Attached is a letter sent today from the DOJ Pride Board of Directors to Attorney General Lynch. In it, we request specific actions to make DOJ more inclusive for LGBT employees. I’d like to thank each of you who took our membership survey (which is still accepting responses) as it informed the letter’s contents. Thanks also go out to each member of the board as the drafting process was truly a collaboration.

I’d also like to take a moment to express great sadness at the passing of civil rights legend and LGBT ally Julian Bond. The Southern Poverty Law Center put it well: “He advocated not just for African Americans, but for every group, indeed every person subject to oppression and discrimination, because he recognized the common humanity in us all.”

2015.08.17 Pride letter to AG Lynch

Happy Friday!  It’s been a busy couple of weeks.  Some exciting updates:

1. The EEOC ruled yesterday that Title VII’s prohibition on sex discrimination protects against discrimination based on sexual orientation.  The decision comes on the heels of recent guidance by OPM et al. to the same effect, and is binding on the federal government as an employer.  We will work with JMD to ensure that the Department’s EEO policy reflects this change in the law.  Buzzfeed coverage here.
2. Attorney General Lynch announced last week that federal marriage benefits will be available to same-sex couples nationwide in light of the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell recognizing full marriage equality.  Previously, certain social security and veterans benefits had been limited by laws that invoke a place-of-residence eligibility determination.  Press release here.
3. Pride Month concluded in June with a bang.  The Eastern District of Michigan hosted a brownbag featuring parents of transgender teens and a program featuring the lawyers who argued Obergefell in the Supreme Court; the Michigan marriage case, DeBoer, arose in that district; thanks to US Attorney Barbara McQuade for the tip.  The Central District of California hosted a lunch and panel presentation on the transgender experience that featured speakers from the Williams Institute, Transgender Law Center, and the LA LGBT Center; thanks to AUSAs Susan DeWitt and Abby Evans for the tip.

Thanks to all who attended last week’s Pride program, both in person and via JTN.  It was a phenomenal event with great speakers, wonderful award winners, and a packed house to boot.  As Pride month continues, here are some upcoming events:

Wednesday 6/10, 2-3pm EST:  Conversation with Aditi Hardikar, White House Liaison to the LGBT and AAPI Communities; in DC at the Bicentennial Building Room 5133/5135 and remotely through USA Meeting; hosted by the USAO for the District of Connecticut and EEO; great for those who missed Ms. Hardikar when she visited Main Justice in April.

Wednesday 6/17, 11am-12pm EST:  FBI Pride celebration with keynote by Ted Olsen; at FBI headquarters in the Bonaparte Auditorium.

Thursday 6/18, 12-1pm EST:  Brown bag with Amy Andre of HHS’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).  Ms. Andre, an expert on health outcomes in the bisexual community, will discuss particular challenges faced and the most effective approaches to addressing them.  In DC at Main Justice, room TBD.  Dial-in information available upon request.

About the speaker: Amy Andre is the co-author of Bisexual Health: An Introduction (published by the National LGBTQ Task Force). She works at HHS as a Public Health Advisor. Prior to entering federal service, she presented her research on bisexual health to the White House, and she served on a federal task force in partnership with the office of the Surgeon General. Amy has been featured as an LGBT expert in multiple media outlets ranging from CNN to PBS to Cosmopolitan and is a blogger for the Huffington Post.  In her work as an author and public speaker, she has educated thousands of people at over 100 universities, conferences, and companies, including Harvard, the Gay & Lesbian Medical Association, Microsoft, and Stanford University.  Amy holds a master’s degree in Sexuality Studies, and, as a Point Foundation Scholar, earned an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley.

Tuesday 6/23, the Department of Labor will induct Frank Kameny, a groundbreaking leader in the LGBT civil rights movement, into its Hall of Honor.  DOJ press release here.  Join the conversation on twitter with #ThankFrank.  More info via youtube here.