Why I #ThankFrank

Before I was even born, a brave astronomer with the Army Map Service was fighting for equality for himself and other LGBT workers. Fired from his job in 1957 simply because he was gay, Frank Kameny sued the United States government. He was not victorious, but he did not give up. He protested outside the White House, he formed organizations, and he proudly displayed his “Gay is Good” signs and buttons.

In these times of incredible progress on LGBT equality it could be easy to forget a not-too-distant history when being gay was far more difficult, far more dangerous – and that an incredible injustice is what spurred a movement to make change.

In trying to conjure the times of Frank Kameny for friends I ask if they have yet seen “Imitation Game,” a powerful film about the mathematical genius Alan Turing, who was cruelly convicted and sentenced under the United Kingdom’s anti-gay laws in the 1950s. Here in the U.S. as well, gay people lived in fear of being “outed” and losing their dignity and their jobs simply because of who they were and who they loved, as we can see in a cache of archival papers recently unearthed. President Eisenhower blacklisted gays and lesbians by officially banning homosexuals from the civil service in 1953. The FBI rounded up and fired suspected gay people and prevented them from obtaining security clearances.

Frank Kameny was courageous when it was dangerous to be so. He was “out” when that was almost unheard of and had terrible repercussions. His tenacity, leadership and activism paved the way for all of us in the federal government who are LGBT and who can now serve openly and bring our full selves to work. As described by my incredibly talented colleague Carl Fillichio, it’s time to #ThankFrank. That’s why the Department of Labor is honoring Frank Kamenyby inducting him into the prestigious Labor Hall of Honor next week. He will take his rightful place alongside labor and industry “greats” including the legendary civil rights leader Bayard Rustin, another inspiring movement leader who withstood incredible discrimination because he was gay.

Today things could not be more different. I am so proud to work for a government and a Labor Department that welcomes the contributions of LGBT employees. Secretary Tom Perez has said this is certainly about justice AND that “we can’t afford to leave any talent on the bench.” Who could imagine a Labor Department without Rob Sadler serving so skillfully all these years in the solicitor’s office? Without Tony Rios and his husband, Joe Remmel, who ensure workers get their benefits. Without Libby Hendrix and Tim Helm working for decades to make sure workers were paid a fair wage? We simply would not be the same department without ALL of our incredible colleagues, and we all stand on the shoulders of Frank Kameny.

We can all best honor and “thank Frank” with action and that is exactly what we are doing. Here at the Department of Labor, we have implemented President Obama’s executive order that prohibits employment discrimination by federal contractors based on sexual orientation and gender identity. We have updated our policies on workers compensation, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and retirement benefits to ensure that all married couples − gay or straight − are treated the same. We also have given guidance to employers on how they can provide safe access to restroom facilities for transgender workers, for whom such a simple need is often denied.

You can read more about these and our other accomplishments in our new report, “The Department of Labor − Advancing LGBT Workplace Rights.” However, our work as a nation is not done; there are still plenty of LGBT and other workers in the U.S. who do not yet have the protections they deserve. But in the spirit of Frank Kameny and Bayard Rustin, we commit ourselves to the next leg of this historic march to progress.

Originally published June 19, 2015.