AVER is pleased to announce we are the grateful recipient of a generous grant from DraftKings. DraftKings is a daily fantasy sports betting company headquartered in Boston. They are strong supporters of our veterans and have created a program called Tech for Heroes that has raised over $500,000. The Tech for Heroes Program is a program where veterans and their spouses can get the training and guidance they need to find meaningful employment, begin a new career path in tech and thrive as civilians.

https://www.draftkings.com/tech-for-heroes

DraftKings also believes in Inclusion, Equity, and Belonging. You can find out more here – https://www.draftkings.com/about/who-we-are/

We have also posted a link to the DraftKings webpage honoring AVER at the Partnerships sidebar. I encourage all our members to check it out.

Stay safe, and look out for each other.

Julz Carey
President, AVER

American Veterans for Equal Rights, the nation’s oldest Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Veterans Service Organization, calls for an immediate termination of the ban on Transgender military service in light of the historic decision today by the Supreme Court that LGBT people are protected by Federal civil rights laws from workplace discrimination. Today’s unprecedented 6 to 3 Supreme Court decision means that Americans can no longer be fired from their job because of sexual orientation or gender identity.  The United States military, the institution entrusted with safeguarding the constitution, should not embrace policies that break American law. The guardians of liberty must be first and foremost representatives of the freedom they protect. The Transgender policy should be immediately revoked.

Perry J. Watkins was a young African-American living in Germany where he studied dance when he was drafted in 1968. Watkins, who was already living openly as a gay man, reported at his military induction that he was “homosexual,” but the Army took him anyway, despite the policy at the time that would not allow LGBT people to serve in the US military. Within the first 6 months of his service he was sexually assaulted and requested discharge 3 times. The Army refused to discharge him, stating that an admission of homosexual orientation was not sufficient to warrant discharge. He reenlisted in 1970, again stating that he was gay. In off duty hours he performed as a female impersonator, first in civilian settings, and then as a successful Army entertainer at enlisted clubs throughout Europe. He continued to reenlist, using his military benefits to obtain a college degree in business administration, and travelling the world, serving in both Europe and Korea. Each time he stated that the was gay. The Army would investigate, including mandatory psychiatric screenings, and each time recommend that his sexual orientation was “not detrimental to his job performance” and was no reason to discharge him. In 1980, after he had reenlisted a total of 3 times, the US Army revoked his security clearance. The ACLU sued the Army on his behalf to reinstate his clearance. The Army responded with discharge proceedings, claiming that under new regulations mandating discharge regardless of merit, an “admission of homosexuality” was sufficient to discharge. In 1983 he was allowed to reenlist a 4^th time, but was discharged in 1984. His court case continued. In June 1988, the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals found that the Army’s “regulations violate the constitutional guarantee of equal protection of the laws.” It was the first time a U.S. appellate court ruled against the military’s ban on service by gays and lesbians and bisexuals. The Bush administration sought Supreme Court review of that decision without success. Watkins initially planned to reenlist but settled instead for a retroactive promotion to sergeant first class, $135,000 in retroactive pay, full retirement benefits, and an honorable discharge.  Watkins served as Grand Marshal of New York City’s Gay Pride Parade in June 1993. He died due to complications from AIDS IN 1996. He was 48.

President Bill Clinton signed the policy known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” into law in 1993, which prevented LGBT people from serving openly in the US military. President Barack Obama signed the repeal of the DADT Law in 2010, allowing Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual people to serve openly. The Obama administration also instituted a policy to allow Transgender people the right to serve. That policy has been reversed by the Trump administration.

Throughout his struggles with the military Perry Watkins believed he was a victim of white racism within the LGBT community. He believed that because he was African-American, a drag artist, and spoke frankly of his sexual relations, he was seen as a “public relations problem” by major LGBT organizations fighting the military’s ban on LGBT service. He felt he was overlooked and not invited to participate in campaigns. He felt he was betrayed.

American Veterans for Equal Rights joins many of our nation’s top military commanders in acknowledging that both in the military and US society in general we have a racial inequality problem that must be addressed. Black Lives Matter. Certainly in the case of US Army Sergeant First Class Perry J. Watkins, his life mattered to many of us who followed.

We proudly present the following interview with LGBT civil rights champion Perry Watkins which was recorded before his court victory in 1988.

Here is the link to the Perry Watkins interview: https://unerased.org/blog/salute-to-perry-watkins

American Veterans for Equal Rights, the nation’s oldest LGBT Veterans Service Organization, acknowledges the important role that social protest has played in our own community’s fight for equality and justice in the United States. We struggle over the events surrounding the death of George Floyd.

Our Struggle, our struggle with anger. Anger that reaches into the depths of our souls, no matter our color or culture. Our struggle with frustration at the system, the injustice, the prejudice, and the inability to exactly say how we feel.

We are not okay, our country is in pain. The pendulum has very nearly reached its apex, the point of change is upon us and we must face it going forward, not looking back and taking full advantage of momentum to propel us forward.

We are upset and angry that police can brutally kill a man while he is in custody. We are upset that we still see color as a reason to fear each other. We are upset that some of our leaders refuse to acknowledge that racism exists. We are upset that some would take advantage of lawful protesting to loot and incite violence. We are upset that lawmakers wring their hands and speak platitudes but do nothing. We are upset that we are forced to stand against each other in the process of standing up to racism. We are upset that the color of our skin is still a reason to still the heart within.

White privilege has tarnished the words “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” for far too long. It’s past time to stop the hate, today I will not fear my neighbor.

Julz Carey

President

James Apedaile

Vice President

Denny Meyer

Public Affairs Officer

Danny Ingram

President Emeritus II

AVER Bataan member Dorothee Baker making masks for our members in need as well as other front line individuals in need.

With the orders to STAY HOME, SOCIAL DISTANCE and WEARING MASKS now in affect for most of us (should be all), we are

trying to do our best.  This includes holding meetings via ZOOM, calling members, emails and texts to ensure our members are doing well.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
AMERICAN VETERANS FOR EQUAL RIGHTS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 17, 2020

RE: Termination of Ban on Transgender Service
Contact: AVER Public Affairs, Denny Meyer 718.849.5665 publicaffairs@aver.us

San Antonio, TX “Military City USA” (MAR 17, 2020) – At this urgent time of designated national emergency when US military forces are already deployed stateside in the effort to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus pandemic, American Veterans for Equal Rights calls for an immediate and purposeful termination of policies removing highly trained and skilled Transgender service members from the ranks of our armed forces. Prejudice, no matter how justified, should not be allowed to jeopardize national security. This is an “all hands on deck” critical moment in American history. We do not have a single skilled professional to waste. As we mobilize every effort to protect our American citizens from the danger of this pandemic, we should support every man and woman who has volunteered to defend our safety. End the ban on Transgender service. We cannot afford the loss of essential skills at this crucial point in our nation’s need.

American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER) is the nation’s oldest Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Veterans Service Organization, commemorating 30 years of service to the LGBT community in 2020.