▁the ▁accident al ▁discovery ▁of ▁his ▁anonymous ▁web ▁presence ▁by ▁his ▁co - work ers . ▁ ▁There ▁was ▁a ▁wave ▁of ▁video ▁post ings ▁when ▁the ▁military ▁anti - hom osex ual ▁policy ▁ended , ▁with ▁many ▁pointing ▁to ▁Phill ips ▁as ▁their ▁model ▁or ▁insp iration . ▁The ▁timing ▁of ▁his ▁revel ations ▁to ▁his ▁family ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁military ' s ▁restrictions ▁on ▁service ▁by ▁hom osex uals ▁made ▁him , ▁in ▁one ▁journalist ' s ▁estimation , ▁" the ▁poster ▁boy ▁for ▁the ▁D AD T ▁repe al ." ▁Another ▁wrote : ▁" Ph ill ips ▁has ▁master fully ▁used ▁social ▁media ▁and ▁good ▁timing ▁to ▁place ▁himself ▁at ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁a ▁civil ▁rights ▁success ▁story ." ▁ ▁Background ▁Born ▁Steven ▁R andy ▁Phill ips ▁in ▁E c lect ic , ▁Alabama , ▁on ▁May ▁ 8 , ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁Phill ips ▁graduated ▁from ▁El more ▁County ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁His ▁high ▁school ▁sports ▁were ▁baseball ▁and ▁wrest ling . ▁He ▁began ▁a ▁six - year ▁en list ment ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Air ▁Force ▁on ▁March ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁military ▁permitted ▁hom osex uals ▁to ▁serve ▁in ▁its ▁ranks ▁under ▁its ▁" Don ' t ▁ask , ▁don ' t ▁tell " ▁policy ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁which ▁limited ▁service ▁by ▁hom