Category Archives: News

AVER makes an effort to maintain links to news articles, from around the USA and the world at large, pertaining to the LGBT community, veterans and/or service members. If you find a relevant news article that is not listed, please send us the link via our Contact page, and we will assess the content for inclusion in our News lists.Please note:1. We scour the internet frequently to ensure that our news links are for articles published by media outlets. If you find a dead link, please let us know. For [non-AVER] organizational press releases, please see our Links directory.2. We will sometimes include articles pertaining to legislative matters; however, as a 501(c)(3) organization, we do not post news pertaining to specific political candidates, as this could be misconstrued as endorsement.

Anti-LGBTQ+ Provisions Stripped from NDAA

FROM AVER NATIONAL
January 12, 2024

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 9, 2024

RE:  Anti-LGBTQ+ Provisions Stripped from NDAA

Contact:  AVER Public Affairs, 678.596.1311, dannyingram1776@gmail.com
San Antonio, TX “Military City USA” (JAN 9, 2024)

On December 26, 2023, President Biden signed into law H.R. 2670, the “National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024.” The version of the must-pass legislation signed by the president had been stripped of a number of controversial anti-LGBTQ+ amendments added to the bill by conservative members of the House. These amendments included bans on gender confirmation treatment to service members and their dependents, bans on displays of Pride flags at DOD facilities, and bans of LGBTQ-positive books in DOD school libraries.

“The passage of the NDAA without anti-LGBTQ+ amendments is a huge victory for LGBTQ+ service members and the United States Military,” said Penn Baker, National President of American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER), the nation’s oldest LGBTQ+ Veterans Service Organization. “AVER and our allies had worked with members of Congress throughout much of the previous year to remove these harmful sections of the NDAA,” said Baker, AVER’s first Transgender president. “This was a significant accomplishment for us, but we must remain ‘ever-vigilant’ for the return of such harmful legislation, especially in an election year where conservative law makers work to score political points from their base rather than serve the needs of our service members.”

AVER remains committed to Gender Confirmation Treatment, including surgeries and hormone treatment to transgender children, which are therapies approved by the American Pediatric Association, the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, and the World Health Association.

Ever Vigilant

Penn Baker Veteran USN
505-281-2269
AVER National President
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.

 

RE: AVER National Convention, New Board Elected

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 19, 2023

RE:  AVER National Convention, New Board Elected

Contact:  AVER Public Affairs, 678.596.1311, dannyingram1776@gmail.com

San Antonio, TX “Military City USA” (OCTOBER 19, 2023) – American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER) held its biennial convention in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, this past weekend. The Gold Coast Chapter hosted delegates from around the country for “Operation Pushback.” Speakers included representatives from the VA who described the many changes implemented under Secretary Denis McDonough to address healthcare for LGBTQ+ Veterans.

Other speakers included US Navy Commander Emily “Hawking” Shilling, National President of SPARTA, and Cassandra Leigh Williamson, National President of Transgender and Diverse Veterans of America. Much of the convention focused on the current status of women’s and transgender care by the VA, the status of Transgender service, and threats to LGBTQ+ military service in Congress and by conservative politicians across the country. The Truman Amendment, which would codify the current Trans-inclusive military service policy will be a priority for AVER and other LGBTQ+ Military and Veteran Service Organizations in the coming year, along with protecting the gains made since the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.                            (Emily “Hawkling” Shilling, Penn Baker, Cassandra Leigh Williamson)

Penn Baker of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was elected as AVER’s next National President. Penn will be the first Transgender veteran to lead the nation’s oldest LGBTQ+ VSO.

A traditional AVER military banquet was held on Sunday evening. Ft. Lauderdale’s openly gay mayor, The Honorable Dean Trantilis, attended the event and assured delegates that Florida governor and GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis’ anti-LGBTQ rhetoric did not represent all Floridians.

(Danny Ingram, Fort Lauderdale Mayor The Honorable Dean Trantilis, Joe Zuniga)

Long time military and AIDS activist Joe Zuniga, author of “Soldier of the Year,” delivered the keynote address. Mr. Zuniga currently serves as President of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care and President and CEO of Fast Track Cities Institute which utilizes public health policy to achieve an end to the epidemics of HIV, tuberculosis, and viral hepatitis.

