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GLBT VETS CONVENTION
Oct. 14-18, 2009 - Ft. Lauderale
Featuring Nathaniel Frank,
Lt. Dan Choi, Military Ball.
PTSD and legislative workshops |
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The Florida Gold Coast Chapter
of American Veterans of Equal Rights (AVER) is
hosting a national convention for GLBT Veterans from
October 14th through October 18th
in Fort Lauderdale/Wilton Manors. AVER is the
nation’s only GLBT Veterans Service Organization and
serves our nation’s most vulnerable and neglected
veteran population.
This biennial convention will have a welcoming
dinner at Rosie’s, an Everglades Swamp Safari trip,
a Military Dance Party with costume contest, veteran
workshops and a Military Gala event on Saturday
night. The workshops on Friday will cover issues
relating to Legislative Matters, Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder, Chapter Development, Fundraising
Strategies and Public Relations. The Military Dance
Party will be held at the Sea Monster on Thursday
evening and is open to the community. The Military
Gala will be held at the Oakland Park American
Legion Hall and tickets are $65.00. The American
Legion and the Broward County Veterans Council are
participating as well.
Among this year’s honorees are Dr. Nathaniel Frank,
author of “Unfriendly Fire: How the Gay Ban
Undermines the Military and Weakens America” and Lt.
Daniel Choi, the latest casualty of the “Don’t Ask,
Don’t Tell” policy.
We invite anyone who served a in the military, even
a day, to attend this convention and/or the
workshops and get involved in AVER. Registration is
$75.00 for the entire convention, which includes the
Military Gala and workshops.
Our host “Guest Houses” are the Coconut Cove and La
Casa Del Mar – only ½ block from fabulous Ft.
Lauderdale Beach. (Room rates - $99/night)
Get tickets and register at
www.aver-fgc.us
or call Mark LaFontaine at
954-903-8310.
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Battle of the Ban
by
Danny Ingram,
President, AVER Georgia |
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As American
Veterans for Equal Rights approach our bi-annual
convention October 14-18 in Ft. Lauderale, AVER
members may be aware that there are a growing number
of LGBT veterans organizations springing around the
country to help fight the upcoming Battle of the
Ban. And I think we should welcome them and be
willing to work with them. You may ask yourselves
why you should continue to support AVER when there
are other alternatives out there. Some of these
groups appear to have more energy, more funding,
more technical savvy, and less baggage. Their
members are younger and carry the attention of their
service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Why AVER? We've
been around for a while. What does AVER have to
offer? What makes us worty of your continued
support? There is one important quality that AVER
has that some of the the newer groups do not have.
It is a special quality, a quality that is precious
and invaluable in our struggle for equality. It is
the quality of "gravitas".
I am the first to admit that in a community that is
so obsessed with youth, a 20-something marine
looking fine will garner a lot of attention from the
LGBT community. And we should use that. The new
president of the AVER Tennessee chapter, Tim Smith,
fits that mold perfectly. I welcome Tim and look
forward to working with him and our new members in
the midsouth. But when it comes to the larger
community and creating real change, when my friend
86-year old WW2 vet Jack Strouss stands up in front
of a group, they listen. When Georgia's ranking
member, Colonel Arlene Ackerman, speaks out, she
receives the respect to which she is entitled. And
to give our community its due, when these 2 ride in
the annual Atlanta Pride Parade, the response they
are given will bring tears to your eyes, not unlike
the tears that Jack describes as fellow grunts on
the deck of the great liner Aquitania shed when they
first caught glimpse of the Statue of Liberty when
returning home from service in Europe.
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AVER'S Newest
Chapter
Introducing: AVER West Tennessee
by
Tim Smith
In 1647, Oliver Cromwell’s soldiers
addressed the English Parliament. A line
from their address stands out to me as a
former Marine and gay man: “On becoming
soldiers, we have not ceased to be
citizens.”
Indeed, the backbone of this country
has been and will always be its “Citizen
Soldier.” As such, it is important to
remember that while we may give up a
comfortable bed, regular nights at home,
our choice of hairstyle or attire, we
should never be forced to give up our
unique identities as gay Americans. At
the dawn of this new and historic
presidential administration, a slow but
sure sea-change is coming. But it will
not happen without dedicated veterans
such as you and me continuing to fight
on in this new battle.For the majority
who do not know me, my name is Tim
Smith. I am acting President of the
newest chapter of the American Veterans
for Equal rights – AVER West Tennessee.
I served four years and three months in
the United States Marine Corps from May
2001-August 2005. At the time of my
discharge, I was a Corporal and the S4
Chief for VMFA(AW)-332 at MCAS Beaufort,
SC. We were 23 days from leaving for
Iraq, and I had just “extended to
re-enlist,” when the notice of discharge
came.
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