Note on Pride Month from Johnson director
2018-06-19
From Johnson Space Center Director Mark Geyer to the center’s workforce:
As you’ve seen with the banners at the gates and articles in Roundup Today, June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month. LGBT Pride month is held annually during June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Riots and now includes a variety of events such as parades, festivals, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts. The first Houston Pride Parade was held in 1978.
This special observance is one of many held throughout the year to recognize and honor the contributions of LGBT Americans to the cultural richness of our country. It is also a chance to celebrate the accomplishments of our own JSC teammates who identify as LGBT. Some key contributors include Sally Ride, the first woman to travel into space, and Steve Riley, the founding Chair of JSC’s Out & Allied Employee Resource Group (ERG), who served as the Pride keynote speaker at Marshall Space Flight Center just this month.
Here at JSC, our LGBT Pride Month Observance is led by the Out & Allied ERG, a group of LGBT individuals and Allies whose primary focus is to ensure the full inclusion of every person at JSC regardless of their gender expression, gender identity, sex or sexual orientation. They work to foster an environment where all employees can bring their full, authentic selves to the workplace. This message resonates with me because when we recruit the very best people and harness their full potential, we position JSC for continued success in human space exploration.
As a champion for diversity and inclusion; I am an Ally to the LGBT community. I represented NASA at the parade in 2016. I also encourage you to consider participating in the upcoming Pride events. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Houston Pride, and NASA will be present at both the festival and the parade on June 23.
Mark
As part of the Houston Pride Celebration, the Out & Allied ERG is preparing for 2018.
Save these dates, and check back to the O&A ERG SharePoint site for details and updates:
As you’ve seen with the banners at the gates and articles in Roundup Today, June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month. LGBT Pride month is held annually during June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Riots and now includes a variety of events such as parades, festivals, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts. The first Houston Pride Parade was held in 1978.
This special observance is one of many held throughout the year to recognize and honor the contributions of LGBT Americans to the cultural richness of our country. It is also a chance to celebrate the accomplishments of our own JSC teammates who identify as LGBT. Some key contributors include Sally Ride, the first woman to travel into space, and Steve Riley, the founding Chair of JSC’s Out & Allied Employee Resource Group (ERG), who served as the Pride keynote speaker at Marshall Space Flight Center just this month.
Here at JSC, our LGBT Pride Month Observance is led by the Out & Allied ERG, a group of LGBT individuals and Allies whose primary focus is to ensure the full inclusion of every person at JSC regardless of their gender expression, gender identity, sex or sexual orientation. They work to foster an environment where all employees can bring their full, authentic selves to the workplace. This message resonates with me because when we recruit the very best people and harness their full potential, we position JSC for continued success in human space exploration.
As a champion for diversity and inclusion; I am an Ally to the LGBT community. I represented NASA at the parade in 2016. I also encourage you to consider participating in the upcoming Pride events. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Houston Pride, and NASA will be present at both the festival and the parade on June 23.
Mark
As part of the Houston Pride Celebration, the Out & Allied ERG is preparing for 2018.
Save these dates, and check back to the O&A ERG SharePoint site for details and updates:
- June 19: Dine with Pride 2018 at Chipotle
- June 20: Houston Pride Festival volunteer and participant meeting
- June 22: O&A Pride Month awards luncheon
- June 23: Houston Pride Festival and Parade
- June 25: Guest lecturer Kara Boling of AIG
Johnson Space Center Director Mark Geyer. Image Credit: NASA