The ceremony began with the presentation of colors ceremony, performed by the Suquamish Warriors, an Indigenous veterans organization from Suquamish, Washington. Rep. Randall, who made history as the first Queer Latina to be elected to the US House of Representatives, gave an impassioned speech recognizing those in the armed forces who are out and those who are still closeted, and shaming Secretary Hegseth for his selectivity in which members of our military deserve to be honored. 

Randall made it clear that she pledges to continue the fight to hold Trump and Hegseth accountable for their harmful policies and to hopefully better the culture around LGBTQIA+ members of the armed forces. She expressed support for bringing forth articles of impeachment against Hegseth following the recent “blue wave” in last week's midterm election.

Randall, along with other organizers of the ceremony, shook hands with and gave hugs to Queer veterans while presenting them with a certificate and medal recognizing them for their bravery and commitment to our nation’s defense. 

Speaking after Randall was Bremerton City Councilman Michael Goodnow, the first Gay man to be elected to the city council, representing District 5. He is also a retired veteran, having served in the US Navy’s submarine force during the DADT era, before his retirement in 2003. In his speech, he recounted his experience as a Gay man who had to keep his sexuality hidden to avoid being barred from service: “It really had you keep your head down and really kind of perform well, to not have any attention brought to you. It’s just that fear of being found out." 

Goodnow also related what it was like being in the Navy during the AIDS crisis. “I also remember a time when folks would test positive for HIV or maybe have symptoms of AIDS, and they would just disappear; you would never see them again, not even a moment for someone to say goodbye," he tearfully recalled.

Chloe Shapiro, a Seattle resident and Trans veteran, formerly in the Texas Army National Guard, described in an article for the Washington Post how she faced homelessness after being forced to voluntarily resign from the military following the Trans ban, under the pretense that she would be getting a severance check of $86,665.32, for which she waited months without receiving the money. Eventually, Shapiro revealed, she did receive the full amount in mid-September this year. 
Shapiro also described her adjustment to civilian life as not being easy but said that attending school and seeing a therapist has helped her. She is currently pursuing a degree in interior design. 

Shapiro also provided her opinion on Secretary Hegseth, describing him as an “incompetent and problematic leader” and as being too focused on vanity to help benefit the military. “He doesn’t know how to lead from the front, only the rear,” Shapiro stated.

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