Pride Month 2025 proved to be a very difficult period for the LGBTQ+ military community with the termination of Transgender service in the armed forces and the renaming of the USNS Harvey Milk, a move calculated to insult LGBTQ+ Americans at a time we celebrate who we are. The end of Transgender service is particularly difficult for American Veterans for Equal Rights, the nation’s oldest LGBTQ+ veterans service organization. As we commemorated our 35th anniversary the loss of Trans service was a difficult setback. Our stated mission and continued goal is the establishment of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender military service. No one is left behind. We are deeply saddened at the loss of careers and skills necessary to the defense of our nation. In the midst of these challenging times AVER marches on. On Saturday June 7th AVER had the honor of leading the World Pride Parade in Washington DC, and on June 23 we participated in the Congressional VSO Roundtable at the Capitol. In this our 35th year of service we stand strong in our resolve to create a more representative military force that reflects the diversity of the American people. We want to thank our many faithful members and supporters for keeping the long watch with us for these many years.

AVER Color Guard leading World Pride Parade

Caption: Members of AVER lead the World Pride Parade on June 7th in Washington, DC.