Page:2022 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Pride Month.pdf/1

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 * UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE 4000 DEFENSE PENTAGON WASHINGTON, D.C. 20301-4000
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The Department recognizes June 2022 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) Pride Month. During Pride Month, we commemorate the achievements and contributions of the LGBTQ+ community, to include service in defense of our Nation.

This year's Pride Month theme is "All Together." Our Total Force is comprised of Service members, civilian employees, and contractor personnel who serve together with dignity and pride. The Department welcomes all qualified individuals to serve, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation. We work together to promote an inclusive culture that ensures respect and equal opportunity for all members of the Department while leveraging their diversity of experiences and perspectives to the Department's strategic advantage.

As the Department commemorates Pride Month, we reaffirm our commitment to care for each other and cultivate an environment where all members of the Total Force can achieve their highest potential. We appreciate the contributions of the LGBTQ+ workforce and understand that inequity and discrimination undermine diversity's strategic advantage and our core values. As emerging threats to our national defense arise, let us remember the tremendous strength we derive from working together as teams of diverse individuals united by a common mission to defend the Nation. For more information on LGBTQ+ Pride Month, I encourage you to visit: https://www.defenseculture.mil/Human-Relations-Toolkit/Special-Observances.