Latest News
Pentagon Holds Historic LGBT Pride Event
For immediate release: Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Contact: Zeke Stokes at (202) 621-5406 or zeke@sldn.org
(Washington, DC) Army Veteran and Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis applauded the Pentagon for holding its first-ever LGBT Pride event today and released the following statement:
"This historic occasion is about recognizing that gay and lesbian service members are in the ranks, have always been there, and are valuable contributors to the safety and security of our nation. During this Pride month, we rejoice that these brave patriots are no longer being fired because of who they are. Our military and our country, together, made a remarkable journey in acknowledging that performance and results are what count. In the military, it's always about putting the mission first," said Sarvis.
"We expect the Pentagon will report that effective implementation of the new policy is going exceedingly well, and we know that the lion's share of the credit goes to the professionalism of our service members and their commanders. They know what the new ground rules are, and they have stepped out smartly. While there is more to be done before LGBT service members can serve with full equality, today we are a better and stronger military because of this change," he said.
ABOUT SLDN: Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) is a non-partisan, non-profit, legal services and policy organization dedicated to bringing about full LGBT equality to America's military and ending all forms of discrimination and harassment of military personnel on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. SLDN provides free and direct legal assistance to service members and veterans affected by the repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law and the prior regulatory ban on open service, as well as those currently serving who may experience harassment or discrimination. Since 1993, our in-house legal team has responded to more than 11,500 requests for assistance. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender service members with questions are urged to contact the SLDN hotline to speak with a staff attorney: Call 1-800-538-7418 or 202-328-3244 x100.
