MINNEAPOLIS - June is nationally acknowledged as Pride month.
The purpose is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on history. That recognition has been a slow and painful process in some corners of these United States, one of them being in our military.
This weekend VFW Post 246 in Uptown is trying to right some wrongs, and welcome, LGBT service members who have fought in a war.
The VFW posts began 120 years ago. The point was to gather a group with a common bond to fight for veteran’s rights, recognition and access to services. Its ranks were earned by those who literally fought for this country's promise, but it's ranks and posts are dwindling.
“There used to be about 11,400 (posts) at the heyday but we are losing more and more every day because it just hasn't been a place of inclusion,” US Army war veteran James Mccloden said.
According to Mccloden, right now 83% of the VFW membership is over the age of 70 and the vast majority are white males.
“That is not to say anything bad about the people before us because they built the organization into what it is today but it just needs to mirror not only the military but the community,” Mccloden went on to say.
To be more specific, they want every single one of you, no matter who you are, to join them if you served in the U.S. military in a conflict.
“We want them to join us, we want women, LGBTQ, we want the VFW to look like what the military looks like,” U.S. Air Force Iraq war veteran Jennifer Mead said.
Yes, you heard that right.
They want LGBTQ rank and file, in their ranks.
“We are there to thank them for their service because for so long they had to hide who they were or they faced criminal punishment in the military or they were kicked out and they sacrificed more than we did frankly to have to hide who they were and still serve this country,” Mead said of LGBTQ military who served before 2011.
It's quite a shift if you think of it politically because until 2011 the military banned openly gay people from serving, even though they did serve.
Hiding who they were, to die, for a country that would have fired them for who they were.
When asked how would they try and recruit this weekend at the PRIDE celebration in Loring Park, which they will be doing, Jennifer said, “I would say give us a chance, we mean what we say, we do want you here. We want your voice here.”
VFW Post 246 in Uptown is located at 2916 Lyndale Ave. S. in Uptown.
James and Jennifer will be at the VFW Post 246 in Loring Park to begin their outreach to LGBTQ veterans who served in war this weekend.