HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – Every member of the Department of Defense can celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month this June. During the month, Hanscom will host educational and social events to raise awareness and increase understanding of the LGBT community and its service to the nation.
The theme of Hanscom’s 2017 LGBT Pride Month is “The Importance of Representation.”
Col. Roman Hund, installation commander, signed a proclamation officially kicking off 2017 LGBT Pride Month here May 23.
Pride Month events on base
From 3 to 5 p.m. June 8, base personnel can come by the fundraiser car wash at the Hanscom Service Station hosted by the Ralph F. Browne, Jr., Chapter of Blacks in Government. Washes are donation-based, and attendees will have the chance to learn more about diversity at Hanscom and future LGBT events.
The RFBJ Chapter of BIG will host a reception at 3 p.m. on June 15 at the base theater preceding a 3:30 p.m. LGBT Pride Month screening of the 2017 Academy Award winner for Best Picture, “Moonlight,” the first LGBT-themed Best Picture winner. Immediately following the screening, a panel discussion will discuss the film and the importance of diversity of representation in popular culture.
The 2017 LGBT Pride Month Rainbow Run/Walk will kick off June 29 at 3 p.m. at the Tennis Bubble. All are welcome to join. The 5K fun run is a great way to get fit and show your support for the LGBT community – plus, you’ll get free rainbow sunglasses and an awesome tank top. An LGBT Pride Month barbecue will immediately follow the run. Come by for more fun and food.
LGBT in the defense community
Our nation was founded on the principle that the individual has infinite dignity and worth. The Department of Defense, which exists to keep the nation secure and at peace, must always be guided by this principle.
In June 2000, then-President Bill Clinton established the first Gay and Lesbian Pride Month with Proclamation no. 7316 in honor of the 1969 Stonewall Riots. June 1969 was marked in history when supporters of the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, New York, resisted police LGBT harassment, sparking the gay rights movement in the United States.
President Barack Obama expanded the observance to include the entire lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in 2009. In a 2015 statement, then-President Obama said, “We continue our work to build a society where every child grows up knowing that their country supports them, is proud of them, and has a place for them exactly as they are.”
The LGBT community also has deep roots in the Air Force and other military branches. Tech. Sgt. Leonard P. Matlovich, a three-tour Vietnam War veteran, military race relations instructor and Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient, was the first gay service member to purposely out himself. His efforts to serve in the Air Force after coming out made it to the cover of Time Magazine on Sept. 8, 1975, making him a symbol for gay and lesbian service members.
Gilbert Baker, an artist and designer of the gay pride flag, served in the U.S. Army from 1970 to 1972. After his honorable discharge from the military, he created the rainbow flag with six colored stripes to symbolize life, healing, sunlight, nature, serenity and spirit.
On Dec. 22, 2010, the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Repeal Act became law, giving LGB service members the confidence to serve with pride. In 2012, U.S. Army Reserve Col. Tammy Smith was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. She publicly acknowledged her sexuality, making her the first general officer to come out while serving.
Learning more about LGBT
Each Pride Month event at Hanscom exists to celebrate and educate. If you want to learn more, see what LGBT is all about, or find out how you can help with future events, mark your calendars and attend some of the great events planned at Hanscom.
Local LGBT Community Events
Boston Pride Week will take place this year June 2 through 11. Visit
www.bostonpride.org for more information and for a calendar of events.