Danny Ingram, President Emeritus, received the Leonard Matlovich Medal for Distinguished Service to the LGBTQ+ Military Community.

JOIN THE NATION’S FIRST ALL-LGBTQ HONOR FLIGHT!

ATTENTION TO ORDERS: Time to Continue Your Mission
BE A PART OF HISTORY. JOIN THE NATION’S FIRST ALL-LGBTQ HONOR FLIGHT!
Honor Flight South Florida wants to fill their September 23, 2023, flight with as many LGBTQ veterans as possible.
The Pride Center at Equality Park wants to help promote that effort among the communities we serve. We want to thank our veterans for the commitment they made to serve our country.
Attention LGBTQ Veterans: It’s Time to Continue Your Mission
Your one-day mission to Washington DC on Saturday, September 23, 2023, is to visit and reflect at the memorials built in your honor. Honor Flight provides round-trip airfare, deluxe bus transportation throughout our nation’s capital with a police escort, meals, a commemorative T-shirt, and other amenities needed to travel comfortably.
Upon your return, there will be a homecoming at the airport as you disembark.
Honor Flight provides top priority to the most senior defenders of freedom, WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam-era veterans, and those veterans who are terminally ill.
Honor Flight South Florida is a 100% all-volunteer organization, dedicated solely to honoring veterans in Broward, Dade, and Monroe counties by flying these veterans to Washington DC to visit and reflect at the memorials built in their honor. Every veteran flies absolutely free.
Before accepting this mission, please check for compliance with the eligibility and DD214 information below.
Copy this link to Accept Your Mission:
After you have accepted your mission by filling out and submitting the Honor Flight Veteran Application, please contact Paula Lauriano-Stiehm and Shawn White at The Pride Center to identify yourself as an LGBTQ veteran. We want to support Honor Flight’s goal to fill this flight with seventy LGBTQ veterans.
Paula Lauriano-Stiehm
Special Events Coordinator
PLauriano-Stiehm@pridecenterflorida.org
954-463-9005 ext. 301
Shawn White
Active Aging Specialist
SWhite@pridecenterflorida.org
9540463-9005 ext. 114
Eligibilty & DD214 Information
A DD214 form is a certificate of release or discharge from active duty.
Every veteran who has served in the U.S. military is eligible to make an application with Honor Flight. Combat service or foreign deployment is NOT required. The HFSF criteria include 6-months of service in the U.S. military with an honorable discharge, confirmed by the DD214/discharge papers provided by the veteran.
Honor Flight South Florida is currently considering veterans for an honor flight who served between December 7, 1941, and May 7, 1975. Veteran beneficiaries of the Honor Flight program do not pay for any aspect of their Honor Flight trip.
First priority for a trip is given to World War II veterans. Terminally ill veterans of any service period may be given the same priority as WWII veterans (physician statement required.)
Proof of service, such as your DD214 is required. A copy must be submitted one of two ways:
If you have an electronic version (Scan PDF or JPG, etc.) of the DD214, email it to, veterans@honorflightsouthflorida.org
If you prefer to mail in your DD214, mail it to:
• Honor Flight South Florida, Inc.
• PO Box 16821
• Plantation, Florida 33318
If you served between 1941-1975 yet are unable to travel on a flight, we hold periodic “Virtual Honor Flights” where the event is local and around 3 hours in length. To find out more about what Virtual Honor Flight is all about, copy this link:
For information about becoming an Honor Flight Guardian, copy this link:

RE: National Defense Authorization Act Denies Care to Service Members

FROM AVER NATIONAL

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 14, 2023

RE:  National Defense Authorization Act Denies Care to Service Members

Contact:  AVER Public Affairs, 678.596.1311, dannyingram1776@gmail.com

San Antonio, TX “Military City USA” (JUL 14, 2023)
“Congress should never pick and choose which service members will be treated for medical conditions and which will not. The denial of critical care based on political grandstanding is a betrayal of a sacred obligation to care for soldiers and their families. Breaking that obligation undermines national security by eroding the trust of the men and women who volunteer to defend our nation’s freedom.”

