The Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs and the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs are hosting a special event on Friday, Sept. 20, to commemorate the 13th anniversary of the repeal of the federal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law that banned LGBTQ people from serving openly in the U.S. military.
The event, called “Voices of Courage: Reclaiming the Legacy of LGBTQIA+ Inclusion In the Military,” will take place from 3-5 p.m. at D.C.’s LGBTQ Crush Dance Bar at 2007 14th St., N.W.
An announcement from the mayor’s office says the keynote speaker at the event will be Under Secretary of Defense For Personnel And Readiness Shawn G. Skelly, who will discuss “her experiences of service and the future of the LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the military.”
Skelly, a military veteran, will be joined by another veteran who will also speak at the event, Pip Baitinger, who currently serves as LGBTQIA+ Veterans Outreach and Relation Specialist in the Executive Office of the D.C. Mayor.
The announcement says the event will also include an official reading of a proclamation to be issued by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser declaring Sept. 20, 2024, as LGBTQIA+ Veterans Day in Washington, D.C.
“On this day, we honor and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ veterans who have served with honor and bravery, and we reaffirm our dedication to fostering an inclusive and respectful environment for all who have served our nation,” the mayor’s proclamation says.
A statement from the mayor’s office says that since the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law was repealed by Congress in 2011, with the repeal bill signed by then President Barack Obama, “LGBTQ+ service members have enjoyed greater opportunities to serve authentically.”
The statement adds, “However, many transgender, intersex, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming individuals still face boundaries to serve fully authentically in the armed services.” It says the event will allow attendees to “mix and mingle” and allow “veterans, service members, and military family members with lived
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