When lawmakers and White House officials make policy decisions based on Pentagon data, how much of that work was collected, analyzed and presented by LGBT military personnel, civilians and contractors?
The U.S. Department of Defense's FED GLOBE—an educational non-profit organization that advocates for and about LGBT DOD employees—has launched its National Value Project to collect data that will ensure the contributions of LGBT employees are fully understood, documented and appreciated.
"This data will prove beyond any doubt that our community has provided and continues to provide national value," said Lisa Kove, executive director of the DOD FED GLOBE. "An objective analysis that demonstrates in many areas that LGBT
[people] have over and over again provided this great nation [with] value, will teach even those that fear us that they need us and should treat us with respect."
Kove said her group is looking for documentation of the value added by LGBT military personnel and LGBT civilians and contractors to federal agencies. This documentation will come in the form of awards, medals or letters of gratitude and recognition from the federal government for work that has saved money, solved problems, and demonstrated leadership and innovation.
"Most people that have worked for the federal government either as civilians, military and/or contractors have received a letter explaining how they helped our nation," Kove said.
The DOD FED GLOBE is asking LGBT employees of the DOD to submit copies of these letters of recognition to the National Value Project. Subject matter experts will then analyze the data, and the resulting report will then be sent to other LGBT organizations in the D.C. area to distribute when lobbying for LGBT-related legislation.
Kove said the report will take the focus on LGBT individuals from "the realm of the subjective or emotional, and [instead] focus everything on an objective conclusion that we are people that provide very good things and should not be discriminated against."
DOD FED GLOBE will share its final report with its affiliate, FED GLOBE, and the Service Members Legal Defense Network, both of which interact with the executive and legislative branches of the federal government. Other organizations can request the report, but Kove said because it is being compiled to benefit the LGBT community, the data and related report would likely only be released to LGBT-related organizations.
Kove hopes that the National Value Project will have a "domino effect," proving the LGBT community's value to policymakers at the federal, state and local levels.
Those interested in submitting their letters of recognition to add to this analysis and the report, can e-mail them to Lisa Kove at eyescu_92116@yahoo.com, or can submit documents at the DOD FED GLOBE website. Also on the site, people can volunteer to be subject matter experts—including political scientists, sociologists, psychologists, economists, accountants, legal historians and government analysts.
Lisa Kove is the executive director of DOD FED GLOBE, and it is not her intent to imply that her statements are in any way, shape or form the opinion of her employer, the Department of Defense.
