Senators Call on SecDef to Update Non-Discrimination Protections to Include Gay Troops

WASHINGTON - May 21, 2015 - Today, BuzzFeed News broke the news that numerous Senators have signed a bi-partisan letter strongly urging Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter to update the military "equal opportunity policies across the Department of Defense (DoD) and Military Services to prevent discrimination, harassment or intimidation of service members based on sexual orientation." The American Military Partner Association (AMPA), the nation's largest organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) military families, praised the letter and urged Secretary Carter to take immediate action.

"All service members, regardless of their sexual orientation, deserve to be able to serve our nation in an environment free from discrimination and harassment," said AMPA President Ashley Broadway-Mack. "For the sake of fairness, equality, and ensuring our troops are able to focus on the mission first, we again urge Secretary Carter to take action in updating the military's non-discrimination protections and equal opportunity program for our service members. Extending these vitally important non-discrimination protections to gay and lesbian troops will take us one step closer to the goal of full LGBT military equality."

"AMPA also continues to call on Secretary Carter to implement a full and comprehensive review of the outdated regulations that prevent transgender service members from serving openly and honestly," added Broadway.

AMPA has long advocated for these important changes to be made. Most people assume that with the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT) in September 2011, the LGBT community achieved full equality in the military. This is not the case. The repeal only applied to LGB service members, and it meant that they could serve openly without fear of being discharged. It did not, however, mean that they were protected from harassment and discrimination, nor were they provided access to the military equal opportunity program in order to address harassment or discrimination. The repeal failed to include binding non-discrimination protections for gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members in the military equal opportunity programs.

In a memo from the Under Secretary of Defense to all military branches dated January 2011, it was made clear that with DADT repeal, "Sexual orientation [would] not be considered along with race, color, religion, sex, and national origin as a class under the Military Equal Opportunity (MEO) program." Though it's been more than four years since that memo, nothing has changed. Gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members are still not protected in the military's non-discrimination policy and equal opportunity program, and transgender service members are banned from serving openly.

On March 30, 2015, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter stated, "[W]e're going to keep making sure that anyone who's able and willing to serve their country has the full and equal opportunity to do so. Whether you're a man or woman, gay, lesbian or straight, no matter what walk of life your family comes from." Adding sexual orientation to the military equal opportunity program would go a long way in fulfilling that promise.

For more information about the American Military Partner Association and LGBT military families, please visit our home on the web at www.MilitaryPartners.org.

The American Military Partner Association, a non-profit and non-partisan organization, is the nation's largest organization for the partners, spouses, families, and allies of America's LGBT service members and veterans. Based in Washington DC, AMPA is committed to education, advocacy, and support for our modern military families."