1 00:00:02,240 --> 00:00:04,407 when I came into the service of course 2 00:00:04,407 --> 00:00:06,518 it was under . Don't ask , don't tell 3 00:00:06,518 --> 00:00:08,629 and paranoia is the word that I would 4 00:00:08,629 --> 00:00:11,270 use just every day concerned for my 5 00:00:11,270 --> 00:00:14,370 career and inability to actually say 6 00:00:14,370 --> 00:00:16,537 anything about what I was doing on the 7 00:00:16,537 --> 00:00:20,320 weekend . Just imagine not being 8 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:22,520 able to tell your friends at work what 9 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:24,742 it is that you did that weekend because 10 00:00:24,742 --> 00:00:24,670 you went to the movies with your 11 00:00:24,670 --> 00:00:28,550 girlfriend when you're 12 00:00:28,550 --> 00:00:30,661 under a policy that prevents you from 13 00:00:30,661 --> 00:00:32,772 being who you truly are . You need to 14 00:00:32,772 --> 00:00:35,590 spend energy protecting yourself and 15 00:00:35,590 --> 00:00:38,290 that slows you down . It puts a filter 16 00:00:38,290 --> 00:00:40,910 in between your thoughts and your 17 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:43,210 actions or the words that you say . 18 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:47,110 I came out as a lieutenant colonel in 19 00:00:47,110 --> 00:00:50,380 2000 and 11 . And so so I was already 20 00:00:50,380 --> 00:00:53,720 of a rank that I felt probably people 21 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:56,370 are going to be more respectful of me . 22 00:00:56,380 --> 00:00:59,530 And so I truly did not know what it is 23 00:00:59,530 --> 00:01:01,641 that a senior Airman would be exposed 24 00:01:01,641 --> 00:01:03,641 to or or a young lieutenant type of 25 00:01:03,641 --> 00:01:06,230 thing . Uh And so just a couple of , a 26 00:01:06,230 --> 00:01:08,397 couple of years ago then we decided to 27 00:01:08,397 --> 00:01:10,619 start researching and looking into that 28 00:01:10,619 --> 00:01:12,730 and we needed to decide do we want to 29 00:01:12,730 --> 00:01:15,750 have a barrier analysis working group . 30 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:18,407 So lit is actually the first part , so 31 00:01:18,407 --> 00:01:21,110 it's L G B T Q plus initiatives team , 32 00:01:21,110 --> 00:01:23,110 but more importantly is the barrier 33 00:01:23,110 --> 00:01:25,840 analysis working group which is part of 34 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:27,729 multiple working groups under the 35 00:01:27,729 --> 00:01:29,729 Department of Defense where we work 36 00:01:29,729 --> 00:01:32,670 together to actually really examine and 37 00:01:32,670 --> 00:01:34,890 dig into the policies procedures and 38 00:01:34,890 --> 00:01:37,230 practices that are part of the D . N . 39 00:01:37,230 --> 00:01:39,397 A . Of the Department of the Air Force 40 00:01:39,397 --> 00:01:41,270 and say does this procedure and 41 00:01:41,270 --> 00:01:43,650 practice exclude somebody . There's 42 00:01:43,650 --> 00:01:45,594 tons of policies that are just old 43 00:01:45,594 --> 00:01:48,350 policies and all it is is someone says 44 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:51,020 why is this in the policy and that 45 00:01:51,020 --> 00:01:53,076 there's something that you know , it 46 00:01:53,076 --> 00:01:55,298 was like this needs to change , right ? 47 00:01:55,298 --> 00:01:57,464 General Brown says to celebrate change 48 00:01:57,464 --> 00:01:59,464 or lose right ? And so when we want 49 00:01:59,464 --> 00:02:01,464 change we need to be a part of that 50 00:02:01,464 --> 00:02:03,464 change . I think one of the biggest 51 00:02:03,464 --> 00:02:05,631 accomplishments from the lid so far is 52 00:02:05,631 --> 00:02:07,798 getting pronouns officially authorized 53 00:02:07,798 --> 00:02:09,964 within the Department of the Air Force 54 00:02:09,964 --> 00:02:12,660 and it was all about enabling our folks 55 00:02:12,670 --> 00:02:14,392 to be their best selves and to 56 00:02:14,392 --> 00:02:17,010 authentically represent themselves to 57 00:02:17,010 --> 00:02:19,177 announce themselves as who they really 58 00:02:19,177 --> 00:02:22,960 are . We have normalized something as 59 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:25,600 simple as pronouns to allow people to 60 00:02:25,610 --> 00:02:28,400 help out each other to say , hey this 61 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:30,890 is who I am . So let me help address me 62 00:02:30,890 --> 00:02:33,370 correctly . And I think that's a huge 63 00:02:33,370 --> 00:02:36,340 part of not only helping individuals be 64 00:02:36,340 --> 00:02:38,940 seen as who they are , but it's also a 65 00:02:38,940 --> 00:02:42,750 tool for leaders to say I see you 66 00:02:43,540 --> 00:02:45,760 and I recognize you for who you are , 67 00:02:47,340 --> 00:02:49,562 being , your authentic self is bringing 68 00:02:49,562 --> 00:02:51,729 everything that you are to the table . 