Official policies are improving, but the military still suffers from cultural blind spots regarding gay and lesbian troops that could be pushing talent out the door, outside advocates say.
On Sunday, leaders from the advocacy group GLAAD held a military roundtable as part of their Southern Stories Tour, a six-state, seven-day examination of the problems facing gay, bisexual and transgender individuals in America today following the 2011 repeal of "don't ask, don't tell."
The military event, held in Florida between other tour stops, featured 14 service members and military spouses discussing problems in the ranks with group leaders in an effort to provide a national platform for those concerns.
"What we're hearing is that the right policies are in place in the military, but the culture has not caught up yet," Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD, said. "There is still not enough infrastructure or connectivity for those troops."
That includes better counseling resources for same-sex couples ("Chaplains are not a place many will go," Ellis said), friendlier rules governing overseas assignments for those families and a more "embracing" attitude toward the value of diversity in the workplace, she said.
"We really need to be making the business case for the military, understanding that better attitudes lead to higher productivity from all employees," Ellis said. "It's the difference between folks saying 'this is an order' and 'this is a real, live concept of how to treat people.' "
Air Force 1st Lt. Hope Cronin, one of the airmen at the event, joined the force just days after the "don't ask, don't tell" repeal, and said she has enjoyed support from her commanding officers and fellow service members.
But she has still faced struggles. Before the Defense of Marriage Act repeal in 2013, Cronin and her wife faced problems living together during an overseas assignment in Japan. Other similar benefits and support services issues have been a periodic struggle for the couple.
"It can all be very frustrating, because everything didn't change overnight," Cronin said. "I feel as a service we've come so far in these last few years, but we still have a little further to go. There's still a gap."
Cronin, stationed at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, said she feels the needed changes are inevitable, given leaders' focus on the issues. Ellis said she wants to help keep pressure on those commanders to ensure they don't get complacent.
The conversation comes as military officials are reviewing their rules regarding transgender troops and recruits, whose recognition lags far behind gay and lesbian peers.
The individual services in recent months have reviewed or updated rules for dismissing transgender troops, requiring higher authority and standards for the moves. But Defense Department policy still bars them from serving openly.
Ellis said she hopes the new awareness campaign will help highlight their stories and struggles, and show the value of changing those rules.
For more on the Southern Stories tour, visit GLAAD's website.
Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.
