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ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md., — Pride Month is observed in the U.S. and other countries worldwide in June. Throughout the month, the Department of Defense celebrates and recognizes the many contributions of Soldiers and civilian employees who are part of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer plus community and affirms its commitment to achieving equal opportunity for all.
Pride Month occurs in June to commemorate the Stonewall Riots, also called the Stonewall Uprising. On June 28, 1969, New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in Greenwich Village. Bar patrons and neighbors protested the raid, which resulted in six days of violent clashes with law enforcement. The riots became a pivotal moment in the modern movement for LGBTQ+ rights.
Hard-won progress
Since the Stonewall Riots, the LGBTQ + community has made tremendous progress toward equality; however, there have been setbacks along the way and the efforts continue.
Throughout history, LGBTQ+ Soldiers and DOD Civilians have bravely served and defended our country while often hiding their sexual orientation.
In 1982, the military enacted a policy explicitly banning gay men and lesbians from serving. In 1993, the Department of Defense Directive 1304.26, known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was written into law. DADT barred openly lesbian, gay or bisexual individuals from military service while also banning military personnel from discriminating against, or harassing, closeted lesbian, gay or bisexual Soldiers.
In addition to the almost 20,000 service members who were discharged under the “Homosexual Conduct” policy pre-DADT, approximately 13,400 service members were also discharged under the same policy during the Don't Ask, Don't Tell period. These veterans are encouraged to apply for corrections to their military records. As of 2023, the DOD has been running an active outreach program to find these service members. For more information, visit https://www.va.gov/discharge-upgrade-instructions/.
In 2011, DADT was repealed so gay, lesbian, and bisexual troops could openly serve; however, transgender individuals were still barred from serving. In 2021, a policy was passed to allow transgender individuals to serve.
History makers
About 10,000 federal employees were fired or forced out during a period called the “Lavendar Scare,” a moral panic about LGBTQ+ people working in the U.S. government during the mid-20th century.
Frank Kameny, who served in World War II, and later as a civilian astronomer, was fired and banned from federal employment in 1957 because he was gay. He became one of the first LGBTQ advocates to confront the government’s employment ban.
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Leonard P. Matlovich, a Vietnam veteran and a recipient of a Bronze Star and Purple Heart, was the first openly gay service member to intentionally disclose his sexual orientation to challenge the ban on homosexuals in the military. Matlovich’s photograph was on the Sept. 8, 1975, cover of Time magazine under the banner headline, “I Am a Homosexual.” This defiance made him a symbol for the LGBTQ+ community, including thousands of LGBTQ+ service members. Matlovich was discharged from the Air Force and went on to become an advocate for gay rights and ran for political office.
On Aug. 10, 2012, Brig. Gen. Tammy Smith became the U.S. military's first openly gay flag officer. In an interview with National Public Radio’s Lynn Neary on Aug. 14, 2012, Smith described her experience hiding her personal life before DADT was officially repealed.
“It was a matter of keeping your life just completely compartmentalized, because anyone anywhere could say something that could lead to your discharge,” Smith explained.
Smith said after DADT was repealed, she felt she could live a more authentic life.
“I'm just so thrilled that I'm able, at this point, to present [my wife] Tracey as my family,” Smith said. "We're indeed a military family."
Another trailblazer, Rachel Levine, was sworn in as an admiral of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps on Oct. 19, 2021, which made her the nation’s first openly transgender four-star officer. Previously, she was the first openly transgender person to be confirmed by the Senate for a federal office.
“Each person has a different perspective and different strengths that they bring to make the whole community stronger,” Levine said in a speech after she was sworn in. “The time is now for our country to continue to move the bar forward for diversity. And I am proud to wear this uniform and answer that call.”
Despite the challenges LGBTQ+ Army Soldiers and Civilians faced, their commitment to service has made our military stronger and the made our nation safer. Today be all you can be in the Army, regardless of regardless background, heritage, or sexual orientation.
Pride Month at APG
APG will celebrate the many contributions the LGBTQ+ community has made to the nation with a couple of different events. On June 13, the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command’s Integrated Logistics Support Center will host a Pride Walk from 9 to 10 a.m. at the C5ISR Campus.
The APG Pride Observance will also be on June 13, from 10 a.m. to noon, at the Mallette Training Facility’s auditorium, hosted by the Kirk U.S. Army Health Clinic.
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