Lone Star American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER) is a non-profit, non-partisan, chapter-based Veterans Service Organization of active, reserve, and veteran service members dedicated to full and equal rights and equitable treatment for all present and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces, especially the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer + current and prior military personnel who have been historically disenfranchised by armed forces policy and discriminatory laws governing military service and benefits.
American Veterans for Equal Rights is the oldest and largest chapter-based, all-volunteer Lone Star Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Veterans Service Organization in the United States, and the nation’s only LGBTQ+ VSO recognized by the Veterans Administration. Members of AVER are not lobbyists, staffers, interns, or politicians. We are veterans of the US military who are proud of our service and dedicated to the success of the armed forces and the equal treatment of all the patriotic men and women who answer the call to defend our nation’s freedom. With chapters across America, AVER provides a unique and safe space where LGBT veterans can honor pride both in our service and our identity as LGBTQ+ people. AVER is dedicated to equality for LGBTQ+ service members and veterans in all aspects of our armed forces, including recruitment, training, promotions, honors, and benefits. We support our military’s stated commitment to diversity, and we are dedicated to ensuring that the military honors that commitment fully.
We continue to push for the inclusion of LGBTQ+ service members as a protected class in the Military Equal Opportunity (MEO) Program. Without such protection our LGBQ+ service members do not have crucial access to unit level MEO officers who could provide direct and immediate support in cases of harassment or discrimination. As a minority group of Americans who have recently been the victims of official discrimination by the US military, it is only just and logical that LGBQ+ service members be protected under the MEO program.
And we will continue to work for full equality and open service for transgender Americans. Even though transgender veterans were on the front lines of the fight to end DADT, transgender service members did not benefit from the DADT repeal. AVER’s mission of inclusion will not be complete until transgender patriots are allowed to serve honorably beside other members of the military.
We will leave no one behind.