Post by Bret Walker on Jun 22, 2004 8:26:01 GMT -5
OK I got this memo in my email today from Norman Mineta, the secretary of the Department of Transportation (my boss). I'm still trying to figure this out.
The thing I'm trying to figure out is this: If June is National Gay and Lesbian Pride month, and the country is so gung-ho to recognize this event, then why is our President and his administration working so hard to ban gay and lesbian marriage, to the point of putting in a Constitutional Amendment forbidding it? This is hypocracy of the highest magnitude, and I'm sure it's a campaign tool used by Bush to seek re-election. Hey, gays and lesbians, I'm George W. Bush, I'm your friend. What a two-faced coward.
THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20590
National Gay and Lesbian Pride Month
June 2004
Each year as part of our Special Emphasis Observances, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) recognizes June as National Gay and Lesbian Pride Month to highlight the strides and ongoing work of the gay and lesbian community, and our Nation's progress on the road to social equality. Gays and lesbians are our colleagues and friends, our sons and daughters, our neighbors and co-workers. We take this opportunity to increase our cultural awareness and celebrate the contributions and achievements of members of the gay and lesbian community, both to the work of the Department and to the Nation.
The Department is firmly committed to ensuring a workplace that promotes and fosters a climate in which all employees may participate, contribute, and grow to their full potential. We recognize and value our diverse workforce, including the many outstanding contributions made by the Department's gay and lesbian employees. Long-standing Federal policy prohibits discrimination against Federal employees based on sexual orientation. Federal agencies must enforce this policy and ensure that all Federal employees are protected from unfair treatment and discrimination at work.
Our commitment is one of basic fairness – the principle that all DOT employees will receive equal access and the opportunity to do the best work that they can. It is one that we at DOT reaffirm during this recognition of National Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. We have come a long way on our journey to create an environment of understanding and mutual respect. But, we still have a long way to go in our efforts to end discrimination. We cannot achieve true diversity merely through proclamations. Our greatest hope for a just society is to learn to respect one another, to appreciate our differences, and to recognize the fundamental values that we hold in common.
Gay and Lesbian Pride events are planned during the month of June throughout our country, as well as internationally. In commemorating National Gay and Lesbian Pride Month, I encourage each of you to participate in the upcoming activities in your area, celebrating diversity, civil liberties and equal rights for all.
Norman Y. Mineta
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20590
National Gay and Lesbian Pride Month
June 2004
Each year as part of our Special Emphasis Observances, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) recognizes June as National Gay and Lesbian Pride Month to highlight the strides and ongoing work of the gay and lesbian community, and our Nation's progress on the road to social equality. Gays and lesbians are our colleagues and friends, our sons and daughters, our neighbors and co-workers. We take this opportunity to increase our cultural awareness and celebrate the contributions and achievements of members of the gay and lesbian community, both to the work of the Department and to the Nation.
The Department is firmly committed to ensuring a workplace that promotes and fosters a climate in which all employees may participate, contribute, and grow to their full potential. We recognize and value our diverse workforce, including the many outstanding contributions made by the Department's gay and lesbian employees. Long-standing Federal policy prohibits discrimination against Federal employees based on sexual orientation. Federal agencies must enforce this policy and ensure that all Federal employees are protected from unfair treatment and discrimination at work.
Our commitment is one of basic fairness – the principle that all DOT employees will receive equal access and the opportunity to do the best work that they can. It is one that we at DOT reaffirm during this recognition of National Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. We have come a long way on our journey to create an environment of understanding and mutual respect. But, we still have a long way to go in our efforts to end discrimination. We cannot achieve true diversity merely through proclamations. Our greatest hope for a just society is to learn to respect one another, to appreciate our differences, and to recognize the fundamental values that we hold in common.
Gay and Lesbian Pride events are planned during the month of June throughout our country, as well as internationally. In commemorating National Gay and Lesbian Pride Month, I encourage each of you to participate in the upcoming activities in your area, celebrating diversity, civil liberties and equal rights for all.
Norman Y. Mineta
The thing I'm trying to figure out is this: If June is National Gay and Lesbian Pride month, and the country is so gung-ho to recognize this event, then why is our President and his administration working so hard to ban gay and lesbian marriage, to the point of putting in a Constitutional Amendment forbidding it? This is hypocracy of the highest magnitude, and I'm sure it's a campaign tool used by Bush to seek re-election. Hey, gays and lesbians, I'm George W. Bush, I'm your friend. What a two-faced coward.
