Iraq War veteran and human rights activist Eric Alva will speak at the College of Charleston on Nov. 12, 2014.
The talk will take place at 7 p.m. in the Stern Student Center Ballroom, 71 George St. The event is free and open to the public.
Alva, who served 13 years in the U.S. Marine Corps before retiring as a staff sergeant, was the first American to be seriously injured in the Iraq war when he lost his right leg to a landmine in March 2003.
He was awarded a Purple Heart and was visited in the hospital by President George W. Bush. Following his retirement from the military, Alva publicly announced that he was gay and became instrumental in efforts to repeal the military’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
Drawing on his experiences from the war, his adjustment to life with a prosthetic leg and his journey to earn a master’s degree in social work, Alva will discuss the importance of overcoming obstacles.
Alva is a gay rights activist and spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign. He has been featured on several national television news programs and has received numerous awards, including the 2011 Elizabeth Birch Equality Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the LGBT community.
The event is sponsored by the Office of Student Life, the Office for New Student Programs, the Center for Disability Services, and the Women’s and Gender Studies program.
