Sce 1982, the Gay Officers Actn League has moved to bridge the divis between themselv and the people they’re sworn to protect.
Contents:
- JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR US-BASED PRO LEAGU
- COMG OUT AT WORK: WHAT 'S LIKE TO BE A GAY P NEW JERSEY
- THE COPS STANDG WH, AND FOR, THE GAY COMMUNI THEY SERVE
- RANTZ: GAY PS RAIL AGAST SEATTLE PRI BAN AS GROUPS PH THEM ‘BACK CLOSET’
- GAY OFFICER’S ACTN LEAGUE
JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR US-BASED PRO LEAGU
Kev Maxen, an associate strength ach wh the Jacksonville Jaguars, has bee the first male ach a major U.S.-based profsnal league to e out as gay. * gay police officers twitter *
Michael Sam beme the first openly gay player to be drafted when the then-St.
COMG OUT AT WORK: WHAT 'S LIKE TO BE A GAY P NEW JERSEY
Jam Tracy me out as gay to his police joed the Englewood Cliffs police partment 2002, but 10 years passed before he revealed his secret.
THE COPS STANDG WH, AND FOR, THE GAY COMMUNI THEY SERVE
“I was gettg lls om gay police officers all over the untry sayg thgs like ‘Hey, thanks for the publicy and gettg out there', ” he said. ”It's not always easy to be a p who is gay, but each step forward helps pave the way for a better future work environment, Tracy ntu below galleryWell before Tracy ever put on the police uniform, Wtwood police Officer Larry Schwartz helped pave the way for gay officers. Schwartz remends other gay ps get volved and take the time to fd peers and seek help if there are road for officers who e out as gay to lleagu has not always been smooth.
RANTZ: GAY PS RAIL AGAST SEATTLE PRI BAN AS GROUPS PH THEM ‘BACK CLOSET’
“It’s part of the tnal program bee people might not nsir themselv homophobic or racist, but have unrlyg patterns that are, ” Tracy said. But as the print of the force’s only LGBTQ aternal anizatn — the Gay Officers Actn League, or GOAL — his other role is to serve and support his brothers and sisters drsed blue … and rabows. Gay police officers straddle two worlds: Outsi the force, they are sometim viewed wh spicn by their own kd.
GAY OFFICER’S ACTN LEAGUE
As part of the force, they’re navigatg the very stutn largely rponsible for the vlence that led to the morn gay rights movement. In fact, the gay rights movement was born out of a rt agast the police.
In 1969, New York Cy officers raid the Stonewall Inn, a gay club Greenwich Village, sparkg vlent protts and clash that lasted six days. And back then, as now, the stggle between beg both a p and a gay activist wasn’t easily renciled. “I’m very proud of beg a New York Cy policeman, and I’m equally proud of beg gay, ” he said to a stunned dience.