Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffrey Troutman | 150610-N-ON468-022 PEARL HARBOR (June 10, 2015) Members of the Joint Base Pearl...... read more read more
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PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - A military-wide seminar celebrating Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month was held at Hickam Memorial Theater on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH), June 10.
Approximately 100 service members and their family members attended the seminar, which featured remarks from guest speaker Rear Adm. Rick Williams, commander of Navy Region Hawaii, and several members of the JBPHH LGBT planning committee.
The seminar was also the first of its kind, recognizing LGBT Pride Month on JBPHH.
“It makes me happy to see such a sizeable group of individuals attending our seminar today, because it’s a reflection of the respect our community has for diversity, inclusion and equal opportunity,” said Williams. “It’s important that we remember to celebrate this kind of individuality every day, and not just on one day of the year or for one month of the year. It’s a major part of our community mentality, where people from all backgrounds are treated with dignity and respect.”
Williams’ remarks touched on the impact that LGBT Pride Month continues to have on teamwork and equality across all military branches, and commended those individuals who help make LGBT awareness not just a success, but a touchstone of our nation’s military.
“LGBT awareness and equality in our military proves that we’re leading by example,” said Williams. “It shows that members of the LGBT community are being judged by the quality of their work, and not by their sexual orientation or their ideals. It’s both our military and civic responsibility to support that.”
At the conclusion of Williams’ speech, five members of the JBPHH LGBT planning committee took turns reading President Barack Obama’s proclamation for LGBT Pride Month, which points out the contributions made by LGBT Americans in promoting equal rights to all regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
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“It was a real honor for me to speak to the LGBT community here today, because events like this celebrate who people are and celebrates their individuality,” said Air Force Staff Sgt. Nicole Harley, a member of the JBPHH LGBT planning committee. “We’ve come such a long way since the repeal, when before military members had to hide who they really were just for the opportunity to serve. Having the opportunity now to serve and be who we are without fear of prejudice is a real blessing for me.”
The month of June is officially recognized by the U.S. military as a time to honor and respect the historic passing of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Repeal Act on Dec. 22, 2010, which allowed members of the LGBT community to serve in the U.S. military without fear of prejudice or discrimination.
| Date Taken: | 06.10.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 06.10.2015 21:57 |
| Story ID: | 166203 |
| Location: | PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 1,063 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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