The Navy on Wednesday announced that it
was joining the nation in celebrating LGBT Pride.
Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus said in
a statement that the Navy has always lived by the principles of
eliminating prejudice and celebrating diversity.
“Americans have always worked to
fulfill that exceptional promise made at our founding,” Mabus said.
“We have continually broken down artificial barriers to equal
opportunity … Our military forces have followed that same history
and made themselves stronger and better and more effective because of
it.”
The Navy said that it would recognize
“LGBT service members and civilians for their dedicated service to
our country” throughout the month of June.
“Diversity is a source of strength
for the Navy, and is [a] key component to maintaining our highest
state of readiness,” said a Navy spokesperson. “Diversity
encompasses more than race and gender -- we seek to include diversity
of thought, background, language, culture and skills as well. Our
force comes from a diverse populous, and we are simply better at what
we do when we are more diverse. We want individuals to serve who are
right for the job regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, and
creed. Our goal is to ensure that the mission is carried out by the
best-qualified and the most capable service members.”
The United States dropped its “Don't
Ask, Don't Tell” policy in 2011, allowing gay men and lesbians to
serve openly.