Transcription
Lesbian Gay Bisexual TransgenderPRIDE MONTH2016
LGBT Pride MonthDiversity is one of our nation’s greatest strengths. DuringLesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pridemonth, we celebrate our rich diversity and renew ourenduring commitment to equality.2
LGBT Pride MonthThe dedication and contributions of our Lesbian Gay andBisexual (LGB) service members and Lesbian GayBisexual Transgender (LGBT) civilians have hadimmeasurable impact on our National Security and theDepartment of Defense (DoD).3
LGBT Pride MonthOur nation was founded on the principle that theindividual has infinite dignity and worth. The DoD,which exists to keep the nation secure and at peace,must always be guided by this principle.4
LGBT Pride MonthIn all that we do, we must show respect for our servicemembers, civilian employees, and family members,recognizing their individual needs, aspirations, andcapabilities.5
LGBT Pride Month“The Department of Defense hasmade a lasting commitment to livingthe values we defend - to treatingeveryone equally - because we needto be a meritocracy. We have to focusrelentlessly on our mission, whichmeans the thing that matters mostabout a person is what they cancontribute to national defense.”—Defense Secretary Ash Carter6
This presentationacknowledges thepainstaking labor ofAmericans—whosepersonal sacrifices anddetermination wereinstrumental in thestruggle for civil rights.We celebrate the progresswe have made in ensuringequality for all individuals.7
LGBT Pride MonthOn June 2, 2000, President Clinton issued ProclamationNo. 7316 for the first Gay and Lesbian Pride Month.“This June, recognizing the joys and sorrows that the gayand lesbian movement has witnessed and the work thatremains to be done, we observe Gay and Lesbian PrideMonth and celebrate the progress we have made increating a society more inclusive and accepting of gaysand lesbians.”8
LGBT Pride MonthJune was selected as Pride month tocommemorate the events of that month in1969, known as the Stonewall riots—anevent that lasted three days.Patrons and supporters of the StonewallInn in Greenwich Village, New York, resistedpolice harassment of the LGBT community.The Stonewall riots were recognized as thecatalyst for the Gay Liberation movement inthe United States.9
LGBT Pride MonthThe struggle for civil rights in theLGBT community actually beganmuch earlier. Dr. Frank E. Kamenyfought for gay rights more than adecade before the Stonewall riots.He served in World War II, and lateras a civil service astronomer withthe U.S. Army Map Service.10
LGBT Pride MonthAccording to the Library of Congress, Kameny was firedand banned from federal employment in 1957 becausehe was gay. He was not the only one; more than 10,000gay and lesbian employees were forced out of their jobsduring the 1950s and 1960s.11
LGBT Pride MonthHe decided to sue and lost. He appealed and lost again.He brought the first civil rights action regarding sexualorientation to the Supreme Court of the United States,arguing that the government's actions toward gays were“an affront to human dignity.”The Court denied his petition. He persevered andcontinued to fight for civil rights for 18 years, until theU.S. Civil Service Commission reversed its policiesexcluding homosexuals from government employment.12
LGBT Pride MonthFifty years after he was fired, the U.S. Civil ServiceCommission issued Kameny a formal apology for beingfired solely on the basis of his sexual orientation.Before his death in 2011, hesaid, “All I can say is from thelong view, 50 years, we havemoved ahead in a way thatwould have been absolutelyunimaginable back then.”13
LGBT Pride MonthTechnical Sergeant Leonard P. Matlovich was a VietnamWar veteran, voluntarily serving three combat tours, andlater as a military race relations instructor. He earned thePurple Heart and the Bronze Star.He was also the first gay servicemember to purposely out himself,to challenge the ban onhomosexuals in the military.14
LGBT Pride MonthMatlovich wrote a letter to his commanding officer,revealing his homosexuality and asking for an exceptionto be made because of his service record. The officerlooked at it and said: “Just tear it up and we will forgetit.” He refused.His fight to stay in the U.S. Air Force after coming outbecame a cause that the gay community rallied around.15
LGBT Pride MonthHis case was covered in newspaper and magazine articlesthroughout the country, numerous television interviews,and in a television movie.His photograph appeared on thecover of the September 8, 1975,issue of Time magazine, making hima symbol for thousands of gay andlesbian service members and theLGBT community.16
