Despite the repeal of DADT, occurrences of alleged anti-LGBT hate crimes/incidents within the Department of Defense (DOD) has continued according to the LGBT nonprofit DOD FED GLOBE.
As part of a campaign to highlight this problem, DOD FED GLOBE is looking for volunteers to tell their stories of harassment as past and/or present employees of the DOD, including servicemembers, civil servants and contractors. The film, entitled ENDA NOW, will be distributed through the Internet and aims to put a human face on the suffering caused to real people by the actions of homophobic colleagues, supervisors and other ranking superiors.
The film will highlight incidents like the DOD contractor who was removed from his contract and secretly blacklisted for displaying pictures of himself and his husband at work.
Other recent incidents include a gay enlisted Marine who was murdered, a U.S. Army lesbian officer verbally and physically attacked by the most senior enlisted person in her command, and a civil servant stationed overseas harassed and threatened with being sent home, without his legally married European husband.
Lisa Kove, executive director of DOD FED GLOBE stressing the importance of the film said, “Historically societies can and have created unjust laws that are condoned and implemented by the highest authorities. Yet the laws that provide protection from discrimination are often under enforced. This is especially true in the DOD. The DOD has a horrendous track record in diversity. We need ENDA NOW for all. We must tackle this discrimination from within the federal workforce by coming out with our stories.”
Kove continues, “When the victims complain they are often treated as ‘trouble makers’ and reprisal actions take place. Those designated to investigate and protect reflect the modified version of a famous saying, ‘See no evil hear no evil report no evil do nothing.’ The system is dysfunctional.”
By contrast, a recently released report by The Williams Institute found that 86 percent of all federal contractors protect against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, and 55 percent on the basis of gender identity. The combined total represents almost one-half of all federal contractors with LGBT protections, amounting to more than $249 billion in federal spending.
“Over the past three years, the Williams Institute, Center for American Progress and the Human Rights Campaign have built a larger and stronger record in support of this LGBT contractor policy than has ever been built in favor of any non-discrimination executive order in the history of the United States,” said Tico Almeida, president of Freedom to Work.
In February 2012, Freedom to Work launched a campaign targeting a Fairfax, Va. military contractor, DynCorp International LLC, for allowing anti-gay harassment in the workplace and failure to have policies in place that protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
The Washington Blade reported that DynCorp has since updated its non-discrimination policy to include protections for LGBT workers.
Despite this high profile case, Kove insists that more needs to be done. “These events could have been mitigated had the White House and DOD allowed LGBT employees to be recognized as a legitimate diversity group. That is why we need a full film on ENDA NOW distributed for free throughout the Web,” Kove said.
Filming for ENDA NOW is ongoing and anyone interested should contact Lisa Kove on 619-347-9357 or by email at Lisa.Kove@yahoo.com.
This article is based on Lisa Kove’s opine as the executive director of the LGBT 501C3 nonprofit DOD FED GLOBE and it is not her intent to reflect the views of her employer the Department of Defense (DOD).
