June 27, 2025
For immediate release
June 26 is one of the most important dates in LGBTQ history. On this date, the Supreme Court of the United States decided the three cases Lawrence v Texas (2003), Windsor v United States (2013), and Obergefell v Hodges (2015) that overturned (respectively), bans on consensual same-gender sex, the Defense of Marriage Act, and the denial of marriage protection to same-sex families. This is a day to commemorate the struggle of our community to achieve equality under the law. It is also a time to be vigilant. The current Supreme Court is no longer friendly to our community. SCOTUS has allowed the ban on Transgender military service to go into effect despite cases working their way through lower courts that will challenge the constitutionality of yet the latest unjust political policy. This is a scary time for our community. But we are not powerless. As America’s oldest LGBTQ+ Veterans Service Organization, AVER has seen victories and we have seen defeats. It’s time to put the marching boots back on. It’s time to take to the streets (and the halls of Congress!) and fight against the forces that would strip us of our hard earned gains in the same way they have stripped the USNS Harvey Milk of her honored name. Don’t give up the ship! We’ve been here before. The victory is to the resilient who continue to hold the line in good times and bad.
Important issues the Supreme Court will review.