The command staff of an aircraft carrier in San Diego is alleged to be severely restricting efforts by its sailors to celebrate LGBT Pride in June.
According to a report by Team 10, the news team of the San Diego ABC television station, a Navy officer has filed a formal complaint about the restrictions. In a public statement, the Navy said it had not yet reviewed such a complaint.
Sean Sala, a prominent LGBT rights activist in San Diego and a former sailor, said sailors on the USS Carl Vinson, an aircraft carrier based in San Diego, have told him that the words “gay” and “lesbian” cannot be used in a broadcast over a loudspeaker during their proposed LBGT Pride event, which has yet to be officially approved, and that posters promoting it cannot reference transgendered people.
The Pentagon has encouraged military bases to recognized LGBT Pride month, a major change implemented under the Obama administration along with the elimination of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that left LGBT people vulnerable to being discharged if their sexual orientation was made public.
However the military does consider transgendered people as suffering from a psychological disorder that leaves them vulnerable to discharge. U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said that policy will be reviewed.
Being transgender, according to the military, is a psychological disorder and grounds for discharge, though Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel recently told ABC News that policy may be reviewed.
According to Team 10, sailors plan to unfurl a rainbow flag on the ship if they are denied permission to stage an LGBT Pride event.
San Diego’s LGBT community will host its annual Pride parade and festival July 18 through 20.
Ya know, in a way it was easier to ‘be’ gay before all of the attention that liberalization of military rules about homosexuality. I dated an officer occasionally who served on the Nimitz, and acted as if no one gave a heck about his sexuality. He was visiting in DC where I lived at the time, and he insisted that I go with him to his place – an apartment in Officer’s housing at Ft. Meyer in Arlington, VA. We cruised in there at about 1am, my car following his – and the gate guard was laughing his head off… Read more »
My advice ,don’t F**k with the brass, they will have the last word. Just try to prove that extra duty was in reprisal and not just how falls.