Interior GLOBE - Gay and Lesbian Pride Observance Day

U.S. Department of the Interior

Gay and Lesbian Employees Celebrate

Pride and Diversity at Interior

By Jim Gasser, NPS

Keynote
Speaker:

Elizabeth Toledo - Former Executive Director
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

Featuring:

Not What You Think Ensemble of the
Lesbian and Gay Chorus of Washington, D.C.

In the newly renovated South Building Auditorium in the Main Interior Complex, gay and lesbian employees and their friends and colleagues joined together on June 13^th to celebrate their part in the diverse family called the Department of the Interior. As people filled the auditorium, members of the "Not What You Think" Ensemble of the Lesbian and Gay Chorus sang selections. Mary Josie Blanchard, Assistant Director for Program Support in the Office of Surface Mining (OSM), moderated this year’s celebration which was sponsored by OSM. Acting Director of OSM, Glenda Owens, was present in the audience. Ms. Blanchard opened the program by noting that there were a number of gay-friendly employees in the audience. She encouraged all in the audience to attend other special emphasis programs to show support, but more importantly to demonstrate the "friendship which I know is there and which transcends so many of the differences that can separate us."

Melodee Stith, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Workforce Diversity, welcomed everyone to the Department’s special emphasis event and stated that "if we fully embrace diversity, the Department will become greater." Ms. Stith went on to say that she believed that gay and lesbian employees were "an important part of diversity in the Interior Department." After Ms. Stith’s welcoming remarks, Jay Douglas, an HIV positive employee of the Bureau of Land Management and the previous President of Interior GLOBE, the Department’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered employee organization, and GLOBE Treasurer Daphne Berwald of the Bureau of Indian Affairs lit candles for the victims of AIDS and hate crimes, followed by a moment of silence.

Additional musical selections by the "Not What You Think" Ensemble were heard before Wendell Sutton, Interior’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Resources, introduced the Keynote Speaker, Elizabeth Toledo, former Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Mr. Sutton recounted Ms. Toledo’s many accomplishments, but was most impressed that she had accomplished all of them while being a mother of two young children. Sutton said, "she’s been very busy in her work life, but with two small children I know she has been very busy at home too!"

Ms. Toledo thanked Mr. Sutton for his "very kind introduction." She recognized her partner and son in the audience and stated that she was very pleased to speak at this Celebration. She was equally pleased that today her daughter would graduate from her Silver Spring YMCA kindergarten class. Ms. Toledo began her address by quoting President George W. Bush’s inaugural statement: "…the unfolding American promise that everyone belongs, that everyone deserves a chance, that no insignificant person was ever born."

She went on to thank the Department’s political appointees for their support for Interior GLOBE and all gay and lesbian employees of the Department. She said she had often been asked to say what was ahead for gays and lesbians during the Bush Administration and she frankly stated, "I do not know." She emphasized, however, that the most important progress the audience could make was at the grass roots level. As examples of grass roots accomplishments, she listed the many achievements that Interior GLOBE had initiated or participated in with the Department in the past years, including: gaining national historic landmark status for the Stonewall Inn, creating the administrative complaints process for discrimination based on sexual orientation, and establishing relocation benefits for domestic partners.

She stated that individuals often think that making progress is more complicated than it really is. It takes so few people to make a big difference. She related how she worked on a congressional campaign for a candidate in San Jose who seemed to have no chance of winning the election, but on election night beat a well financed candidate by getting two votes more in each precinct. The point of her story was that "it took but a handful of people to change the outcome of the election," and that the audience should consider the potential of that idea!

She again summarized the words of President Bush’s inaugural statement and stated that "these words are not trivial. We need to take seriously the need to make change." To conclude her remarks, Ms. Toledo suggested that the audience practice "the big things vs. small things idea." "Everyday there are large things or small things that we all can do to show our individuality - small acts of rebellion, if you will." To see people "being different out loud" is heart-warming. Like wearing comfortable shoes for women who have been told by society that they should wear shoes that give them height but are very uncomfortable; or by wearing a button supporting gay and lesbian pride; maybe someday "outing yourself to another employee;" or by working on a major march or protest for gay and lesbian rights. "All these things, large or small, move the world in significant ways."

Ms. Toledo stated that we are changing what we value as families and wondered if the typical American family that was portrayed on television in the 1950’s ever really existed. She said that we need to honor all families as views change about adoption, marriage out of age or racial group, and other issues. Lesbian and gay families are still vulnerable to losing their children, hate crimes, and other forms of discrimination. Local and individual efforts are most important in bringing change in these areas.

"Diversity is the cornerstone of the civil rights movement. We need to encourage more people of color to get involved in our efforts to fight discrimination based on sexual orientation. We do not need to be accomplished to accomplish our goals." She encouraged Interior GLOBE to continue the "dialogue with the new administration."

Maria Wiseman, President of Interior GLOBE, thanked Ms. Toledo for her remarks. Ms. Wiseman emphasized that while we all embrace diversity, we must work to make it happen. Ms. Wiseman discussed the GLOBE New Millennium Human Rights Award, first presented in December 2000 to former Assistant Secretary John Berry for his work to support gay and lesbian employees in the Interior Department. Interior GLOBE will present this award annually at the Department’s Pride celebration to an Interior employee or other individual who has made outstanding contributions to the welfare of gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered employees at Interior.

This year’s recipient was Robert W. Faithful, IV, Director of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, for his work to expand the opportunities for gay and lesbian small businesses in government contracting. Mr. Faithful was very pleased to receive the award, saying, "one individual can make a difference for a large group of individuals, but groups can also make a difference for individuals." He said that embracing diversity is good business. After a final musical selection, the program, organized by the OSM EEO staff, lead by Diane Wood, was closed and refreshments were served.

Photographs by Tami Heilemann