LGBT Veterans Remember Life Under the Former Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy and Honor the Accomplishments of Local Gay Veterans at Historic LA County Building

LOS ANGELES, CA, USA, September 15, 2015 /EINPresswire.com/ -- On Monday, 21 September 2015, the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER-GLA) will be hosting the 1st ever LGBT Veteran Event to be held at LA County’s Bob Hope Patriotic Hall. The event titled, Operation: Do Ask, Do Tell will memorialize the former Dept. of Defense policy “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, by bringing to light the struggles that LGBT Service Members faced while living under the discriminatory policy. The event will also bring together Federal, State, and Local government Officials and Agencies, Local and Regional Service Providers and Employers to discuss and strategize on how to better serve this population of Veterans and Service Members that avoid earned services and benefits out of fear of being discriminated against further.

AVER-GLA Founder/President, Apolonio E. Muñoz III states, “These Veterans volunteered to serve our great Country, many of which were given medals of distinct honor for saving and/or protecting their fellow man in a time of war, however where then told they could not love their fellow man simply based on the fact that the one they loved shared the same gender. These brave men and women have gone thru enough and the Repeal of DADT was the first step in correcting this injustice. We as a society have to do more in order to make them feel welcome and appreciated. They served us, it’s our turn to serve them.”

Operation: Do Ask, Do Tell will take place at the Historic Bob Hope Patriotic Hall in Downtown Los Angeles on Monday, 21 September 2015 between the hours of 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM. It will consist of two parts, a Resource Fair from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM and Discussion Panels with some of LA’s Top Brass from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. The Topics of discussion will include: “Benefits & Resources for the LGBT Veteran”, “Housing, Homelessness & the LGBT Veteran”, “PrEP/PEP What is it? Is it for me?”

There will also be an Opening /Awards Ceremony at 10:00 AM that will be attended by several notable Elected Officials and LA’s Top Brass such as LA City Mayor Eric Garcetti, LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis (1st Dist.), CA Assemblmember Richard Bloom (CA-50th Dist.), California Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Minority Veterans Mirtha Villarreal-Younger, VA Los Angeles Regional Office Acting Director Emmett O’Meara, and Mr. International Leather 2015 Patrick Smith. During the Awards Ceremony AVER-GLA will be presenting awards to two local Openly Gay Veterans who have been vocal activists in the community, Christopher Paul recipient on the “Miguel Contreras” Advocate of the Year Award and Tracey “Tra” Cooper-Harris recipient of the LGBT Veteran of the Year Award.

Sponsors for this historic event include: Southern California Gas Company, Bob Hope Patriotic Hall/LA County Dept. of Military & Veterans Affairs, US Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA Los Angeles Regional Office & VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System), California Dept. of Veterans Affairs, Office of State Senator Carol Liu (CA-25rd Dist.), Office of Assemblymember Richard Bloom (CA-50th Dist.), Office of Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (CA-53rd Dist.), County of Los Angeles, LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis (1st Dist.), City of Los Angeles, LA City Mayor Eric Garcetti, West Hollywood City Mayor Lyndsey Horvath, East Los Angeles Vet Center, American Veterans for Equal Rights - National Headquarters, Volunteers of America -Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center, Being Alive-Los Angeles, Vet Hunter Project, and many more.

Operation: Do Ask, Do Tell is open to all Veteran, Service Members and their Spouses who work/reside in Los Angeles County, with a focus on services and benefits for LGBT Veterans and Service Members.

Volunteer and Sponsorship opportunities are still available, please contact AVER-GLA for more details at info@aver-gla.org.

More information about this historic event can be found by visiting: http://op-dadt.aver-gla.org.

Apolonio Munoz
Greater Los Angeles Chapter of American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER-GLA)
323.363.0951
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