Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender PRIDE MONTH June 2017

This presentation acknowledges the painstaking labor of LGBT Americans whose personal sacrifices and determination were instrumental in the struggle for civil rights. We celebrate the progress we have made in ensuring equality for all individuals and take Pride In All Who Serve.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month The struggles, sacrifices, and successes among the LGBT community continue to shape our history and remind us to uphold tolerance and justice for all. Integrity and respect are fundamental qualities of our military and civilian culture. We continue to take great pride in all that these men and women contribute to the nation and our mission. Their hard work, courage, and sacrifices make them respected members of our diverse military family.

LGBT Pride Month LGBT Americans have helped ensure that we as a force embody the values we’re sworn to uphold. And that our republic—born from the idea that all are created equal, endowed with unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—will remain strong and secure. These words are more than a pinnacle to strive for, they are principles we must promote every day.

LGBT Pride Month In all that we do, we must show respect for our Service Members, civilian employees, and family members, recognizing their individual needs, aspirations, and capabilities.

Stonewall Uprising 1969 In June of 1969, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City staged an uprising to resist the police harassment and persecution to which LGBT Americans were commonly subjected. This uprising marked the beginning of a movement to outlaw discriminatory laws and practices against the LGBT community. Additional Information: https://www.loc.gov/law/help/commemorative-observations/pride.php http://www.loc.gov/lgbt/

Stonewall Uprising 1969 LGBT Pride Month commemorates these events, and works to achieve equal justice and equal opportunity for LGBT Americans.

Dr. Frank E. Kameny The struggle for civil rights in the LGBT community actually began much earlier. Dr. Frank E. Kameny fought for gay rights more than a decade before the Stonewall riots. He served in World War II and later as a civil service astronomer with the U.S. Army Map Service.

Dr. Frank E. Kameny Kameny was fired and banned from federal employment in 1957 because he was gay. He was not the only one; more than 10,000 gay and lesbian employees were forced out of their jobs during the 1950s and 1960s.

Dr. Frank E. Kameny Kameny decided to sue and lost. He appealed and lost again. He brought the first civil rights action regarding sexual orientation 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 and continued to fight for civil rights for 18 years, until the U.S. Civil Service Commission reversed its policies excluding homosexuals from government employment.

Dr. Frank E. Kameny Fifty years after he was fired, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management issued Kameny a formal apology for being fired solely on the basis of his sexual orientation. Before his death in 2011, he said, “All I can say is from the long view, 50 years, we have moved ahead in a way that would have been absolutely unimaginable back then.” Additional Information: http://kamenypapers.org/

Technical Sergeant Leonard P. Matlovich Technical Sergeant Leonard P. Matlovich was a Vietnam War veteran who voluntarily served three combat tours and later served as a military race relations instructor. He earned the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. He was also the first gay Service Member to purposely out himself to challenge the ban on homosexuals in the military.

Technical Sergeant Leonard P. Matlovich Matlovich wrote a letter to his commanding officer revealing his homosexuality, asking that an exception be made because of his service record. The commanding officer looked at it and said: “Just tear it up and we will forget it.” He refused. His fight to stay in the U.S. Air Force after coming out became a cause the gay community rallied around.

Technical Sergeant Leonard P. Matlovich His case was covered in newspaper and magazine articles throughout the country, numerous television interviews, and in a television movie. His photograph appeared on the cover of the September 8, 1975, issue of Time magazine, making him a symbol for thousands of LGBT Service Members and the LGBT community. Additional Information: http://leonardmatlovich.com/

Colonel Margarethe ‘Grethe’ Cammermeyer Another champion for LGBT equal rights was Colonel Margarethe ‘Grethe’ Cammermeyer, PhD, RN, who assumed a courageous stand against unfair and unequal treatment of women in the military. Her strident fight to achieve equality for gays and lesbians in the Armed Forces exerted a lasting legacy in military nursing, in the Armed Forces, and in our nation’s history.

Colonel Margarethe ‘Grethe’ Cammermeyer Born in Oslo, Norway, Cammermeyer became a United States citizen in 1960. In 1961 she joined the Army Nurse Corps as a student. In 1989, responding to a question during a routine security clearance interview, she disclosed that she is a lesbian. The military began discharge proceedings against her.

