23 January 2019

TRANSGENDER AMERICAN VETERANS ASSOCIATION
AMERICAN VETERANS FOR EQUAL RIGHTS

For Immediate Release
Contact:
Evan Young, President, TAVA evan@transveteran.org
Julz Carey, President, AVER, firstjulz@gmail.com
Denny Meyer, AVER/TAVA Public Affairs 718 849-5665

Re: Joint Press release re: SCOTUS lifts injunctions banning Transgender military service

A full 25 years after our allied countries lifted their bans on gay and transgender service, the US Administration is still determined to enforce discrimination.  While three courts have filed injunctions against the administration banning Transgender Service, and one court lifting its injunction; the Supreme Court has now lifted the injunctions allowing the Trump Administration to immediately impose a ban on Transgender Service.

Previously, the Obama administration achieved nearly full equality first by encouraging and signing the repeal of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy against Gay service; and then ordering our armed forces to allow Transgender service under careful guidelines.  The Trump Administration has sought, from the start, to void and cancel all Obama initiatives, progress, and rational policies, determined to roll back equality, science, human dignity, and decency.  With a Supreme Court stacked with conservative bigots disinterested in American ideology of equality, the reversal of rights has just begun.

Evan Young, Major US Army retired, President of TAVA, said, “I am furious and disappointed in the actions of the Supreme Court today with their obvious injection of discrimination against honorably serving transgender Americans in our Armed Forces. Their action is backed by an administration determined to erase Transgender Americans. We will not be erased, and we will continue to serve patriotically and give the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Donald Trump is part of a systemic problem in our country dividing us against each other in the name of far right religious organizations that spew hatred and bigotry against the LGBTQI community. We must stand strong and fight this cruel and irrational decision through our votes in the next election as we did in the mid-terms. This administration’s discrimination causes someone to lose their dream, brings someone to tears over their future, and allows someone to be afraid for their safety. To become a great nation, we must work together, empower each other, and celebrate diversity.”

Julz Carey, US Coast Guard Chief Boatswain’s Mate retired, President of AVER, said, “I am outraged and heartbroken by the actions of this administration to enforce discrimination based on ignorance and raw prejudice as opposed to facts. Instead of affirming the rights of all Americans who volunteer and stand proudly in the uniform of our armed services, the Trump administration and the over zealous religous right seek to inject hatred, discrimination, and harrasment into the ranks of what should be cohesive military units striving to work together as one, enhanced by the diversity of the many.

Banning Transgender service despite there being no problems in two years of open service in the US armed forces, and none in over two and a half decades in our allied countries makes no sense other than blatant pandering to a conservative voter base.  History shows we have heroes cut from all fabrics of the American tapestry.  We have American service members who are not being paid, who are feeding their families from food banks, and today we tell them their team mates are not worthy.  How dare you insult my sisters and brothers in arms.”

Our proud patriots will continue to endeavor to serve their country; we will continue to demand equality.

American Veterans For Equal Rights (aver.us) is the nation’s LGBT veterans’ service organization serving the needs of our veterans and advocating for the rights and benefits of LGBT service members and veterans.

Transgender American Veterans Association (transveteran.org) is the national Transgender service organization advocating for the rights and benefits of Transgender service members and veterans.

TRANSGENDER AMERICAN VETERANS ASSOCIATION
AMERICAN VETERANS FOR EQUAL RIGHTS

For Immediate Release
Contact:
Evan Young, President, TAVA evan@transveteran.org
Julz Carey, President, AVER, firstjulz@gmail.com
Denny Meyer, AVER/TAVA Public Affairs 718 849-5665

On Friday January 4^th the DC Circuit Court of Appeals vacated one of four injunctions preventing the Administration from implementing its ban on transgender military service.  Three other injunctions continue to prevent implementing a ban on transgender service.  The court conflict, however, advances the likelihood that the Administration’s ban will be considered by the Supreme Court.  The Administration had already requested the Supreme Court to skip waiting for a conflict to consider its ban, prior to the current DC Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling.

Banning patriotic Transgender volunteers from serving openly and proudly will force those who want to serve back into hiding, hindering the readiness of our armed forces, and be detrimental to recruitment at a time when the strength of our armed forces is essential.

Evan Young, President TAVA, said, “the Transgender American Veterans Association condemns the D.C. Court of Appeals lifting the injunction on the ban of transgender troops. Transgender service members are highly capable and have proven their worthiness of serving since our nations first wars. Inclusion of transgender service members is an integral part of unit cohesiveness and military readiness. Transgender actively serving and veterans alike have patriotically sacrificed their life to defend this nation, and we all are safer for it.”

