Buddy, also known as Otis Sutson, is a lifelong native of Washington, D.C. Growing up in the nation's capital, he attended Howard University during the Vietnam War era. Without a scholarship and lacking the support systems available to students today, Buddy was forced to leave college due to financial hardship, leading to his being drafted into the military in 1966—a path he had not intended to take.
Buddy served on active duty until around 1968, later re-enlisting in the National Guard to secure a steady income and pursue homeownership. Rising to the rank of Master Sergeant (E7), Buddy developed a natural knack for leadership, often finding himself in positions where others looked to him for guidance.
Outside of his military service, Buddy has been an active and influential member of DC's Black gay community. He co-founded Best in Washington alongside Bob Lomax in 1973, a social club that catered to the Black LGBTQ community. He participated in the first Black Pride event at Banneker Field, and continued to play a significant role in organizing and supporting the event for years. Buddy has helped create a more open and supportive environment for Black LGBTQ individuals in the city.
Alesha Alexcee: Can you tell me a little about yourself? Where are you from? How do you identify? And when did you join the Army?
Buddy: I’m from Washington, D.C., and I’ve lived here all my life. I always wanted to move somewhere else, but never did. So I’m a native Washingtonian. There aren’t too many of us left, from what I hear, since people are always moving in and out. I joined the military in 1966.
I was attending Howard University during the Vietnam War, but I didn’t have a scholarship, and this was before there were various support systems in place. When I dropped out because I couldn’t make payments, I was drafted into the military, which I had never intended. At the time, I knew I had what they called ‘gay tendencies.’ That’s the term they used back then, and I’d known since high school. When you were drafted, they had you fill out a form with all these terms, including ‘gay tendencies.’
AA: Interesting. I would like to ask about the name 'Buddy'. Is that your nickname?
Buddy: Buddy is my nickname. My brother gave it to me because he couldn’t say ‘this is my brother,’ so he’d say ‘this is my buddy,’ and it stuck. Otis is my given name, and I use it professionally. When I hear ‘Otis,’ I think of my mother. She would call me that when she was upset with me, so it always reminds me of her.
AA: Can you tell me when you left the military?
Buddy: I left active duty around 1968, but then I re-enlisted in the National Guard. I did this mainly to have another source of income because I wanted to buy a house at the time. The military provided a steady, qualifying income for buying a house, so I joined the National Guard.
AA: Also, if you want to tell me, before we get into that point, and maybe you already mentioned it, what was your highest rank or position while you were serving?
Buddy: My highest rank was Master Sergeant, which I believe is an E7. I enjoyed teaching others what I knew and almost always found myself in leadership positions. It just seemed to come naturally to me.
I didn’t realize I had that skill at first, but over time I saw that people followed me, even when I wasn’t sure where I was going. It turned out to be a good thing.
AA: I do want to ask you about your transition out of the military. You talked about becoming more of a leader, but can you talk about whether or not that was a smooth transition?
Buddy: Yeah, it took a little while to get adjusted to moving from the military to civilian life. You know, you bring your skills with you, the things you've learned.
Some of the skills I brought with me needed to be adjusted for civilian life. I had to learn how to speak the lingo. There’s a different way you communicate if you want to relate to people outside the military. Sometimes I had to switch it on and off. A friend once told me I was pretty good at that, though I didn’t realize it myself. The transition comes with some sleepless nights, wondering if you’re doing the right thing or being too hard on yourself.
AA: Do you find it even harder as a veteran in the community? Have you found a community with similar veterans from your background, or is there still a gap?
Buddy: Well, it's interesting; it's still a gap. I know other gay veterans, but I don't belong to any groups, gay groups of veterans, per se. I know there are such things. But that may be something in my personal style of living. I don't parade the fact that I'm a gay veteran, to be honest with you. People ask me, am I a vet, and I tell them yes if they ask. I still see members from my unit, and I know they know that I am a gay, gay man now, for sure. But they never asked me about it.
AA: Do you feel like that’s a result of Don't Ask, Don't Tell? People from the military, when you were serving, still have that kind of mindset.
Buddy: Yeah, I think that's exactly right. I think that's exactly right. I think I asked a member of the guard, who's much younger, how it was once that policy was put in place? And, he said they put out pictures of their partners and things on the, on their desks and things like that. That's something I probably would have never, never, pursued. Mainly because of my… the time that I grew up, you know? But still, I'm still carrying some of that baggage. Still hush-hush.
AA: If you had any advice for other Black queer or Black gay service members or transitioning veterans, what would it be?
Buddy: It would be to stay the course. I think whether or not you come out to your people in your unit depends on you and how you handle things. Once again, I'm from another generation, so we kept everything under wraps, or so we thought, anyway. But, I think we were only fooling ourselves again. But you have to learn all you can, and get something from your military experience. Bring something home that you can carry with you from your military experience. It's a wonderful experience if you like discipline. If you don't like discipline or want to learn more about it, that may be the place. But it's a wonderful place to learn about yourself.
AA: Yeah! Now to more questions about DC. Have you participated in DC's Black Pride or Trans Pride movement? If so, can you describe that experience?
Buddy: Yeah, I have been very active with Black Pride. I wasn't one of the founding members, but I was right there with them at the first Black Pride event at Banneker Field. At the time, I belonged to a social group called the Best of Washington. And we were doing many of the same things that Black Bride was doing. We weren't quite as organized or as large as Black Bride. But we were doing some of the same things. We had our celebrations on the long weekend in September. And we raised funds for our activities.
So that's how Black Pride actually began. In the city. But I participated for a number of years as an active member. I sat on the board meetings, I set up programs, ran programs, spoke, and did a lot of activities with the Black Pride. Being in the Guard allowed me to have both lifestyles, military and also a social gay life.
AA: And I'm curious as to how you view the Black queer community, or the Black LGBTQ community. Was there a point in time when you felt that being a part of this community felt more welcoming?
Buddy: Yeah, I think the 80s and 90s were more and more welcoming. The present situation, of course, is just a turnaround of all things. Just turning the clock back in my estimation, how I look at it. But I think, certainly, I remind my younger friends that they stand on our shoulders. We did a lot, we paved the way for a lot of things. And, I just hope they are aware of what it took.
But it's interesting. I'm so active as a member of the gay community here, and most of the time, I'm the oldest person on the boards, or something like that, and I understand that they have the same fears that we have, that we had even then, even though…It's easier for them to integrate into society. They are proud of who they are.
But there are still some of the same issues that we encountered, especially with the Black church, with job employment here in the city, with the family situations, you know, it’s pretty much the same thing. It's the same struggle, but I think these times are a little easier in terms of… at least they're talking about the word. That's not something that's pushed under the rug.
AA: What makes DC special for you?
Buddy: Well, this is home. And it's, it's pretty open. The vein of gay life is here. And I like the fact that we are active in the pursuit of life, as we know it. I like the activities in terms of what's available for us gays in the city. We are accepted in most restaurants, and everybody is after the Black Dollar. There was a time when you couldn't get in the door if you were Black. I like the progress that we've made in the city, and my family's here. I like how the city moves. I like the politics of it all. Even though I am not an active politician, I still throw my few little coins around. People who represent us, who embrace us. There is an openness in the city to different lifestyles. I like that.
