Photo By Airman 1st Class Christopher Morales | A rainbow cake is shared at the end of the first Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - The 673rd Medical Group hosted the first Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month observance on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, at the Arctic Warrior Event Center June 19.
“Across our nation, tremendous progress has been won by determined individuals who stood up, spoke out and shared their stories,” said President Barack Obama during the 2015 Presidential Proclamation on LGBT Pride Month.
The month of June was chosen to represent LGBT Pride Month because in June 1969 there were violent demonstrations from the gay community against the police raids on the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York, lasting three days.
In 2007 guest speaker Drew Phoenix transitioned from female to male during his ministry at St. John’s United Methodist Church, Maryland.
He has been executive director of Identity Inc. since 2014, an Alaska-wide non-profit LGBT organization.
During his speech, Phoenix highlighted some challenges the service members and families might encounter being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or allied individuals.
“I’m sure some of you have been through that and possibly risked being discharged,” Phoenix said. “Maybe your significant other has been excluded or not accepted as much as you. These are things that you possibly have faced, will face or others are facing.
“Moving forward from these personal battles takes courage of a different type; the courage to affirm your own worth when nobody else does.”
In 2014, the U.S. Senate voted to repeal the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law, allowing homosexual service members to openly serve.
This observance is a ground-breaking event for JBER and took military leadership to step forward, said Senior Master Sgt. Travis Dyer, 673d Tricare Operation Patient Administration Flight superintendent.
“We are aiming for an educational outreach and awareness of the different people part of our military,” Dyer said. “Lesbian, gay and bisexual members are just one … part of our great Air Force.”
| Date Taken: | 06.26.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 07.20.2015 15:13 |
| Story ID: | 170557 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, AK, US |
| Web Views: | 419 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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