American soldier and hate crime victim Barry Winchell was BOTD in 1977. Born in Missouri, little is known about his early life. He joined the US Army in 1997, and was posted to Fort Campbell, Kentucky. In 1998, he met and formed a relationship with trans cabaret performer Calpernia Addams, after attending one of her performances in Nashville. His friend and fellow soldier Justin Fisher spread rumours about Winchell’s relationship with Addams, making Winchell the target of harassment, which his superiors did little to stop. In 1999, he was involved in a fight with another soldier Calvin Glover. After losing the fight, Glover was mocked by Fisher for being beaten by “a fucking faggot like Winchell.” Later that night, Glover waited until Winchell was asleep, and attacked him with a baseball bat. Winchell died of his injuries the following day, aged 21. Glover pled guilty to unpremeditated murder, but was subsequently tried and found guilty of premeditated murder, and sentenced to life imprisonment. The trial thrust Addams into public view, and she became a spokesperson for transgender rights and combatting homophobia. His death led to a federal government review of US military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy for LGBTQ personnel, which concluded that homophobia and bullying were widely expressed and tolerated in the military. In response, the Department of Defence instigated an anti-harassment policy in 2000, though it proved largely ineffective. Winchell’s case and the advocacy of Addams and Winchell’s family was credited with galvanising public opinion against Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, which was finally repealed by President Barack Obama’s government in 2010. Winchell was played by Troy Garity in the 2023 biopic Soldier’s Girl.