Colonel Margarethe ‘Grethe’ Cammermeyer On June 11, 1992, Cammermeyer was honorably discharged. She filed a lawsuit against the decision in civil court. Her story drew wide attention since she was nationally recognized as a specialist in neuroscience nursing, the Veterans Administration Nurse of the Year in 1985, had earned the Bronze Star for Service in Vietnam, and was Chief Nurse of the Washington National Guard. Additional Information: https://www.wsna.org/hall-of-fame/2014/margarethe-Cammermeyer/

Colonel Margarethe ‘Grethe’ Cammermeyer In June 1994, Judge Thomas Zilly of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington ruled that her discharge—and the ban on gays and lesbians serving in the military—was unconstitutional. She continued serving as one of the few openly gay members in the U.S. military until her retirement in 1997. During her 31-year military career she also challenged policies that discriminated against married women and women who became pregnant on active duty.

Colonel Margarethe ‘Grethe’ Cammermeyer In June 2010, she was selected to the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services, a committee which is appointed by the United States Secretary of Defense and which reports to the DoD. Additional Information: http://www.lgbthistorymonth.com/margarethe-cammermeyer?tab=biography

Repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell On December 22, 2010, the President signed legislation to repeal the “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” policy. The policy officially ended on September 20, 2011. Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual (LGB) military members could now serve openly, proudly, and honorably. Additional Information: http://archive.defense.gov/home/features/2010/0610_dadt/USD-PR-DADT_Repeal_Day_Memo_20Sep.pdf

Human Goals Charter On April 28, 2014, the Pentagon released an update to the DoD Human Goals Charter that, for the first time, included language related to sexual orientation for military members. Additional Information: http://archive.defense.gov/documents/DoD-HumanGoals_4-28-14.pdf

Legally Married Same-Sex Couples Previously, the definition of “spouse” under Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was defined by the state law where the employee resided. In February 2015, the Department of Labor issued a Final Rule to revise the definition to encompass legally married same-sex couples, regardless of where they live or work.

Legally Married Same-Sex Couples The definition is no longer focused on an employee’s “state of residence” but instead the “place of celebration” where the couple married. Effective March 27, 2015, the FMLA extended coverage to all legally married same-sex couples to take leave to provide care for their spouses. Additional Information: https://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/2013rule/FMLA_Military_Guide_ENGLISH.pdf

Updated MEO Policy In June 2015, the DoD updated its Military Equal Opportunity policy to protect Service Members against discrimination because of sexual orientation. Additional Information: https://www.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/604797/

Transgender Policy In June 2016, the DoD announced all transgender Service members can openly serve, and cannot be discharged or otherwise separated from the military solely on the basis of their gender identity. This policy was crafted through a process that leveraged input from the leadership of the Services, medical and personnel experts across the Department, transgender Service Members, outside medical experts, advocacy groups, and the RAND Corporation. Additional Information: http://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/07/19/pentagon-manual-details-rules-for-transgender-military-personnel.html

Private Donald Hallman After joining the Army, Pvt. Donald Hallman became a clerk for Army intelligence in Frankfurt, West Germany. He had been rated excellent in reviews and recommended for a good-conduct medal. Then one day on the street he was propositioned by a young man and caught in a military sting. In 1955 the Army discharged him for being what it called a “Class II homosexual.”

Private Donald Hallman The 21-year-old was so scared of being an outcast that he burned all his military records, except for an ID tag he hid away. Hallman, says he never mentioned his military service again. He married a woman he had met at work, and had children. “I hid it because it would have ruined my life,” he said in an interview at his home.

Private Donald Hallman After the military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” rule was repealed Hallman retrieved the ID tag and began working through an application to the DoD, asking that his decades-old discharge be upgraded to “honorable.” He told the New York Times, “I’m kind of proud of the life I’ve lived. I worked hard, was a success, owned two businesses and have a beautiful family, 12 grandchildren,” he said. “But I feel like there is a stain on it, and I’d like to get it off there.”

Private Donald Hallman In 2016, Hallman received an honorable discharge a half century after he was separated involuntarily from the Army for being gay. Additional Information: http://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/01/29/gay-veteran-kicked-army-receives-honorable-discharge.html

Diversity and Inclusion Diversity and inclusion are readiness imperatives; we rely on our diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and expertise to address the complex challenges of global security.

Diversity and Inclusion Diversity is more than race, gender, and ethnicity—it means diversity of thought, ability, background, language, culture, and skill.

LGBT Pride Month As we celebrate LGBT Pride Month together, let us take pride in all who step forward to serve our country. All who answer the call to serve are committing themselves to the most noble endeavor—to provide security for others so they can live their dreams, raise their children, and enjoy full lives.

All photographs are public domain and are from various sources as cited. The findings in this report are not to be construed as an official DEOMI, U.S. military services, or the Department of Defense position, unless designated by other authorized documents. Prepared by the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute, Patrick Air Force Base, Florida June 2017 For additional DEOMI products and Facts of the Day please visit our website at: www.deomi.org