National
OutServe-SLDN chief delivers personal LGBT military speech
Robinson says she contemplated suicide as she transitioned
OutServe-SLDN chief Allyson Robinson delivered a personal “State of the LGBT Military Service” speech (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
The transgender head of a national LGBT military group on Saturday detailed a personal story about her own transition as part of her organization’s first-ever “State of the LGBT Military Service” address.
In her speech before an estimated nearly 1,000 attendees at her group’s annual dinner in D.C., Allyson Robinson, executive director of OutServe-SLDN, said she felt “completely alone” when she made her decision to transition, but found comfort from her family.
“The day I found myself seriously considering suicide was the day I knew I needed help,” Robinson said. “So I called my sister, and my sister said, ‘I’m here for you.’ And I called my mom, and my mom said, ‘I’m proud of you courage, my daughter.’ I talked to my wife Danyelle, and she said, ‘My love for you is bigger than this. I’ll be right by your side through whatever it brings and beyond.'”
But Robinson said she “wasn’t that brave” to her tell father, a command sergeant major in the Army, that she would transition in person and instead wrote a letter informing him of her decision. Robinson said her father responded by calling and saying, “I love you as much today as the day you were born.”
Robinson, an Army veteran and West Point graduate, made her decision to transition after she left the military in 1999, but wouldn’t have been allowed to stay in the armed forces had she remained in service. The armed forces prohibits open service for trans servicemembers and expels them under a medical discharge if their gender identity becomes known.
Robinson also made news during the speech when she announced that OutServe-SLDN intended to expand the organization’s membership from 6,000 to 14,000 actively serving members by the end of 2014. Starting the process, Robinson announced new categories of membership for OutServe-SLDN that will include veterans and straight supporters.
“In the weeks and months ahead, we’ll expand further to take advantage of the full strength of America’s diverse military family – and to ensure we’re not leaving anyone behind,” Robinson said.
Additionally, Robinson said the LGBT military movement isn’t simply a struggle to achieve policy struggles — such as battles already won on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and advancing partner benefits for gay troops — but “a campaign to change hearts, minds, and ultimately a nation.”
“It’s a campaign to change hearts, minds, and ultimately a nation,” Robinson said. “It’s not enough to check off the items on our policy agenda one by one and say one day, ‘We’re done.’ We’re working to create a military that truly embodies the values of fairness and equality it protects, one that leads the nation in inclusion rather than lagging behind it.”
Cathy Renna, a lesbian New York-based public affairs specialist, was in attendance at the the dinner and told the Washington Blade she thought Robinson’s speech was “inspiring and educational.”
“The people in that room know that ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ being repealed was in many ways the beginning, not an end,” Renna said. “But, in fact, there’s so much more to do, and I think Allyson very, very boldly and smartly outlined what some of things to do are that we need to pull together and continue to make in the military related to LGBT people.”
One outstanding item that Robinson cited in her speech is an end to the Defense of Marriage Act. Even though the Pentagon has started the process for granting certain benefits, major ticket items — health and pension benefits — still aren’t available to gay service members.
Also during the dinner, a tribute was paid to the late lesbian New Hampshire guardsman Charlie Morgan, one of the plaintiff’s in OutServe-SLDN lawsuit against DOMA. She died last month of breast cancer.
Morgan’s partner, Karen Morgan, accepted an award on Charlie Morgan’s behalf. It was also announced that Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie had declared Feb. 15 would be Charlie Morgan Day in that state.
National
Queen Jean is Tony’s first transgender winner
Designer/activist wins for work on ‘Cats: The Jellicle Ball’
It was a historic night at the 79th annual Tony Awards on Sunday as Queen Jean won the award for Best Costume Design of a Musical, making her the first out transgender person to win a Tony.
“This experience has been monumental. We are here for the legacy of queer people, trans people,” she said. “We are taking up space in ways we have to take up space. We have to shift the paradigm. So I just want to say, thank you all so much for this incredible honor. The world right now is deeply, deeply combating so many ailments, and we know as a society that when we come together, we can make real, permanent change.”
She won the award for her work on “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” and was also nominated for best costume design of a play for “Liberation.”
In addition to her stage work, Queen Jean is the founder of Black Trans Liberation, an organization that supports trans and gender-nonconforming people in New York City.
National
Madonna turns Times Square into massive dance floor
Pop icon celebrates Pride month with surprise performance
Pop icon Madonna celebrated Pride month with a pop-up performance in New York City’s Times Square on Thursday to the delight of 50,000 fans.
She performed for about 15 minutes high above street level, including several songs from her new album “Confessions II” due on July 3, along with a trio of songs from the first “Confessions on a Dance Floor.”
In addition to the brand new “Love Sensation,” she performed “I Feel So Free” and “Bring Your Love,” plus “Hung Up,” “Get Together” and “I Love New York.” She wished the crowd a happy Pride season; the event was shared with audiences through Grindr’s first-ever livestream.
National
Gallup finds LGBTQ support among Americans is dropping
Marriage equality support lowest since 2016
Gallup, one of the leading organizations in public opinion polling, has found that LGBTQ support among Americans is dropping.
The poll, whose data was collected using Gallup’s annual Values and Beliefs survey, was conducted in May and was published on Wednesday. The data was collected through telephone interviews from a sample of more than 1,000 adults living in all 50 states and D.C. using random digit dialing.
It highlights declining attitudes surrounding LGBTQ issues in multiple areas — from support for same-sex marriage to views on gender identity and the morality of one’s sexuality.
One of the most striking findings was that support for marriage equality fell six points from its 2022-2023 high.
The survey also found that 62 percent of Americans view gay and lesbian relations as morally acceptable, the lowest level since 2016 just after same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide by the U.S. Supreme Court.
One newer question on the poll found that the perceived morality of changing one’s gender has dropped eight points since 2021, indicating the American public is less supportive of transgender people.
The data attributes much of the decline to shifting Republican views alongside the party itself. Conservative leaders have pushed back against diversity, equity, and inclusion programs that were intended to foster greater acceptance of LGBTQ people and other historically disadvantaged groups.
President Donald Trump has been a guiding force behind waves of anti-LGBTQ sentiment, particularly when it comes to trans rights. The president has enacted multiple executive orders, including Executive Order 14168, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” which mandates that gender be defined by one’s sex assigned at birth. He also signed Executive Order 14183, “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,” which barred qualified trans applicants from joining the military and led to the removal of trans service members already serving in the armed forces.
Additionally, he signed Executive Order 14201, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” which prohibits trans female athletes from participating on women’s and girls’ sports teams.
In February, Gallup found that an estimated 9 percent of Americans identified as part of the LGBTQ community in some form.
The organization also found that 23 percent of adults under age 30 identify as LGBTQ, compared with 10 percent of those ages 30 to 49 and 3 percent or less among those ages 50 and older.
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