American Veterans for Equal Rights, the nation’s oldest LGBTQ Veterans Service Organization, joins other VSOs from around the country in expressing anger over the betrayal of a sacred obligation made to the men and women who serve our country in the FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act. FY2024 NDAA denies life-saving gender-affirming care not only to Transgender service members but the Transgender children of service members. The American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, and American Medical Association support gender-affirming care as critical in the treatment of Gender Dysphoria.

The Department of Defense utilizes evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to care for every service member who seeks care. In addition to world-class healthcare services such as chemical exposure and burn treatment, prosthetic devices, gynecological care and non-selective abortion care, the DOD provides full support for mental disorders such as substance abuse disorders, PTSD, Major Depressive Disorder, and Gender Dysphoria.

Using their proven clinical practice guidelines the DOD seeks to develop and provide the very best care they can to every service member and their children. DOD medical services are there to save lives, not to practice politics.

Every man and woman who serves our country deserves the very best treatment available. No exceptions. Thank all who serve. Honor all who serve. Protect all who serve.

Approved by,

Julz Carey
President, AVER
aver.us

Respect for Marriage Act and Codification of Military Service

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 13, 2022
RE: Respect for Marriage Act and Codification of Military Service
Contact: AVER Public Affairs, 678.596.1311 publicaffairs@aver.us
San Antonio, TX “Military City USA” (DEC 13, 2022) – American Veterans for Equal Rights, the nation’s oldest Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender veterans service organization, salutes the bi-partisan passage of the Respect for Marriage Act (RMA), a law that will protect the right of LGBTQ people and people of all races to marry. In light of recent statements from United States Supreme Court justices that the Court might reconsider cases that decided the freedom to marry, these rights could be jeopardized by future decisions. RMA codifies federal recognition of same-sex marriage.
AVER is equally concerned that the hard-won right of LGBT service in the US military should likewise be codified into law. Military service is not protected by law. Congress’s Women’s Armed Services Integration Act of 1948 codified the right of women to serve in the military, however, the racial integration of the military, as well as the right of LGBT people to serve, was only accomplished by executive order, and can be reversed by subsequent executive order, as was the case with former-president Trump’s repeal of Transgender service in 2020.
Until protections for LGBT service members are codified into law, the right to serve remains at the whim of politicians. President Biden’s executive order that states “all Americans who are qualified to serve in the Armed Forces of the United States should be able to serve” must be protected by law. We call upon Congress to do so.

10th Anniversary of Freedom to Serve

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 15, 2021

RE:  10th Anniversary of Freedom to Serve

Contact:  AVER Public Affairs, 678.596.1311 publicaffairs@aver.us

San Antonio, TX “Military City USA” (SEP 15, 2021) – American Veterans for Equal Rights, the nation’s oldest Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender veterans service organization, joins other progressive patriots from all walks of life in commemorating the 10th anniversary of the September 20, 2011, implementation of the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the law that barred LGBT people from serving in the United States military. AVER celebrates this important civil rights milestone, and we honor the long and determined grassroots effort by service members and veterans, men and women, to overturn the nearly 100-year-old policies that denied the freedom to serve to LGBT Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airmen and Coastguardsmen. We acknowledge the diverse efforts, strategies, struggles and sacrifices by many individuals and organizations that led to the repeal of the discriminatory DADT law. Work remains. Until protections for LGBT service members are codified into law, the right to serve remains at the whim of politicians. Just as Donald Trump reversed the Obama-era policy that allowed transgender volunteers the right to serve, future commanders-in-chief could change policy at will. The reinstatement of transgender service implemented by President Biden must be protected by law. AVER envisions a military that fully reflects the diversity of the American people, where every individual who serves is free to reach their full potential unburdened by policies that discriminate against any service member for any reason. The defenders of our nation’s liberty must be, first and foremost, the representatives of the freedom they serve to defend.