>>>
>>> JUNE
>>> JUNE IS ACKNOWLEDGED AS PRIDE MONTH, WHY IS THAT?
THE PURPOSE IS TO RECOGNIZE THE
IMPACT THAT LESBIAN, GAY AND
BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER
INDIVIDUALS HAVE HAD ON
HISTORY.
HISTORY.
HISTORY. THAT RECOGNITION HAS BEEN A
PAINFUL PROCESS IN SOME
QUARTERS OF THE U.S. ONE OF
THEM IN THE MILITARY.
THIS WEEKEND VFW POST IN UPTOWN
IS TRYING TO FIX THIS.
THEY ARE PUBLICLY WELCOMING
LGBTQ SERVICE MEMBERS WHO HAVE
FOUGHT IN THE WAR.
WHY IS THAT?
I WILL LET THE VETERANS TELL
YOU.
YOU.
YOU. >>
YOU. >> REPORTER: THE BE ASKED --
THE VFW POST BEGAN 120 YEARS
AGO THE POINT WAS TO HAVE A
PLACE FOR VETERANS TO GATHER,
TO TALK ABOUT THEIR RIGHTS, TO
FIGHT A RECOGNITION AND ACCESS
TO SERVICES.
TO SERVICES. RANKS WERE EARNED BY THOSE WHO
FOUGHT FOR THIS COUNTRY'S
PROMISED.
PROMISED.
PROMISED. BUT IT'S RANKS, IT'S POSTS, ARE
DWINDLING.
DWINDLING. >> THERE USED TO BE ABOUT
11,000 BUT WE ARE LOSING MORE
AND MORE EVERY DAY.
IT HAS NOT BEEN A PLACE OF
INCLUSION.
INCLUSION. >> REPORTER: WHAT HE MEANS BY
THAT IS THIS.
>> 80 5% OF THE MEMBERSHIP IS
OVER 70.
OVER 70.
OVER 70. A MAJORITY OF THEM IS WHITE
MALES.
MALES.
MALES. THAT IS NOT TO SAY ANYTHING
BAD.
BAD.
BAD. IT
BAD. IT JUST NEEDS TO MIRROR THE
COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY. >> REPORTER: TO BE MORE
SPECIFIC JAMES, A VETERAN OF
PANAMA AND DESERT STORM, AND
JENNIFER, WANT EVERY SINGLE ONE
OF YOU, NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE,
TO JOIN THEM IF YOU FOUGHT IN A
WAR TOO.
WAR TOO.
WAR TOO. >> WE WANT THEM TO JOIN US.
WE WANT WOMEN, WE WANT LGBTQ,
WE WANT PEOPLE OF COLOR.
WE WANT THE VFW TO LOOK LIKE
WHAT THE MILITARY LOOKS LIKE.
>> REPORTER: THEY WANT LGBTQ
RANK AND FILE IN THEIR RANKS.
>> WE ARE THERE TO THANK THEM
FOR THEIR SERVICE.
FOR SO LONG THEY HAD TO HIDE
WHO THEY WERE, OR THEY FACED
CRIMINAL PUNISHMENT IN THE
MILITARY OR THEY WERE KICKED
OUT.
OUT.
OUT. THEY
OUT. THEY SACRIFICED MORE THAN WE
DID, QUITE FRANKLY, TO HIDE WHO
THEY WERE AND STILL SERVE THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. >> REPORTER: IT IS QUITE A
SHIFT POLITICALLY UNTIL 2011
THE U.S. MILITARY BAND OPENLY
GAY PEOPLE FROM SERVING.
EVEN THOUGH THEY DID TO SERVE,
AS SHE SAID, HIDING WHO THEY
WERE, TO DIE FOR A COUNTRY THAT
WOULD HAVE FIRED THEM FOR WHO
THEY WERE.
THEY WERE. >> THERE HAVE BEEN GAYS SERVING
IN THIS MILITARY FOREVER.
SINCE THE REVOLUTION.
THAT IS JUST A FACT.
>> REPORTER: WHAT WOULD BE
YOUR SALES PITCH TO A LGBTQ
SERVICEMEMBER WHO IS STILL A
LITTLE BIT AFRAID OF PLACES
LIKE THE VFW?
>> I WOULD SAY, GIVE US A
CHANCE.
CHANCE.
CHANCE. WE MEAN WHAT WE SAY.
WE DO WANT YOU HERE.
WE WANT YOUR BOYS HERE.
>> REPORTER: THAT WELCOME HAS
EXTENDED TO TRANSGENDER WAR
VETERANS AS WELL.
THESE TWO VETERAN SAY COME AS
YOU ARE.
YOU ARE.
YOU ARE. >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. IF YOU SERVED THIS COUNTRY WE
WANT YOU TO BE HEARD.
>> THIS WEEKEND IS PRIDE IN THE
TWIN CITIES.
TWIN CITIES. THEY ARE BOTH GOING TO BE
THERE, JAMES AND JENNIFER WILL
BE THERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS
ABOUT THE VFW AND INVITE THEM
TO JOIN THEM.
>> IT JUST SEEMS TO MAKE SENSE.
YOU FOUGHT ALONGSIDE THESE
FOLKS, JOIN THEM AFTER YOUR
SERVICE.
SERVICE.
SERVICE. >> YOU CAN SEE THE RETICENCE IN
THE GAY COMMUNITY THOUGH.
THE VFW STILL SEEMS LIKE A
PLACE WHERE I COULD BE
EXPLODED.
EXPLODED.
EXPLODED. IT IS NOT THEIR FAULT.
THEY HAVE TO GO OUT AND INVITE
THEM TO COME