Members of Congress Speak Out Over Nomination of Mark Green As Army Secretary

WASHINGTON - April 27, 2017 -- Today, the American Military Partner Association (AMPA), the nation's largest organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) military spouses and their families, praised a letter signed by thirty one members of the U.S. House of Representatives speaking out against the nomination of Mark Green as Secretary of the Army due to Green's vicious attacks on LGBT people.

"We are writing to urge you to oppose Mark E. Green's nomination for the position of Secretary of the Army," said the Members of Congress in a letter sent this week to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. "The Secretary of the Army is responsible for supporting over one million soldiers, a number that includes many lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender soldiers. However, Mr. Green's past statements and actions have made it clear that he cannot be trusted to ensure that LGBT soldiers are able to serve their country without discrimination or harassment."

"We are incredibly grateful for these Representatives speaking out against the nomination of Mark Green due to his vicious attacks on LGBT people," said AMPA President Ashley Broadway Mack. "Our men and women in uniform deserve a leader who will have the backs of all service members and their families, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Mark Green's horrendous attacks disqualify him to lead our nation's heroes."

The American Military Partner Association (AMPA) first sounded the alarm on Mark Green's nomination earlier this month. As a Tennessee lawmaker, Green has vehemently opposed LGBT equality by pushing legislation singling out LGBT people and their families for discrimination, encouraging the state of Tennessee to defy the Supreme Court over marriage equality, and even going so far as to say being transgender is a disease. The Huffington Post recently reported that Green "believes that part of his mission as a public official is to 'crush evil' â€• and that opposing transgender equality policies is key to that effort."

In the letter, the Representatives go on to say, "Since the end of Don't Ask Don't Tell, we have been pleased to witness the enormous strides that have been made in welcoming LGBT people into the U.S. Armed Forces. In particular, we welcomed the Department of Defense's decision in 2016 to allow transgender Americans to serve in the military. The Army memo accompanying that decision stated that 'the Army is open to all who can meet the standards for military service and readiness and remains committed to treating all soldiers with dignity and respect.' Unfortunately, nothing in Mr. Green's record suggests that he shares that commitment."

The Representatives close the letter by saying, "LGBT soldiers are willing to make tremendous sacrifices to protect our rights and freedoms. It would be deeply disrespectful to their service to appoint a Secretary of the Army whose history of homophobia and transphobia makes it clear that he is not willing to do the same for them."

Read the full letter and see who signed it here.

The American Military Partner Association (AMPA) is the nation's largest non-profit organization of LGBT military spouses, their families, and allies. With more than 50,000 members and supporters, AMPA is committed to education, advocacy, and support for our "modern military families."