denying who I am,” he said. “I don’t flaunt it in somebody’s face. I am proud of who I am. After 27 years of hiding and suffering and wasting all that energy, you say to yourself ‘I am free, and I am alive, and I am going to live my life.’”