Edward Modesto
Birth Date: October, 1947
Death Date: 2014
Titles: Colonel in the US Army, Drag Queen at The Hide & Seek
[1]
Edward Modesto was a colonel who served in the US Army for 17 years, as well as a dental surgeon.
He married Dorothy Ann Koch in June, 1968. He came out to her and his children in 1987. During his trial, Modesto stated: "It was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my entire life."
Modesto was charged with nine counts of conduct unbecoming an officer for engaging in homosexual acts, and two counts of indecent exposure for performing in drag at The Hide & Seek. Modesto would perform under the name "Carmen." His lover, Ron, would also perform in drag. [2]
Specifically cited was his performance in September, 1988 at a benefit fundraiser for AIDS. [3] Noted in the August 1990 issue of GAYSPEAK was that Modesto performed at benefits supporting Lambda House. [4]
Captain Robin Kerr turned Modesto in, alongside other gay service members, in return for immunity from prosecution when he was arrested for soliciting gay partners in a park restroom on Fort Carson's base. (Not that that protected him from people knowing he was gay when this fact was mentioned by the press.)
Army investigators raided Modesto's home, which he shared with his partner. There, they found women's clothing and accessories. This clothing was used as evidence to accuse him of Indecent Exposure or Behavior. [5]
He was court-martialed in 1990 when his identity as a gay man was discovered. The case drew national attention. Modesto was sentenced to nine months in prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He was also discharged from service. [6]
Modesto would go on to live in Illinois, and passed away there in 2014 at the age of 66. He was a loving father and grandfather.
Key Dates
- September, 1988: Modesto performs at an AIDS benefit fundraiser in drag. This would later be used against him when he is court martialed. #key-date
- October 22, 1990: The trial of Edward Modesto begins. Modesto faces nine counts of doncut unbecoming of an officer for engaging in homosexual acts, and two counts of indecent exposure for performing in drag at the Hide & Seek. #key-date
References
Ancestry.com. U.S., Index to Public Records, 1994-2019 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2020. ↩︎
“Colorado.” ETC (Etcetera) 6, no. 23 (1990): 15. Archives of Sexuality and Gender. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/WUCUXW299303171/AHSI?sid=bookmark-AHSI&pg=17&xid=dca5149d. ↩︎
The Rocky Mountain News. “Army’s Case ‘Homophobia.’” September 28, 1990. Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection. https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=RMD19900928-01.2.41. ↩︎
“Gayspeak August 1990.” Newsletter. Pikes Peak Gay Community Center, August 1990. Colorado Springs Pride Center Collection Box 5, Folder 11. PPLD Special Collections. ↩︎
Millman, Joel. “Defense to Put Army’s Rule against Homosexuals on Trial.” Colorado Springs Gazette, October 21, 1990. Newspaper Archive. https://access-newspaperarchive-com.ppld.idm.oclc.org/us/colorado/colorado-springs/colorado-springs-gazette-telegraph/1990/10-21/page-17. ↩︎
Foster, Dick. “Colonel Convicted of Indecent Acts.” The Rocky Mountain News, October 26, 1990. Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection. https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=RMD19901026-01.2.56. ↩︎