LI LGBT Group To Honor Veterans, Call For Repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” Policy

As Memorial Day approaches, Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY), The Long Island Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) Community Center (The Center), and Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders – Long Island (SAGE-LI) will be honoring the countless brave GLBT veterans on Long Island who have risked their lives serving our country at a special Veterans Reception on Thursday, May 21st at 7pm.  The Reception will be held at The Center located at 34 Park Avenue in Bay Shore.

Attendees will include anyone who has served at any time as well as friends, family, and allies.  We are asking elected officials and community leaders to attend in a show of support for the veterans as well as to advocate for the repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy, so that patriotic GLBT Americans may serve our nation openly with Pride.

The reception will salute these heroic veterans and show support for the repeal on the US Military ban on openly GLBT service members.

About  the Long Island Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Services Network
Long Island’s GLBT community is afforded a broad range of services through a unique collaborative effort of three organizations – Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY), the Long Island GLBT Community Center (The Center), and Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders – Long Island (SAGE-LI).
These three organizations comprise a multitude of services and programs that aim to provide safe spaces for GLBT people of all ages to find support and develop positive peer networks, increase individual health of GLBT people, and to reduce homophobia and transphobia in our communities. In working together, each organization is able to share resources, and thus reduce overhead costs and expenses. Each organization shares administration, programming space, and fundraising efforts making for an efficient system, and ensuring the money raised through grants, donations, and special events are maximized providing the greatest benefit to all of Long Island’s GLBT community.

From youth social programming to senior support, from programs for GLBT families to counseling and advocacy, and from advocating for marriage to training providers how to be sensitive to our needs, there is onecommunity and a network of services.