Tuesday,
December 30, 2003
President
Transgender
American Veterans Association (TAVA)
Dear
Monica,
As President of the Washington D.C.
Chapter of American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER DC) I would like to extend
our full support of the TAVA March to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC,
on Saturday, May 1, 2004. As a gay veteran and member of another lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender (LGBT) veterans organization I recognize the immense
need to honor All veterans and their service to our country. Missing for much too long from these honorary
celebrations have been the LGBT veterans community as a whole, but most
especially the transgender veterans community.
As the AVER chapter in our nation’s capital, we encourage attendance by
not only all transgender veterans, but all veterans who believe in equal rights
and honoring military service regardless of sexual orientation or gender
identity. Transgender veterans have
contributed valiantly over the years to the preservation of our freedoms
through military service and great sacrifice, often in painful silence. Let’s join together on May 1st
drawing a significant group of supporters from across this country to break
that silence and stand together lifting our voices in honor of Transgender
veterans! Best wishes for an
outstanding, successful event that provides increased visibility, hard earned
and delayed recognition and healing for Transgender veterans!
Sincerely,
Tony
Smith
Chapter
President
American
Veterans for Equal Rights
Washington
D.C. Chapter (AVER DC)