ALCOAST 206/21 - JUN 2021 LGBTQ+ PRIDE MONTH

united states coast guard

R 011818Z JUN 21
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
TO ALCOAST
BT
UNCLAS
ALCOAST 206/21
SSIC 5350
SUBJ: LGBTQ+ PRIDE MONTH
1. The Coast Guard proudly celebrates LGBTQ+ Pride Month
in June and pays honor to the legacy of the members of
this community whose accomplishments and contributions
have strengthened our service and our nation. June is
significant for its association with the 1969
Stonewall Uprising, a tipping point in history when
LGBTQ+ members and their allies, weary of abuse,
protested against their targeting and mistreatment.
Thereafter, some jurisdictions celebrated the last Sunday
in June as "Gay Pride Day." Over time, major cities
conducted month-long series of events. Bill Clinton was
the first President to proclaim a National observance of
Gay and Lesbian Pride Month in June 1999.
2. The Coast Guard aligns with the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) in adopting the 2021 theme
of "Not a Straight Line: The Ebbs and Flows of
Progress." This theme was selected to embody
transitions, a re-emergence to the familiar,
and the coming out of something new.
3. The government is replete with examples of
LGBTQ+ personnel who have contributed in extraordinary
ways to mission accomplishment and public service. Among
them are Dr. Rachel Levine, Assistant Secretary for the
Department of Health and Human Services, the first
openly transgender person to receive Senate confirmation,
and the highest-ranking known transgender federal official.
All 50 states have elected openly LGBTQ+ members to
political office. Forty-eight have elected openly LGBTQ+
members to one or both houses of the state legislature.
Courageous groundbreakers, aware they would face
discrimination, made their membership in the community
known proving that leadership, competence, and
public service values are blind to sexual
orientation and gender identity. In 1987,
Representative Barney Frank became the first Member
of Congress to openly serve. Military and
public service values also are exemplified by
Pete Buttigieg, an Afghanistan war veteran who
serves as the 19th U.S. Secretary of Transportation.
4. The Coast Guard remains committed to fostering
an inclusive work environment grounded in our Core
Values of Honor, Respect, and Devotion to Duty. The Law
Library of Congress offers guides at:
(Copy and Paste Below URL into Browser)

https://www.loc.gov/lgbt-pride-month/about/

which are designed to assist organizations in memorializing
LGBTQ+ milestones and highlighting contributors.
The Coast Guard encourages commands to organize programs
during the month of June to commemorate the accomplishments
and contribution of the members of the LGBTQ+ community.
5. POC: COMDT (CG-00H), Ms. Shawntell Williams,
202-372-4519, Shawntell.D.Wiliams@uscg.mil.
6. Dr. Terri A. Dickerson, Civil Rights Director (CG-00H), sends.
7. Internet release is authorized.