AVER
Consults with Senate Democratic
Steering and Outreach Committee
by
Steve Loomis, LTC, EN, U.S. Army (Ret.)
National President
American Veterans for Equal Rights |
|
American Veterans for Equal Rights
has again provided input on legislative
issues important to LGBT Veterans to members of the United States
Senate. On September 10, 2014, I was invited to represent AVER in a
meeting with the US Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee to
identify the current legislative issues important to the LGBT veterans
community. AVER's national presence once again insured us a voice at
the table for LGBT veterans.
AVER’s most important tasks are Outreach
to our veterans, outreach almost to daily
to Congress, the Department of Defense, the
Veterans Administration, academia, media and other LGBT veteran
groups. We must regularly place our goals and concerns before our local
and national agencies. This is critical to support our veterans. It is
what Danny Ingram as our past President, and Denny Meyer as our public
affairs officer have done for many years and what I have now undertaken
on your behalf.
In this instance, we met in the Mansfield Room of the Capitol with
fifteen Senators, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reed; Senator
Tammy Baldwin, a military veteran; Senator Coons of DE; Senator Udall of
Colorado; and Senator Corey Booker of NJ, among others. While AVER was
the only veterans' group present, many other LGBT groups were
represented including American Military Partner Association and Human
Rights Campaign.
Steve Loomis, National President of
American Veterans for Equal Rights
explains LGBT veterans
critical legislative issues to the Senate
Democratic Steering
and Outreach Committee on Capitol Hill. |
Each group identified issues important to the LGBT community
nationwide. As President of AVER, our country's first LGBT veterans
group, I indicated our issues came from our members through our national
board of directors. The legislative issues important to us as
LGBT veterans, were:
√ - 1.
That military service must be open to transgender service members
by administrative or legislative changes.
√ - 2.
It is essential to protect our hard won right, won
when Don't Ask, Don't Tell was repealed, for all patriotic
American volunteers to be allowed to serve in our nation’s armed forces
regardless of sexual orientation.
√ - 3.
Ensure that the Veterans Administration shall consistently serve all
veterans equally, with relevant and competent treatment of LGBT
veterans.
√ - 4.
Since Equal Employment Opportunity protections do not currently cover
LGBT military, such protections must be extended
as a protected class to LGBT personnel
serving in Department of Defense. This will
provide LGBT service members access to the EEO officer inside the unit
level. Otherwise our service members must rely for protection from
threat or harm on the commander who may be the source of such
oppression. The VA should then follow the lead of the DOD.
Then issues important to us as members of the larger veterans
community were presented. They are:
√ - 1.
Continue effective efforts to improve, oversee and adequately fund the
Veterans Administration medical service for all veterans.
√ - 2.
Ensure Veterans Administration Medical support to our transgender
veterans fully complies with the current Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual 5.
√ - 3.
Reform the rules on Military Sexual Assault as it applies to both men
and women, gay and straight. While we should not take away the
commander's review of convictions, their authority to overturn those
convictions needs to be limited.
Finally, as citizens serving our country our legislative
issues are;
√ - 1.
Reversing the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United, in order
to protect the voice of our citizens,
√ - 2.
Pass the Federal Employment Non-discrimination Act (ENDA) with
the same religious exemption of Title 7 of the Civil Rights Act. This
critical LGBT protection has been delayed in Congress for over a decade.
√ - 3.
Finally, improved administrative relief for undocumented immigrants.
Over 267,000 immigrants identify as LGBT, and many are fleeing severe
and deadly persecution, or seeking unification with their families.
These issues are important and favorable resolution of these issues will
go a long way toward equal protection for LGBT Americans, protections
that we as LGBT veterans served our country for and deserve along with
all those who have gone in harm's way for our country.
After the meeting adjourned, Senators Booker and Coons both personally
approached me and asked for additional information to be provided to
their staff on these issues. We will be sending letters with this
information to each of the senators present and to my own New Mexico
congressional delegation. These are issues important to each of us as
citizens, veterans and LGBT veterans and we should also reach out to all
our members of Congress through our chapters and advocate for our
issues. It is that personal contact from their constituents in their
local states that means the most and will sway them to our issues.
With the approach of AVER's 25th Anniversary, our continued
success depends very much on the support of each one of our members.
Your financial support gives us the resources to provide this type of
vital input at the highest levels, and your membership allows us to
speak on your behalf as the honored voices of LGBT US military veterans,
a voice that is necessary to bring change not only to our veterans but
our active duty service members as well. AVER's success depends very
much on our continued outreach not only to members but to our local
leaders through our chapters and to our national leaders through your
National Board. Working together we can continue to achieve progress in
support of our LGBT veterans, service members, and their families.
****
Steve Loomis is the National President of American Veterans for Equal
Rights, the first LGBT veterans organization. A graduate of the
University of New Mexico, he served as a decorated infantry officer in
Vietnam and later as a combat engineer officer.
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http://aver.us/be-involved/sponsorship