by Craig Johnson

In 2021, while attending Harvard Kennedy School, I had the opportunity to interview William Waybourn as part of an oral history project. Before our conversation, I knew pieces of his story, but I did not fully appreciate the environment in which he and many others operated during the height of the AIDS crisis and the social debates of the 1980s and 1990s.

Like many people of my generation, I came of age in a country that already looked very different from the one Waybourn described. At the same time, I entered military service in 2004 during the era of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, when many aspects of professional life for gay servicemembers were still shaped by uncertainty and caution. Listening to Waybourn describe earlier decades provided perspective that is difficult to gain from books or documentaries alone.

Waybourn was involved in several major advocacy and public service efforts during that era. His work ranged from AIDS-related outreach and fundraising in Dallas to leadership roles in organizations focused on civic engagement and representation. What stood out most during our conversation was the degree of persistence, professionalism, and personal commitment required to carry out that work during a period marked by fear, uncertainty, and intense public attention surrounding the AIDS epidemic.

William Waybourn (2014 / Dallas Black Tie Dinner)

The interview also highlighted how broad and decentralized these efforts often were. Looking back, history can appear linear and inevitable. In reality, there were many organizations, personalities, and approaches operating simultaneously. Some groups focused on healthcare and patient support, others on legal advocacy, fundraising, public awareness, or encouraging broader participation in civic life. Together, those efforts helped shape institutions and communities in lasting ways.

Large organizations rarely adapt quickly. Public attitudes shift gradually, and professional institutions often struggle to balance tradition, cohesion, and changing expectations.

That was especially true regarding military service. During much of Waybourn’s life, military policies regarding homosexuality were very different than they are today. When I entered the Coast Guard in 2004, those policies were still very much in effect, even if broader public attitudes were already beginning to shift. Younger servicemembers today have entered a military environment that would have looked remarkably different to both Waybourn’s generation and to many who served during the early years of the post-9/11 era.

The interview also reinforced the importance of generational perspective. Every generation inherits institutions that feel permanent and settled. Conversations like this serve as reminders that many aspects of American civic and professional life were shaped gradually through disagreement, adaptation, and sustained effort over decades.

For me, the experience was valuable not because it provided simple answers, but because it provided historical context. It was an opportunity to hear directly from someone who lived through a period of significant social tension and institutional change, and to better understand how individuals and organizations navigate those transitions over time.

By the end of the interview, I was struck less by division than by continuity. Different generations encounter different challenges, but many of the underlying themes remain consistent: public service, resilience, leadership, compassion, and the effort to strengthen institutions while society evolves around them.

As I left, I remember thinking how easy it is for younger generations to inherit stability without fully appreciating the people and circumstances that helped shape it. History often feels distant until you hear it described firsthand by someone who lived through it.

William Waybourn (right) with actor/playwright/producer Harvey Fierstein at a 1989 benefit event for the AIDS Resource Center in Dallas

NOTE: On February 13, 2021, Coast Guard Lt. Cdr. Craig Johnson interviewed William Waybourn via ZOOM. They spoke for nearly an hour about the past, present, and future of the LGBT rights movement. William is the former President of the Dallas Gay/Lesbian Alliance (1986-1989), co-founder and former executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund (1991-1995), and former managing director of GLAAD (1995-1997). He currently resides in Washington, D.C. with his husband Craig.

Johnson is a Coast Guard officer currently completing a graduate degree at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. As part of a class on the LGBT rights movement, he conducted this interview and wrote a reflection. His next assignment will be teaching government classes at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.