LGBT Pride MonthIn his last public speech, Matlovich said, “ And what isour dream? Ours is more than an American dream. It's auniversal dream. And our mission is to reach out andteach people to love, and not to hate.”On June 22, 1988, less than a month before his 45thbirthday, he died in his hospital room, beneath a largephoto of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.17
LGBT Pride MonthDesigned by artist Gilbert Baker in 1978, the rainbowflag is a symbol of LGBT pride and social movements. Thecolors reflect the diversity of the community.Baker served in the U.S. Army from 1970 to 1972. Afterhis honorable discharge from the military, he taughthimself to sew.18
LGBT Pride MonthThe rainbow flag consists of sixstripes, with the colors red (life),orange (healing), yellow (sunlight),green (nature), blue (serenity),and violet (spirit). The flag iscommonly flown horizontally, withthe red stripe on top, as it wouldbe in a natural rainbow.19
LGBT Pride MonthOn June 1, 2009, President Barack Obama issuedProclamation No. 8387 for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual andTransgender Pride Month.The President pointed to the contributions made byLGBT Americans both in promoting equal rights to allregardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.He ended the proclamation by calling upon the people ofthe United States to “turn back discrimination andprejudice everywhere it exists.”20
LGBT Pride MonthOn December 22, 2010, the “Don't Ask, Don't Tell”(DADT) Repeal Act became law.Certification occurred in July 2011,and full implementation of the Actoccurred in September 2011. LGBmilitary members can now serveopenly, with honor and integrity.21
LGBT Pride MonthOn April 28, 2014, the Pentagonreleased an update to the DoDHuman Goals Charter, which forthe first time included languagerelated to sexual orientation in thesection dealing with the military.22
LGBT Pride MonthEffective March 27, 2015, the Family and Medical LeaveAct, or FMLA, extended coverage to all legally marriedsame-sex couples to take FMLA leave to provide care fortheir spouse.In addition to serious health conditions of the employee,qualifying events include the care of a spouse or childwith a serious health condition, and leave due to aspouse’s covered military service.23
LGBT Pride MonthPreviously, the definition of “spouse” under FMLA wasdefined by the state law where the employee resided.In February 2015, the Department of Labor issued aFinal Rule to revise the definition to encompass legallymarried same-sex couples, regardless of where theylive or work.The definition is no longer focused on an employee’s“state of residence” but instead the “place ofcelebration,” which is the location where the marriagewas entered into.24
LGBT Pride MonthThe new rule will also extend coverage to allow eligibleemployees to take FMLA leave to care for the childrenor parents of the employee’s same-sex spouse. The ruledoes not extend coverage to civil unions, whetherbetween a man and woman or a same-sex couple.For information about the military family leaveprovisions of the FMLA, ryFAQs.pdf25
LGBT Pride MonthIn June 2015, the DoD updated its military equalopportunity program to protect service membersagainst discrimination because of sexual orientation.The Department’s ongoing commitment to living thevalues it defends, includes treating everyone equally.26
LGBT Pride MonthDiversity and inclusion are readiness imperatives; we relyon our diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and expertiseto enable us to address the complex challenges of theglobal security environment.27
LGBT Pride MonthDiversity is more than race, gender, andethnicity—it means diversity of thought, ability,background, language, culture, and skill.28
Sources http://www.loc.gov/lgbt/ n-federal-civilian-employment.pdf px?ID 4038 visoryid 3453http://leonardmatlovich.com https://www.whitehouse.gov/the press office/PresidentialProclamation-LGBT-Pride-Month/ http://kamenypapers.org/ ed-same-sexcouples-now-79475/ .pdf29
Prepared by the Defense EqualOpportunity Management Institute,Patrick Air Force Base, FloridaJune 2016Dawn W. SmithAll photographs are public domain and are fromvarious sources as cited.The findings in this report are not to be construedas an official DEOMI, U.S. military services, or theDepartment of Defense position, unless designatedby other authorized documents.30
Transgender Pride Month. The President pointed to the contributions made by LGBT Americans both in promoting equal rights to all regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. He ended the proclamation by calling upon the people of the United States to turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists. 20 LGBT Pride Month
