86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Groundbreakers
Chad VanCleave-Goff
Meet some of the artists, disruptors, educators, groundbreakers, innovators, and storytellers who all helped make the world a better place for LGBTQ+ people.
As a chief master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, Chad VanCleave-Goff has a long and distinguished military career. He serves as a mentor and coach for service members and their families, helping them deal with life's hardships or prepare for deployment.
But it took courage and strength for VanCleave-Goff to seek that same kind of support for himself. For 22 years, VanCleave-Goff hesitated to seek mental health services due to stigma, particularly in the military. He credits his husband, Adam, with helping him overcome his fear.
“It was Adam who knew just how bad I was hurting both mentally and physically,” VanCleave-Goff says. “He said the right words at the right time for me to finally seek professional help. I was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and have received amazing therapy from a dynamic military mental health team.”
This year, VanCleave-Goff was the project lead and planner for the 2024 USAF First Sergeant Worldwide Conference. As he approaches his 23rd year of service, he remains committed to making a difference. “Every day in uniform is another day to make a difference in the life of another,” he says. @usairforce
Gabriella Angelina
Kristoffer Reynolds
Bernardo SimBernardo Sim is the deputy editor of Out. He's also a staff contributor to The Advocate, PRIDE, and other equalpride publications. Born in Brazil, he currently lives in South Florida.
You can follow Bernardo Sim on Instagram. You can also find him on Bluesky, Threads, X/Twitter, and TikTok.
Bernardo Sim is the deputy editor of Out. He's also a staff contributor to The Advocate, PRIDE, and other equalpride publications. Born in Brazil, he currently lives in South Florida.
You can follow Bernardo Sim on Instagram. You can also find him on Bluesky, Threads, X/Twitter, and TikTok.
Bernardo Sim is the deputy editor of Out. He's also a staff contributor to The Advocate, PRIDE, and other equalpride publications. Born in Brazil, he currently lives in South Florida.
You can follow Bernardo Sim on Instagram. You can also find him on Bluesky, Threads, X/Twitter, and TikTok.
Varla Jean Merman
Meet some of the artists, disruptors, educators, groundbreakers, innovators, and storytellers who all helped make the world a better place for LGBTQ+ people.
Kristoffer Reynolds
Varla Jean Merman has been in the business of drag for 30 years, doing her best to “make people laugh, scream, gasp, and sometimes groan…all in a dress completely stretched beyond recognition.”
This drag icon’s 2024 proudest achievement was putting together a Taylor Swift-inspired show called Varla Jean: The Errors Tour. “I explore all the horrible errors I have made in my career, like not telling the director of one of my All My Children episodes that snot flew out of my nose before they aired it,” she says, “and discover that the only real mistake in life is the one you don’t learn from.”
Merman adds, “Living in Florida, I had to not only deal with the government trying to ban my job, but also deal with people in our community, all over our country, wanting to boycott my state. Our country is one body. If your hand hurts, do you cut it off? No. You show it more love and more support until it is well. Florida is filled with amazing LGBTQ+ people who are not responsible for the hideous policies that have occurred.” @varlajeanmerman