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Blog Posts Related to the LGBT Community

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Champions of Change: Creating a Path to Transgender Equality

Dee Dee Chamblee, Executive Director and Founder of LaGender Inc., commemorates the 30th anniversary of the HIV/AIDS pandemic by highlighting gender identity education and equal rights for every American.
June 9, 2011 at 11:15 AM ET by Dee Dee Chamblee

Lessons from Three Decades of HIV/AIDS

Cleve Jones, founder of The NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, reflects on lessons from the darkest days of HIV/AIDS as we enter the fourth decade of the pandemic.
June 8, 2011 at 5:52 PM ET by Cleve Jones

Continuing Steps to Implement the National HIV/AIDS Strategy as the Pandemic Turns 30

As we reflect on the thirtieth year of the HIV pandemic, Jeffrey Crowley, Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy, shares two developments at the White House as we mark this somber, but important milestone.
June 7, 2011 at 3:22 PM ET by Jeffrey S. Crowley

Promoting the Dialogue on HIV/AIDS

Christian Castro, a Program Director in the Latino Commission on AIDS, describes the importance of mobilizing communities and sharing stories to better address HIV/AIDS.
June 7, 2011 at 1:00 PM ET by Christian F. Castro

Champions of Change: HIV/AIDS – 30 Years of Activism on the Frontlines

Brian Bond, Deputy Director of the Office of Public Engagement, commemorates thirty years of the fight against HIV/AIDS. The anniversary marks an opportunity to raise awareness and improve research on this pandemic.
June 6, 2011 at 5:18 PM ET by Brian Bond

Winning the Future for LGBT Americans

Kicking off Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month, the Office of Public Engagement has launched a new webpage, Winning the Future: President Obama and LGBT Americans.
June 1, 2011 at 6:06 PM ET by Brian Bond

Defending the Rights of the LGBTQ Community

The Department of Justice’s Office of Victims of Crime has released a grant program designed to ensure that all crime victims, including LGBTQ individuals, receive comprehensive, quality services and are afforded fundamental rights.
May 26, 2011 at 5:03 PM ET by Lynn Rosenthal

Celebrating LGBT Pride & AAPI Heritage Month

Earlier this week at an event hosted by the White House, I listened as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) youth told compelling stories about the challenges and triumphs of living at the intersections of race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender and gender identity.
May 25, 2011 at 9:07 AM ET by Hector Vargas

LGBT Families Get Moving at the Easter Egg Roll

On April 25th, the First Family hosted the 133rd Annual White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House. Read about the LGBT families who came from across the country to join the First Family in games, crafts, live music, healthy cooking demonstrations, sports activities, and, of course, egg rolling!
May 6, 2011 at 6:46 PM ET by Monique Dorsainvil

Ending Violence Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

At the United Nations Human Rights Council, some 85 countries join the United States in reaffirming our joint commitment to end acts of violence and human rights abuses on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
March 22, 2011 at 8:38 PM ET by Jesse Lee

African American LGBT Student Leaders Winning the Future

To celebrate the end of Black History Month, the White House welcomed 60 emerging African American LGBT student leaders for a discussion on leadership, public service, and winning the future.
March 4, 2011 at 4:39 PM ET by Monique Dorsainvil

A Call to Action: Leveraging Private Sector Support for the National HIV/AIDS Strategy

Organizations in the private sector are helping the Federal Government meets the goals outline in its National HIV/AIDS Strategy. These foundations and businesses are improving the quality of life of HIV/AIDS patients.
February 24, 2011 at 7:53 PM ET by Melody C. Barnes

Hospital Visitation Regulations Go Into Effect Today

Brian Bond, Deputy Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, gives an update on another important moment for equality.
January 18, 2011 at 5:41 PM ET by Brian Bond

A Personal Message from CEQ Chair Nancy Sutley: It Gets Better

White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley and several White House staffers participate in the It Gets Better Project.
December 23, 2010 at 12:47 PM ET by Nancy Sutley

