This month marks the 10 year anniversary of the official repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” As a veteran and North Carolinian, I’m proud that Senator Richard Burr was among the eight Republicans who voted to end the military’s notorious policy that barred LGBTQ Americans from serving openly.
It was a historic moment that exemplifies how lawmakers can work together to address our nation’s problems.
I hope the spirit of bipartisanship continues now that our lawmakers are back on Capitol Hill after the summer recess. At the top of their list should be negotiations on the Equality Act, a bill passed by the House and currently under consideration in the Senate. The Equality Act would update federal law to include express and enduring protections for LGBTQ Americans.
As an ally to the LGBTQ community and Catholic with a deep love for this country, I’m grateful for our courageous LGBTQ active-duty service members and veterans every day for serving our country and protecting our freedoms. Unfortunately, they return to a country without those same freedoms.
Equality and freedom are American values that I spent 22 years of my life defending. I joined the United States Army in 1997 because serving my country and being part of something bigger has always been a dream of mine. I took the leap after three years of college and I’ve never looked back.
Throughout my years of service and leadership in the U.S. Army, I deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of the 82nd Airborne Division. I then transferred to the United States Special Operations Command as a Civil Affairs Officer, where I helped with nation building initiatives to bring stability and democratic values. Yet some aspects of this work were overshadowed by measures that restricted the freedoms of LGBTQ soldiers.
I had the honor and privilege to get to know and serve alongside people from all walks of life. I met brave LGBTQ soldiers who opened up and trusted me with their identities despite military policy that prohibited lesbian, gay, and bisexual people from serving openly. Fortunately, since Congress repealed the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in 2010, there has been historic progress in the military community. However, it’s now time for our lawmakers to address the stigma and discrimination that still exist here at home.
LGBTQ active service members and veterans are still denied equality and inclusion in key areas of life. Because of the lack of comprehensive laws in states like North Carolina, more than one in three LGBTQ Americans reported facing discrimination of some kind in the past year, including more than three in five transgender Americans. More than half of LGBTQ people said they experienced harrassment or discrimination in a public place such as a store, transportation, or a restroom.
Many times, LGBTQ service members return home in hopes of reintegration into their communities, but instead are faced with harassment and mistreatment because of who they are or who they love. Not only is this wrong, it goes against our core values as Americans.
Growing up in Puerto Rico, my mother instilled in me the Golden Rule. My faith teaches me that we are called above all things to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Treating and loving everyone we encounter means doing everything we can to ensure that no one faces discrimination.
When my friend and veteran recently came out to me as a gay man, he asked, “How will you treat me?” I propelled myself into action and joined the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and over 500 veterans in calling on Congress to stand up for people like my friend by supporting a federal nondiscrimination law to protect all those who have defended our nation’s freedom and the more than 13 million LGBTQ people across the country. Our elected leaders should do the same.
It’s time for Congress to do what is right. All Americans, including LGBTQ people, should be able to go about their daily lives without fear of harassment or discrimination. And LGBTQ veterans—who have defended American freedoms abroad—should see their freedoms respected and protected at home.
Senators Burr and Tillis have shown us that working on bipartisan legislation is a promising path toward a better America. They’ve done it by supporting the infrastructure bill, and they can do it again by engaging in good-faith negotiations and securing another important Senate victory by passing the Equality Act.
Abram Flores is a resident of Fayetteville and retired officer of the U.S. Army.
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Op-Ed: North Carolina Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis Can Continue On a Bipartisan Path Toward Building a Better Nation
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This month marks the 10 year anniversary of the official repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” As a veteran and North Carolinian, I’m proud that Senator Richard Burr was among the eight Republicans who voted to end the military’s notorious policy that barred LGBTQ Americans from serving openly.
It was a historic moment that exemplifies how lawmakers can work together to address our nation’s problems.
I hope the spirit of bipartisanship continues now that our lawmakers are back on Capitol Hill after the summer recess. At the top of their list should be negotiations on the Equality Act, a bill passed by the House and currently under consideration in the Senate. The Equality Act would update federal law to include express and enduring protections for LGBTQ Americans.
As an ally to the LGBTQ community and Catholic with a deep love for this country, I’m grateful for our courageous LGBTQ active-duty service members and veterans every day for serving our country and protecting our freedoms. Unfortunately, they return to a country without those same freedoms.
Equality and freedom are American values that I spent 22 years of my life defending. I joined the United States Army in 1997 because serving my country and being part of something bigger has always been a dream of mine. I took the leap after three years of college and I’ve never looked back.
Throughout my years of service and leadership in the U.S. Army, I deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of the 82nd Airborne Division. I then transferred to the United States Special Operations Command as a Civil Affairs Officer, where I helped with nation building initiatives to bring stability and democratic values. Yet some aspects of this work were overshadowed by measures that restricted the freedoms of LGBTQ soldiers.
I had the honor and privilege to get to know and serve alongside people from all walks of life. I met brave LGBTQ soldiers who opened up and trusted me with their identities despite military policy that prohibited lesbian, gay, and bisexual people from serving openly. Fortunately, since Congress repealed the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in 2010, there has been historic progress in the military community. However, it’s now time for our lawmakers to address the stigma and discrimination that still exist here at home.
LGBTQ active service members and veterans are still denied equality and inclusion in key areas of life. Because of the lack of comprehensive laws in states like North Carolina, more than one in three LGBTQ Americans reported facing discrimination of some kind in the past year, including more than three in five transgender Americans. More than half of LGBTQ people said they experienced harrassment or discrimination in a public place such as a store, transportation, or a restroom.
Many times, LGBTQ service members return home in hopes of reintegration into their communities, but instead are faced with harassment and mistreatment because of who they are or who they love. Not only is this wrong, it goes against our core values as Americans.
Growing up in Puerto Rico, my mother instilled in me the Golden Rule. My faith teaches me that we are called above all things to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Treating and loving everyone we encounter means doing everything we can to ensure that no one faces discrimination.
When my friend and veteran recently came out to me as a gay man, he asked, “How will you treat me?” I propelled myself into action and joined the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and over 500 veterans in calling on Congress to stand up for people like my friend by supporting a federal nondiscrimination law to protect all those who have defended our nation’s freedom and the more than 13 million LGBTQ people across the country. Our elected leaders should do the same.
It’s time for Congress to do what is right. All Americans, including LGBTQ people, should be able to go about their daily lives without fear of harassment or discrimination. And LGBTQ veterans—who have defended American freedoms abroad—should see their freedoms respected and protected at home.
Senators Burr and Tillis have shown us that working on bipartisan legislation is a promising path toward a better America. They’ve done it by supporting the infrastructure bill, and they can do it again by engaging in good-faith negotiations and securing another important Senate victory by passing the Equality Act.
Abram Flores is a resident of Fayetteville and retired officer of the U.S. Army.
Support independent local journalism. Join the INDY Press Club to help us keep fearless watchdog reporting and essential arts and culture coverage viable in the Triangle.
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