Celebrating Pride in Government
On the most recent FEDtalk program, we celebrated Pride Month with a discussion LGBTQ+ inclusivity in government. The program begins with a fireside chat with Shawn Skelly, Assistant Secretary of Defense (ASD) for Readiness at the Department of Defense (DOD) and continues with a discussion on the issues with Linda Ortiz, LGBTQ Program Manager at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and Karla Walter, Senior Director for Employment Policy at the Center for American Progress (CAP).
The Honorable Shawn Skelly discusses her experience in government and the value of inclusivity for national security. ASD Skelly was the second transgender individual confirmed by the U.S. Senate to a leadership position in the federal government. Prior to her confirmation, ASD Skelly co-founded Out in National Security, an organization dedicated advancing equal opportunity across the national security community.
“LGBTQ people are found in every segment of society no matter which way you cut it. The fact that LGBTQ people are in and can serve in national security is something we found wasn’t sufficiently stated… [We founded Out in National Security] to demystify it in some respect and show the young people out there that there is a place for them, and you will find a place for yourself in this community… If you are serving all of the country as explicitly as national security does, as does every other part of the federal government, it needs to be clear we are represented while we are serving everyone else… We do represent America and you should feel that you can find your place there,” ASD Skelly explained.
ASD Skelly explains how ensuring the workplace is a welcoming and inclusive environment advances national security goals. She notes how it takes a “network of professionals” from many different backgrounds, career paths, and competencies to work together to advance national security priorities. “People who can do [these jobs] and who want to do these jobs can be found in every demographic of American life… As the Secretary of Defense has said, our most important asset is our people,” ASD Skelly explains.
ASD Skelly continues to explain how the Department of Defense has instituted reforms in the decade since Don’t Ask Don’t Tell to ensure all employees can live their most authentic lives.
LGBTQ Program Manager Ortiz and Senior Director for Employment Policy Walter continue the conversation with their views on the current state of LGBTQ+ inclusivity in the workforce. Ortiz and Walter will discuss barriers to inclusivity and how to break past them.
Ortiz discusses her experience of over 30 years in government witnessing how leadership buy-in impacts the focus on inclusivity. “It depends on the administration that is in office, that is what triggers in our agency the kind of focus we will have. I have seen from zero focus to we have better ‘check the box’ to ‘ok we need a program manager and training, etc.’ In the last year alone, because of the Executive Orders I have been able to go around and develop a gender-neutral language guide… It is changing and it is a good change,” Ortiz said.
Walter discusses general workforce trends on inclusivity. She notes how the aging federal workforce requires a new emphasis on recruiting the next generation of federal employees. “We know that young people, LGBTQ folks and their allies, take very seriously that workers full identity is respected and valued in the workplace… That is why it is so important that if the federal workforce wants to be a place that young workers want to come, it needs to be able to do this work to make the workforce an open and accepting place,” Water explained.
Ortiz and Walter continue to conversation with addressing barriers to inclusivity and how the government may overcome these barriers.
The show aired live on Friday, June 17, 2022, at 11:05 am EST on Federal News Network. You can stream the show online anytime via the Federal News Network app and listen to the FEDtalk podcast on all major podcasting platforms.
You can stream the show online anytime on Federal News Network or listen to FEDtalk on all major podcasting platforms. FEDtalk is a live talk show produced by Shaw Bransford & Roth P.C., a federal employment law firm. Bringing you the insider’s perspective from leaders in the federal community since 1993.