The President Signs Repeal of "Don't Ask Don't Tell": "Out of Many, We Are One"

The President puts in motion the end of a policy that has hurt our military as a whole, that has forced thousands of those who serve to do so under a cloud of anxiety and isolation, and that has stood as a symbol of the barriers to unity and equality in our country.
December 22, 2010 at 12:35 PM ET by Jesse Lee

Repealing DADT: "History Making"

On the morning of December 22, hundreds of people came together to watch as the President signed the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell into law. Throughout the week, media outlets across the country have called the repeal a significant moment in civil rights history.
December 22, 2010 at 11:55 AM ET by Sarah Bernard

Gay-Straight Alliance Students Visit the White House

A look back at the meeting at the White House with 250 middle and high school students from 17 Gay-Straight Alliances in the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region.
December 21, 2010 at 12:36 PM ET by Monique Dorsainvil

White House Staff: It Gets Better

Inspired by President Obama’s video, LGBT White House staffers add their voices to the It Gets Better Project.
December 20, 2010 at 4:59 PM ET by Karine Jean-Pierre

Ending Don't Ask Don't Tell

Today, I had one of those “once in a lifetime” moments. As I sat in the Senate Gallery with my bosses, White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina and Director of the Office of Public Engagement Tina Tchen, I saw history being made as the US Senate voted 65 to 31 to pass the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010
December 18, 2010 at 6:50 PM ET by Brian Bond

The President on the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010: "An Historic Step"

President Obama releases a statement on the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010, following the Senate's historic step toward ending a policy that undermines our national security.
December 18, 2010 at 1:36 PM ET by Kori Schulman

What They’re Saying: Repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

A round-up of the overwhelming editorial support for repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell from every corner of the country.
December 2, 2010 at 5:06 PM ET by Tom Gavin

President Obama on the DOD Report on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

The President again urges Congress to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell” because "it weakens our national security, diminishes our military readiness, and violates fundamental American principles of fairness and equality by preventing patriotic Americans who are gay from serving openly in our armed forces."
November 30, 2010 at 5:03 PM ET by Jesse Lee

Secretary Vilsack: It Gets Better

If you have ever been bullied, Secretary Vilsack wants you to know that it gets better.
November 29, 2010 at 12:50 PM ET by Justin DeJong

It Gets Better: Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry

Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry shares his own video for youth who may be experiencing feelings of isolation because they are, or are perceived to be, gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (LGBT). As an openly gay man himself, he knows that life does get better for LGBT youth.
November 26, 2010 at 12:49 PM ET by John Berry

NIH-Funded Study Finds Daily Dose of Antiretroviral Drug Reduces Risk of HIV

Jeffrey S. Crowley, Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy, writes about the latest news on antiretroviral medications and HIV.
November 23, 2010 at 5:40 PM ET by Jeffrey S. Crowley

Vice President Biden: It Gets Better

In a video message, Vice President Biden offers support following the the tragic suicides of so many young people due to bullying and taunting.
November 18, 2010 at 10:31 AM ET by Brian Bond

President Obama: It Gets Better

As part of the It Gets Better Project, President Obama shares his message of hope and support for LGBT youth who are struggling with being bullied.
October 21, 2010 at 11:30 PM ET by Brian Bond

The President on "Don't Ask Don't Tell" at Youth Town Hall: "This Policy Will End"

Speaking at a town hall held jointly by MTV, BET, and CMT, the President reaffirms his commitment to repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
October 14, 2010 at 6:28 PM ET by Jesse Lee

"It Gets Better"

Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett speaks at the annual national dinner of the Human Rights Campaign to directly address the recent tragedies surrounding youth who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.
October 9, 2010 at 8:55 PM ET by Brian Bond

Video and Statement: Celebrating Archbishop Desmond Tutu

On Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s retirement, President Obama releases a statement and watch a never-before-seen video interview with the Archbishop from the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony.
October 7, 2010 at 1:05 PM ET by Kori Schulman