69 00:02:51,780 --> 00:02:54,002 I go by that , you know , being my true 70 00:02:54,002 --> 00:02:55,502 self means I don't have to 71 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:59,080 compartmentalize who I am when I'm at 72 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:03,070 work or when I'm at home , I get 73 00:03:03,070 --> 00:03:06,150 to be myself , I don't have to live a 74 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:08,590 double life . I was one person at home , 75 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:10,770 I was somebody else at work . My wife 76 00:03:10,770 --> 00:03:13,270 and kids would call me julie everyone 77 00:03:13,270 --> 00:03:15,380 at work , still just knew me by male 78 00:03:15,380 --> 00:03:18,160 pronouns and my old name . And so not 79 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:21,000 having to live that double life means 80 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:24,960 that I can just kind of be all of 81 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:26,050 me all the time . 82 00:03:29,140 --> 00:03:32,380 Pride to me is an opportunity to 83 00:03:32,390 --> 00:03:34,501 reflect . It's an opportunity to look 84 00:03:34,501 --> 00:03:36,668 back and to recognize the shoulders of 85 00:03:36,668 --> 00:03:38,910 all the giants that we stand on . But 86 00:03:38,910 --> 00:03:40,743 it's also an opportunity to look 87 00:03:40,743 --> 00:03:43,840 forward to think about how much more 88 00:03:43,850 --> 00:03:45,480 there is to do . And it's an 89 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:47,424 opportunity to get our stories out 90 00:03:47,424 --> 00:03:49,580 there because our stories are what's 91 00:03:49,580 --> 00:03:51,930 going to drive those solutions to make 92 00:03:51,930 --> 00:03:54,730 it better so that we can do those 93 00:03:54,730 --> 00:03:56,841 things we need to do to fight and win 94 00:03:56,841 --> 00:04:00,110 in the future . I think in the 95 00:04:00,110 --> 00:04:02,840 military we have to be a second family 96 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:05,130 for so many people . And you can't come 97 00:04:05,130 --> 00:04:07,190 to your second family and have some 98 00:04:07,190 --> 00:04:09,950 people say , yeah , I accept you . I 99 00:04:09,950 --> 00:04:12,061 accept that you're willing to do this 100 00:04:12,061 --> 00:04:14,283 incredible thing for your country . But 101 00:04:14,283 --> 00:04:16,394 I don't accept all of you and I don't 102 00:04:16,394 --> 00:04:16,140 want to know about your family and I 103 00:04:16,140 --> 00:04:18,307 don't want to know who you are . Pride 104 00:04:18,307 --> 00:04:20,196 is about being yourself and about 105 00:04:20,196 --> 00:04:22,418 people really accepting you for who you 106 00:04:22,418 --> 00:04:24,418 are as yourself . And I don't think 107 00:04:24,418 --> 00:04:26,640 that there's anything more important to 108 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:28,696 being able to serve and to know even 109 00:04:28,696 --> 00:04:30,584 what service before self means if 110 00:04:30,584 --> 00:04:32,807 you're not allowed to be yourself try . 111 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:36,990 I really am excited that it's 112 00:04:36,990 --> 00:04:40,310 called pride because Pride is such a 113 00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:44,320 powerful word . It's a seamy word . 114 00:04:44,330 --> 00:04:46,840 And I think that's important because we 115 00:04:46,840 --> 00:04:49,120 need to all communities , whether 116 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:52,150 you're underserved or you're a majority , 117 00:04:52,240 --> 00:04:54,710 we need to stand up as all airmen and 118 00:04:54,710 --> 00:04:58,090 guardians together and say see us , 119 00:04:58,100 --> 00:05:01,670 see all of us see how we lead 120 00:05:01,670 --> 00:05:03,560 together inclusively . 121 00:05:04,740 --> 00:05:06,907 Undersecretary jones said , you know , 122 00:05:06,907 --> 00:05:09,073 to trust your leadership , we're there 123 00:05:09,073 --> 00:05:11,018 to work for you . You just have to 124 00:05:11,018 --> 00:05:13,240 raise your hand and be identified . The 125 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:15,407 half lit is there to help you with the 126 00:05:15,407 --> 00:05:18,550 L G B . T . Q . Plus issues . Um Let us 127 00:05:18,550 --> 00:05:22,500 help you , reach 128 00:05:22,500 --> 00:05:24,722 out to our work box , find our facebook 129 00:05:24,722 --> 00:05:28,350 page . Put your voice out there because 130 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:29,527 this is what we look 131 00:05:29,527 --> 00:05:36,250 for .