Category Archives: Press Releases

Official press releases from the AVER National Public Affairs Office.

TRANSGENDER MILITARY BAN LIFTED

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

AMERICAN VETERANS FOR EQUAL RIGHTS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JANUARY 25, 2021

RE: TRANSGENDER MILITARY BAN LIFTED

Contact:

AVER Public Affairs, Denny Meyer 718.849.5665 publicaffairs@aver.us

San Antonio, TX “Military City USA” (JAN 25, 2021) – American Veterans for Equal Rights, the nation’s oldest Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender military veterans service organization, thanks President Joseph R. Biden for honoring his promise to lift the ban on Transgender military service imposed by the Trump administration in 2018. Noting that this is the second time the ban on Transgender service has been lifted, the first time under President Barack Obama in 2016, AVER calls for a codified solution regarding gender identity so that future disruptions to our nation’s armed forces by executive order can be avoided.

“We are grateful and pleased that Transgender volunteers are once again allowed to serve in our military,” said AVER National President Julz Carey. “Lifting the ban on Transgender men and women has been part of our stated mission for over 30 years, and today’s action is a major step forward in creating a military that fully reflects our nation’s increasingly diverse population,” she said. “This is a major victory not only for LGBT Americans, but for every individual who dreams of serving in our military. No one who meets basic requirements for military service should be excluded because of who they are.”

www.aver.us

Letter to President Biden and VP Harris

Joseph Biden
President, United States of America
Kamala Harris
Vice President, United States of America

Re : Congratulations; LGBT military/veterans’ rights

President Biden, Vice President Harris,

American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER) is our nation’s LGBT veterans’ service organization advocating for the rights and benefits of our veterans, reservists, and active service members. On behalf of our members and National board, I would like to heartily congratulate you on becoming America’s President and Vice President. As a woman of Hispanic heritage , and as a veteran, I am both inspired and hopeful for our country. AVER stands ready to support the new administration in its effort to lead and unify the nation towards a more equitable future for all Americans.

In the previous Obama-Biden administration, Congressional legislation repealing the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy, ensured the right of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Americans to serve our country in freedom and equality. Executive orders went a long way to ensuring the same rights for Transgender American patriots who have served our nation valiantly since the Civil War, in great personal peril to themselves.

We were greatly heartened by your new administration’s statements on your first day in office, assuring us regarding your intention to give equal rights to Transgender Americans and those who want to serve in our armed forces. We urge you to guarantee full equal rights and benefits to Transgender volunteers to serve openly and proudly, including full medical benefits. We wish to remind you that our Transgender veterans are still denied benefits such as sexual reassignment surgery provided by the Veterans Administration. We urge you to rectify these discriminatory policies first by Executive Order followed by Congressional legislation.

Thank you again for boldly stepping forward to lead our nation.

Sincerely,
Julz Carey, Chief Petty Officer (Ret), United States Coast Guard
President, American Veterans For Equal Rights AVER.us

Download PDF version of letter here: AVER Congratulatory letter to the new administration

ASSAULT ON OUR NATION’S CAPITOL

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

AMERICAN VETERANS FOR EQUAL RIGHTS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JANUARY 12, 2021

RE: ASSAULT ON OUR NATION’S CAPITOL

Contact:

AVER Public Affairs, Denny Meyer 718.849.5665 publicaffairs@aver.us

San Antonio, TX “Military City USA” (JAN 12, 2021) – American Veterans for Equal Rights joins the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, AMVETS, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and other national veterans service organizations in strongly condemning the armed assault on our nation’s Capitol January 6th. AVER joins other US military veterans in our outrage at how dangerously close violent insurrectionists came to toppling the constitutionally elected government of the United States, noting that the first, second, and third individuals in line of Presidential succession were all targets of the domestic terrorist attack. We reject any notion that this is a partisan issue. As men and women who swore a sacred oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic” we believe that the vast majority of American citizens share our outrage at the January 6th desecration of our precious and fragile liberty. We call for a bipartisan investigation into the attack on our national seat of government, the swift and stringent prosecution of the perpetrators, and a restored commitment to creating a society where our core values of justice and equality will be affirmed by every American as the most basic aspirations of our nation. The men and women who have shed their blood to create and preserve our Constitution deserve no less.

www.aver.us

Press Release : New Horizons

Press Release : New Horizons 7 Nov 2020

Contact:

Julz Carey, AVER President, firstjulz@gmail.com

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

Re: AVER Congratulates President Elect Biden and Vice President Elect Harris

American Veterans for Equal Rights, America’s oldest LGBT Veteran Service Organization, congratulates President Elect Joe Biden and Vice President Elect Kamala Harris.