Julz Carey, President of AVER, said that, “American values are upheld for the world to see when our armed forces are fully inclusive of all able bodied Americans who choose to volunteer to serve with courage and pride.  Banning Transgender troops or any minority diminishes our democracy, our national identity, and our readiness to defend freedom.”

American Veterans For Equal Rights (aver.us) is the nation’s LGBT veterans’ service organization serving the needs of our veterans and advocating for the rights and benefits of LGBT service members and veterans.

Transgender American Veterans Association (transveteran.org) is the national Transgender service organization advocating for the rights and benefits of Transgender service members and veterans.

TRANSGENDER AMERICAN VETERANS ASSOCIATION (TAVA)
AMERICAN VETERANS FOR EQUAL RIGHTS (AVER)

Re.: Administration issues limitations on Transgender military service

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Evan Young, Major US Army Retired, President, TAVA
626 427-5724, evan@transveteran.org

Steve Loomis, LTC, US Army Retired, President, AVER
505 301-1737 sloomis@swcp.com

Denny Meyer, Public Affairs TAVA/AVER
718 849-5665 denny@transveteran.org, publicaffairs@aver.us

Transgender Ban a Step Backwards

The administration’s issuance of rules essentially banning the service of patriotic Transgender American volunteers, in violation of federal court rulings, flies in the face of American values and world leadership. Transgender American Veterans Association and American Veterans for Equal Rights believe President Harry Truman’s Executive Order integrating our armed forces in 1948, was key to defense of America while providing the world an example of equality and democracy. Since then, women have been integrated and fully equalized in our military, and under President Obama American LGB patriots could serve openly and proudly with distinction and honor.

The new discriminatory transphobic policy introduced by the President reverses our nation’s progress on equality and weakens the abilities and readiness of our armed forces.
While totalitarian nations have always segregated their military forces by tribe, religion, and ethnicity, America’s armed forces have been a light to the world simply by virtue of our example of unified force of uniformed Americans working cohesively regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation and sexual identity.

TAVA and AVER jointly reject and condemn the Administration’s reversal of American progress and leadership on equality, and the consequent weakening of the readiness and ability of our armed forces.

Evan Young, President of TAVA, stated, “Transgender service members have and do proudly serve in our Armed Forces the inception of our militaries. We deploy to remote regions of the world and faithfully serve our nations interest with honor. The administration’s attack on our military is an attack on all American’s values. Standing together, we can fight this bigotry.”

Steve Loomis, President of AVER, stated, “I have had the privilege to serve with transgender service members who were among my very best soldiers. Some of them I knew of their gender identity at the time, others I did not know until much later. They make our military better.”

AVER is the nation’s first LGBT veteran’s service organization advocating equality for all of America’s patriotic veterans and service members. www.aver.us

TAVA is the nation’s Transgender service organization advocating equality for America’s patriotic Transgender veterans and volunteers. www.transveteran.org

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Judge Blocks Trump’s Ban on Transgender Troops in Military

On 30-October-2017, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia found the administration’s justification for the ban on Transgender service, which was set to take effect in March 2018, to be suspect and likely unconstitutional. She ruled that the military’s current policy should remain in place pending review by higher courts.

The balance of power between Executive, Legislative, and Judicial continues to stand the test of time.  American Veterans for Equal Rights applauds Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly for her actions and upholding the constitution of the United States.

We are moving forward. AVER will follow and support this case as it progresses.  Sadly, the policy to bar essential health services to transgender service members still remains.

The administration’s attempt to ban Transgender service is clearly a political ploy for his base at the expense of Transgender service member’s rights.  18 of our allies including England, Canada and Israel have found that Transgender service has no effect on “Mission Readiness”.

As with the campaign to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) American Veterans for Equal Rights along with it’s allies will continue the campaign for Transgender equal rights until all service members can server proudly and openly.

We must not stand by and watch another’s civil rights violated and do nothing, lest we make it more likely our rights will be violated.

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AVER is America’s first gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender veterans and active duty service organization.  http://aver.us/

Contact information:
AVER President: Steve Loomis, LTC, EN, U.S. Army (Retired)
505-301-1737, sloomis@swcp.com

AVER Public Affairs: Denny Meyer, 718 849-5665, publicaffairs@aver.us

Website www.aver.us

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AVER/

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Veterans Proudly serving since Valley Forge! 

Steve Loomis

LTC, EN, U.S. Army (Retired)

National President

American Veterans for Equal Rights

505-301-1737

Website www.aver.us

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AVER/