Tom Swann
 Tom
Swann was a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps
from 1976-80. Also he served as a Petty Officer First
Class in the Naval Air Reserve. He is a retired GS-11
Navy civilian worker.
Tom is an author, chaplain and college speaker. Tom
has been marshal of several LGBT Pride parades.
Tom Swann is a legally blind veteran's activist who
has been a leader in civil rights and political causes
since 1972. He has turned his AIDS status and HMO Horror
Story that caused his blindness to rally and uplift
veterans to support civil rights and health care reform.
Three members of Congress nominated him to serve on
the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV and AIDS for
the next vacant position. Tom was appointed to the U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs HIV and AIDS Community
Advisory Board. Tom has testified before many state
legislative committees.
Tom Swann won an ACLU case vs. Dept. of the Navy in
1994 based upon sexual orientation and AIDS discrimination.
Swann's case won sexual orientation protection for all
Navy civilian workers four years before President Clinton
signed an Executive Order. Swann was the last gay federal
employee to have his access to classified information
challenged by the government.
Tom Swann filed California's first AIDS medical malpractice
case and testified before the State of California Managed
Health Care Improvement Task Force.
Tom received an award from the CA. Department of Veteran
Affairs.
* Founding Chair, California Democratic Party Veterans
Caucus
* California Asst. Coordinator Veterans for Gore 2000
* Co-Chair, Salute to Veterans Democratic National Convention
* First LGBT appointed to the Riverside County Veterans
Advisory Committee.
Tom Swann is founding chair of the only certified Democratic
Party veterans' caucus in America. The Governor of Kentucky
promoted Tom to be an honorary Kentucky Colonel for
his work on veteran issues at the 2000 Democratic National
Convention.
As President of Palm Springs Gay Veterans, he was shown
on CNN Headline News when the organization won the right
to march in the Palm Springs Veteran's Day Parade. The
group also won the right to join the Desert Veteran's
Memorial Association and sponsored California's first
celebration of the 55th anniversary of victory in World
War II.
This veteran's organization sponsored the April 29,
2000 memorial wreath ceremony at Congressional Cemetery,
and placed the only wreath for gay veterans in California
(in Palm Springs) on Memorial Day May 29, 2000.
Governor Gray Davis and State Assembly recognized Tom
Swann for spearheading the drive to dedicate America’s
first LGBT Veterans Memorial on May 27, 2001.
Tom served on the national AMVETS Diversity Committee
that added sexual orientation to the national bylaws.
Tom founded Riverside County Veterans for Peace and
spoke at Camp Casey (Crawford Texas) with Cindy Sheehan.
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