We’re halfway through August already, and what a busy month it’s been. So I thought I'd discuss some of the important LGBT news from the past couple of weeks. I see these smaller victories as hope for the future of our LGBT community and all Americans.
We’ll lead off with military news, since I’m a veteran of the US Army. Last week the Army announced the first openly lesbian woman was appointed to the rank of brigadier general. Hoo-ya! Who would have ever thought that would possible so soon after the fall of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"?
Then, I read an interview with a lesbian Marine stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina in the September issue of Curve Magazine. Sergeant Patterson is quick to point out that "…the military is still not exactly a gay-friendly environment," and, "anti-gay slurs are pretty constant…" Also, we’ll note that the end of DADT has nothing to do with the Equal Opportunity Policy in the military, which still doesn’t include discrimination based upon sexual orientation. Sadly, even the general still isn’t fully protected. But the fact that she’s a lesbian didn’t prevent her promotion, and that, my friends, is progress.
This article appears in Aug 16-22, 2012.