The theme for this year’s Pride Month, as selected by Equality USDA, is “Changing the Landscape,” and highlight’s USDA’s commitment to continuing to be a leader in promoting LGBTQ+ inclusion and rights.
INDIANAPOLIS - In the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar. Violent protests erupted in the nearby streets for the next six days. One year later, on the first anniversary of the raid, the first gay pride march was held in NYC and cities throughout the country.
Fifty-four years later, that one day event has spread to encompass the entire month of June, during which Pride Month is annually celebrated. USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service in Indiana (NRCS) is observing this important heritage month by honoring the work that has been accomplished and all that must still be done to promote inclusion for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) employees, landowners and farmers.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has taken great strides to foster and inclusive workplace and promote acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community. It was one of the first federal agencies to add sexual orientation to its Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Civil Rights’ Policy Statements, doing so in 1993, five years before the federal government’s nondiscrimination policy.
“NRCS is committed to helping any and all people help their land. ,” said David Doctorian, acting state conservationist for NRCS in Indiana. “Under the leadership of the Biden Harris administration, NRCS is committed to hiring a diverse workforce and ensuring we are equitably providing conservation assistance to all.”
USDA has continued to be at the forefront of LBGTQ inclusivity in the federal workplace. In 2009, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, in his first stint leading the agency, expanded the special emphasis programs to include LGBTQ+ and officially recognized June as PRIDE month. In 2011, he added gender identity and expression to USDA’s Civil Rights Policy. These milestones are steps to ensure that USDA is a welcoming workplace for all of us to help people help the land.
The theme for this year’s Pride Month, as selected by Equality USDA, is “Changing the Landscape,” and highlight’s USDA’s commitment to continuing to be a leader in promoting LGBTQ+ inclusion and rights.
“When we understand the past, we can learn and lead the way towards acceptance, inclusion, and equality,” said Vilsack. “This theme should be a call to action for all of us. With a collective commitment to centering dignity and respect in our work, USDA is changing the landscape of American agriculture, the food supply chain, and rural communities for the better.”
If you are interested in learning more about working with USDA as a LGBTQ+ producer, visit https://www.farmers.gov/your-business/lgbtq.
“We’re proud of USDA’s history of LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace,” said Indiana LGBTQ+ Special Emphasis Manager Patrick Glassman. “In the past, we have had booths at Lafayette’s Outfest, as well as the USDA sponsored Out & Equal Workplace Summit in Washington, DC. Our past state conservationist has led the way by attending the Cultivating Change Summit alongside me in Des Moines, IA.”
Please join us as we honor and celebrate the LBGTQ producers and NRCS employees throughout the state of Indiana who play a vital role in the state’s agriculture industry. For more information about Pride Month, visit https://www.loc.gov/lgbt-pride-month/.
#
Contacts:
David Doctorian, Acting State Conservationist, 317.295.5801 (David.doctorian@usda.gov)
Patrick Glassman, LGBTQ+ Special Emphasis Program Manager 219.866.8554 (patrick.glassman@usda.gov)
Kris Vance, State Public Affairs Specialist, 317.295.5822 (kris.vance@usda.gov)