AVER President, Julz Carey, said, “Our congratulations to Joe Biden on his election as the 46th President of the United States. As veterans and citizens it is now our responsibility to support the new President in his efforts to heal wounds and work with both sides of the aisle. We heartily congratulate, and are especially looking forward to Kamala Harris inspiring all Americans as the nation’s first woman of color and first child of immigrants to serve as Vice President.”

AVER President Emeritus Steve Loomis observed that, “President Elect Joseph Biden and Vice President Elect Kamala Harris are devoted supporters of LGBT, our active duty military and veterans, their rights, and their unrelenting service to our country.”

“We look forward to President-elect Biden fulfilling his promise to lift the ban on Transgender service implemented by his predecessor. Our American Armed Forces will be stronger, more effective, and more reflective of our increasingly diverse citizenship when all LGBT patriots who volunteer to defend our nation’s freedom are allowed to serve with pride and authenticity.” said former AVER President Danny Ingram.

AVER will continue working with respect for our service members, past and present, to protect our health during this dangerous pandemic, protect our rights, and to extend those protections to all. Particular attention will be paid to our Transgender community, and to our senior veterans. AVER has encouraged removing the ban against military service by transgender citizens and encourages our new President to effect that at the first opportunity.

American Veterans for Equal Rights is the nation’s LGBT Veterans Service Organization advocating for equality among all who serve. www.aver.us

Trump Tweets Ban Transgender Service

AMERICAN VETERANS FOR EQUAL RIGHTS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 26, 2017

RE: Trump Tweets Ban Transgender Service

Contact:

AVER Public Affairs, Denny Meyer 718.849.5665 publicaffairs@aver.us

AVER President, Steve Loomis, LTC, USA, (Ret) 505.301.1737

Atlanta, GA (JUL 26, 2017) – American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER) is astonished by President Trump’s statements this morning prohibiting transgender Americans from serving our country in the US military. On the very anniversary, July 26, 1948, that President Harry S. Truman issued Executive Order 9981 to end racial segregation in our US military, President Donald J. Trump issues tweets to bar transgender service members from serving in our same US armed forces. Such an incredible twist of fate in history! One opens doors to liberty. One slams them shut.

“The President’s unilateral action concerning transgender service members is insulting to some of our most capable service members and disrespectful to the leadership of our military. Without full consultation, a President who never served our country has taken an action that discriminates without factual foundation. Transgender members are already and have always been part of some of our most combat ready units without difficulty for decades and will continue to be in the future. As long as any soldier, sailor, marine, airman or coast guards man has the physical and mental ability, they must be allowed to serve in the defense of our country.”

Current policies require that transgender recruits must complete gender transition before they can enter the military. Mr. Trump is simply denying entry into the military to capable male and female volunteers no different from any other man or woman. The citizens of the United States require a military governed by carefully considered policies and not by early morning tweet storms from a President who neither understands the current policy nor cares about the human cost of defending our nation’s liberty. We defend transgender service members right to serve!

USAF Master Sargent Leah Messer (left with US flag), a 15-year transgender veteran of the United States Air Force, would lose her job if Donald Trump’s tweets become policy.

 

NC, Mississippi Laws Hurt LGBT Soldiers, Marines

AMERICAN VETERANS FOR EQUAL RIGHTS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 8, 2016

RE: NC, Mississippi Laws Hurt LGBT Soldiers, Marines

Contact: AVER Public Affairs, Denny Meyer 718.849.5665 publicaffairs@aver.us

AVER President, Steve Loomis, LTC, USA, (Ret) 505.301.1737

US Marine Corps (USMC) Marines, 3rd Marine Regiment (MAR REGT), Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH) Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii (HI), stand at attention during the 64th commemoration of the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, HI. The ceremony held annually to honor those who served during the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Date Shot: 7 Dec 2005. DoD photo by: JO2 RYAN C. MCGINLEY, USN.

US Marine Corps (USMC) Marines, 3rd Marine Regiment (MAR REGT), DoD photo by: JO2 RYAN C. MCGINLEY, USN.

Atlanta, GA (APR 8, 2016) – American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER), the nation’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Veterans Service Organization, strongly condemns the discriminatory legislation passed by the North Carolina and Mississippi state legislatures which legalizes the denial of services to the many LGBT United States military personnel and veterans living in those states. Especially in North Carolina, home to the nation’s largest military base, Fort Bragg, and Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, these laws post a clear message to the honored LGBT Soldiers and Marines stationed in the state that “Your Kind Not Welcome.” The dedicated men and women who serve to defend our nation’s freedom deserve better than laws which undermine the very liberty they so faithfully protect. These laws hurt those who serve, hurt their families, and weaken communities. Such laws are unworthy of a free nation and a united people who value “liberty and justice for all.”