The second part of the Spectrum club, Rivera reiterated, was its trying to bridge the gap among queer service members, queer cadets and allies throughout the Corps of Cadets. It makes (the) cadets better off now that they know they have a safe support network of other cadets who have that same experience as them.” “I think when we allow Spectrum and allow that community to foster and grow, it makes a tighter bond among the LGBTQ-Plus community here. “What we try to do at Spectrum is have more social events to allow queer cadets to share their experiences, to build that community that we don’t get in classes, in the barracks or during general trainings because it just doesn’t come up in conversation naturally,” Rivera said.
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Rivera said the mission of the Spectrum club is to provide a safe support network for cadets and allies, to include officers, while trying to bridge the gap between members of Spectrum with the rest of the Corps of Cadets. However, the first part is providing a safe social support network for gay members of the Corps of Cadets. “That is just not acceptable and that’s why we need more visibility and recognition at West Point and in the Army - and that’s why Spectrum matters for us here.” Soldier and, in some cases, being denied promotions and positions because of your sexuality,” Rivera said. “You are told you don’t fit the right image of a U.S. Rivera, who participates in the Spirit Band and is a member of the CrossFit Black and Gold team, spoke about those many discriminatory forms to include being told, “you aren’t masculine enough to serve or you’re too flamboyant for the military.” Even though it allowed queer service members to be open about their sexuality, it did not outlaw discrimination at all and that’s the problem we still face today is discrimination of queer service members in a variety of forms.” “This year is 10 years since that was repealed. “I think we’re all generally familiar with the history of LGBTQ-Plus service members in the military, starting with the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ in 2011,” Rivera, a chemistry major, said. Rivera was the first to take the microphone to speak to the audience about his experience as a member of the Spectrum club, an LGBTQ-Plus themed cadet club. He talked about why the Spectrum club matters at West Point and why “queer visibility and recognition is so important.” Johnathan-Scott (JD) Davidson, the emcee for the observance event.ĭavidson introduced both speakers for the event: Class of 2023 Cadet Frankie Rivera and Maj Chad Plenge, the Center for Junior Officers operations officer at West Point. “We’re observing this event today (April 23) to provide an opportunity to our cadet population before they depart … to recognize the wonderful diversity that makes up our community at large and within the Army ranks,” said now 2nd Lt. Corps of Cadets LGBT Pride Month observance titled “Pride in All who Serve,” took place April 23 at the Riverside Café in Eisenhower Hall and virtually on Microsoft Teams to include cadets who were going to be either graduated or doing some form of leadership detail or summer training this month. The observance started as a single day but now runs through June to commemorate the events of June 1969 and the work of many in the gay community to achieve equal justice and equal opportunity for LGBTQ-Plus Americans. The observance of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month is celebrated each year during the month of June. The Stonewall riots proved to be a tipping point and one of the most important events leading to the gay liberation movement in the years that followed.
Army gay pride meme series#
In the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, in response to a police raid and violence toward homosexuals at the Stonewall Inn in Manhattan, members of the gay community spontaneously began a series of demonstrations from the unjust actions now known as the Stonewall riots.
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(Photo Credit: Eric Bartelt) VIEW ORIGINAL Maj Chad Plenge, the Center for Junior Officers operations officer at West Point and the officer-in-charge of the Spectrum club, asked people to get into the thought process of where West Point and the Army are with dealing with the gay community within its ranks during the Pride Month observance April 23. Plenge wanted to empower people to ask questions and learn a little bit more about the gay community for the future, whether it’s at West Point or in the Army, and help make a difference in someone’s life. (Photo Credit: Eric Bartelt) VIEW ORIGINAL 2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption –
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Corps of Cadets LGBT Pride Month observance April 23 at the Riverside Cafe. Class of 2023 Cadet Frankie Rivera speaks about the Spectrum club, an LGBTQ-Plus themed cadet club, during the U.S.