Air Force to Help Members and Families Affected by Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws
press release from the Department of the Air Force. It is available to members of the Air Force and the Space Force. The department is the only branch of the armed forces to make such an announcement.It’s “an incredibly unusual move,” HuffPost notes, and has not been widely publicized, except for the press release and an announcement to service members, both of which came last month, and a Federal News Network article.
It stands to help families in a variety of states, including Florida, which recently enacted an infamous “don’t say gay” law restricting school curriculum; Alabama, which has made it a felony to provide gender-affirming care to minors; and Texas, where the governor has ordered that parents who support their children’s gender transition be investigated for child abuse, although the order is temporarily on hold because of a lawsuit.
Several other states have passed or are considering anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, such as bans on trans youth’s participation in school sports under their gender identity.“The health, care and resilience of our [Department of the Air Force] personnel and their families is not just our top priority — it’s essential to our ability to accomplish the mission,” Air Force Undersecretary Gina Ortiz Jones said in the press release.
Jones is a lesbian, one of many out officials in President Joe Biden’s administration. “We are closely tracking state laws and legislation to ensure we prepare for and mitigate effects to our Airmen, Guardians [Space Force members] and their families.
