The Honest Passion to Give Back

LGBT Community Centers is being honored as a Champion of Change for its work ensuring safety, dignity, and equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, as demonstrated by the organization's video entry in the LGBT Pride Month Video Challenge.

Terry Stone wrote the following blog post on the organization's behalf.

I have worked professionally in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community for over 20 years and been involved in many worthwhile endeavors. But working with LGBT Community Centers is the most fulfilling job I have ever had. Centers are the places where you’ll find honest passion, honest dedication, and the honest desire to make our communities better. And the folks who work and volunteer at centers give not only their time but also their hearts.

Over 33,000 people walk through community center doors every week. Centers may be totally staffed by volunteers or they may have as many as 300 on staff. They provide services to a very diverse group of individuals: youth, older adults, the homeless, immigrants----the list just goes on and on. They provide mental health services, programs for people living with HIV, addiction recovery programs, computer training, wellness and nutrition classes.  They have book clubs, art galleries, libraries and film nights. They are the Pride celebration organizers. They mobilize the community for our rights and our equality. They help us connect. Centers are the place we go to celebrate; they’re the place we go when we need help; they’re the place we go to come out; and sometimes they’re the place we go to mourn.

It Gets Better

JJ Kahle is being honored as a Champion of Change for her work ensuring safety, dignity, and equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, as demonstrated by her inspiring video entry in the LGBT Pride Month Video Challenge.

I am humbled by the designation, “Champion of Change,” and I owe a huge debt of gratitude to all those heroes—both recognized and unsung—who have laid the groundwork. The greatest heroes of all are the beautiful GLBTQ youth I have come to know in my life. They are so strong and brave and they persevere. They have been my greatest teachers. I thank my partner and my boys for their love and support of me.

I am heartily appreciative of the President’s statement on his belief that all Americans deserve the same rights and privileges, regardless of their sexual orientation. As an educator, I extend this ideal to the belief that ALL students deserve a safe and supportive school environment in which to learn and grow. In our nation’s schools, it is vital that educators be directed and given the necessary training to insure that ALL of our children, including gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals, are safe and can thrive in our schools. It is imperative that ALL schools, private and public, independent and parochial, face this challenge head on.

Improving Hispanic Representation within Federal Service: The Role of the Office of Personnel Management

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) knows that Hispanics are underrepresented in the Federal workforce. However, with an 8.1% Hispanic representation government-wide, and Hispanic new hires doubling in the Senior Executive Service to 5.4%, we are moving in the right direction. 

OPM has recognized and acknowledged the potential and talent Hispanics bring to the Federal Workforce. As we expand outreach and recruitment within the Hispanic community, we want to ensure everyone at our agencies receives equal opportunities to advance in their career. We have made it a point to engage community members and Hispanic leaders in the discourse, exchange of ideas, and decisions regarding the careers of Hispanics within the Federal Workforce. We formed the Hispanic Council on Federal Employment (HCFE) to help us identify barriers, and implement solutions to address the needs and concerns of the Hispanic community.