Supporting LGBTQIA+ Veterans and Service Members
LGBTQIA+ In Service and Beyond is an initiative that aims to foster an environment of understanding, respect, and support for LGBTQIA+ Veteran communities. Listen and read below to learn more about the unique challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ individuals within military and Veteran communities.
We hope to equip service providers, mental health professionals, organizations and other allies with the culturally responsive knowledge and tools to support LGBTQIA+ Veterans more effectively, to ensure they receive the quality care and support they deserve. Together, let’s foster allyship and connectedness to create an environment where LGBTQIA+ Veterans feel valued, respected, and fully included in their support networks, contributing to suicide prevention efforts within communities across the country.
Shared Stories
Hear from community members in the working group for this initiative as they discuss their experiences and insights In Service and Beyond.
Launching the Campaign
Listen now as Veterans Erika Hoover and Andrea Norton discuss this new public awareness and advocacy campaign, LGBTQIA+ In Service and Beyond. This initiative aims to increase understanding, respect, and support for LGBTQIA+ Veteran communities.
Learn more about:
Their personal service under the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy
The high cost of hiding your authentic identity during service and your Veteran identity after service
The power of diversity in both Veteran and LGBTQIA+ communities
The role of community partners in suicide prevention screening
Blog - History
Serving with Pride: Understanding LGBTQIA+ Veterans
“LGBTQIA+ Veterans represent every race, ethnicity, religion, socio-economic class, and political affiliation. We come from urban, suburban, and rural areas, making us an extraordinarily diverse group. What we have in common is a desire to serve our country with distinction and honor.…”
By Zander Keig
LGBTQIA+ Veteran Myths and Misconceptions
In this episode, Marine Corps Veteran Ale Hernandez speaks about the myths and misconceptions surrounding LBGBTQIA+ Veterans.
Listen in to learn more about:
Ale's decision to serve during Don't Ask, Don't Tell
The misconceptions about Veterans in LGBTQIA+ communities
The extra challenges of hiding your authentic self
The resources available in local communities
Blog - Healthcare
Understanding Healthcare Access & Experiences
“Addressing the specific needs of LGBTQIA+ community requires understanding the barriers we face, from historical policies through current legislative hurdles, to ideological and social concepts perpetuating a general lack of safety and trust. The dynamic of needing specialized or individualized care adds challenges…”
By MaCherie Dunbar
LGBTQIA+ Veteran Access to Healthcare
On this episode, Air Force Veterans Ashley Carothers and MaCherie Dunbar talk about their advocacy work for LGBTQIA+ Veteran populations, the second in our LGBTQIA+ In Service and Beyond series. With service that spanned the Don't Ask, Don't Tell era, both Ashley and MaCherie have made it their mission to increase access to care.
This informative episode offers insight into:
how to access benefits and resources through the VA
the reluctance of LGBTQIA+ service members to report military sexual trauma
the increased need for timely, accessible mental health care
how gender-affirming care serves all Veteran populations
the importance of education and compassionate conversations
Blog - Intersectionality
How Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Still Haunts Black Veterans
“Marginalized in the national recollection of DADT are the tens of thousands of Black service members, specifically Black women, who were disproportionately targeted over the nearly two decades of its unjust implementation…”
By Richard Brookshire
LGBTQIA+ Veterans & Women Veterans Day
This podcast features a conversation with Veterans Erika Hoover and Andrea Norton, LMSW, to close out our LGBTQIA+ In Service and Beyond series. In this episode, they dive into the meaning behind Women Veterans Day and their goal of sharing the stories of all who serve.
Listen to this episode to learn more about:
The history of June 12 as Women Veterans Day and the importance of women identifying as Veterans.
How Women Veterans Day and LGBTQIA+ advocacy both serve to honor and recognize, not divide.
The important work being done to restore honor for discharged Veterans through culturally aware and responsive employers, providers and communities.
Future plans and goals for the LGBTQIA+ In Service and Beyond campaign, including creating more inclusive spaces and training.
Blog - Intersectionality
Threads of Identity: Intersectionality in Service and Beyond
“During the time President Obama was overturning the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy, I found myself in the midst of Navy boot camp at Great Lakes, Illinois. After the repeal, came time for the command to acknowledge the elephant in the room, at some point, all trainees were gathered for a comprehensive briefing on LGBTQIA+ cultural competency. The irony of receiving such training from an individual who seemingly had no personal connection to the LGBTQIA+ community did not escape me...”
By Tom Hove
VA Support for LGBTQIA+ Veterans
On this episode of Behind the Mission, we feature a conversation with Dr. Michael Kauth, Executive Director of LGBTQIA+ Health, Office of Patient Care Services, Veterans Health Administration, about the support available for LGBTQIA+ Veterans in the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Minority Vets of America
Hear from Navy Veteran Lindsay Church (they/them) on this episode of Behind the Mission. Lindsay is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Minority Veterans of America, a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to creating an equitable and just world for the minority veteran community including veterans of color, women, LGBTQIA+, and (non) religious minority veterans.
Watch the webcast to hear more Conversations on the Past, Present & Future
Watch now to hear an engaging conversation on the past, present, and future of the LGBTQIA+ community in service and beyond. Hosted by Duane France, the moderator of PsychArmor's "Behind the Mission" podcast, this event featured Allison Jaslow (CEO of IVIA) Arrianna Auva’a (VSO and Media Coordinator) and Larry Heyu-Robert (Breavement Services Manager & Veteran Liason); three exceptional panelists who are members of the LGBTQIA+ community, Veterans, and subject matter experts. This webcast is for a diverse audience of community members, allies, healthcare providers, and more. This initiative is driven by the Michigan Governor's Challenge and is offered in partnership with the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) and Humana.
Prefer to listen?
This webcast has now been reworked into a podcast so you can listen to all of the conversation on the go or anywhere you enjoy podcasts.
An initiative driven by the Michigan Governor's Challenge; this work is offered in partnership with the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) and Humana.
