NEWS AND NOTES FROM EQUALITY USDA The employee resource group for LGBTQ+ employees and retirees at USDA

Message from the President

Hello Equality USDA members and friends,

I hope the start of fall and a new fiscal year finds you in good spirits. During the month of October, we ob- serve LGBTQ+ history month and celebrate those icons and historic figures who bent the arc of the moral universe toward justice, one act at a time. You can find more info and resources on LGBTQ+ history in this newsletter.

We’ve had a recent change on the Executive Board of Equality USDA. Partnership Liaison Tim Sheehan resigned his position over the summer. Randi Johnson has been appointed by the Executive Board to serve as the Partnership Liaison. Randi ran for Office in Equality USDA last fall and lost by a narrow margin. She is Director of the Global Change Division at the Na- tional Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) in USDA. She’s served on the board of the non -profit Transgender Education Association of greater Washington, D.C. (TGEA) for the past 6 years. We are happy to welcome Randi to the Equality USDA Board!! Photo above: Randi Johnson, Partnership Liaison

The Executive Board is finalizing the updated Bylaws for a membership vote in December. The updated By- laws were reviewed by a small group of members; we are now addressing their comments. In addition to working on the Bylaws, the Board drafted a Strategic Plan and annual Business Plan. We’re also working on updating our communications platforms, including our website and social media. We look forward to shar- ing all of this with you soon.

The Executive Board is also establishing committees focused on Community Outreach and Engagement and coordinating the annual Pride Observance. If you have an interest in one of these committees, or an initia- tive you would like to suggest, contact the Equality USDA Executive Board at [email protected].

Coming soon to the newsletter- Member's Corner! A page devoted to our members to voice personal sto- ries, why they advocate for LGBTQ+ equality, and/or initiatives they support from Equality USDA. Write us at [email protected] to share your story or event.

To all the brave trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming federal employees and family members - We see you. We are with you. You are not alone. You cannot be erased. We love you. We are family.

Meghan Walter Equality USDA President https://www.facebook.com/EqualityUSDA/

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Equality USDA Partnership Events

USDA employees attend the 2018 Out & Equal Workplace Summit

USDA employees joined 6,000 LGBTQ+ professionals in Seattle, Washington October 1-4 to share strategies and best practices to create workplaces which are inclusive of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions. NRCS, APHIS, FAS, FSIS, and the Forest Service were represented at the Summit. Other federal agencies in attendance include EPA, VA, CIA, NSA, FBI, Peace Corps, NASA, U.S. Patent and Trade Office, and the Department of Defense.

Thanks to APHIS for providing the funding for an outreach and recruitment booth at the Summit. Special Emphasis Program Managers (SEPMs) and Equality USDA members partnered on staffing the booth. We had so many great conversations with LGBTQ+ professionals and job seekers at the Summit who were ex- cited and amazed to see USDA there! And we learned from each other other—NRCS Oregon Soil Scientist Gabby Coughlin taught us that the diversity in the soil below our feet is as important as the diversity we cultivate in our workplaces.

As part of the Summit, Equality USDA Board members Meghan Walter, Kimberly Kelley, and Jeremy Wood delivered the Government Sector Leadership Day. The half-day session focused on generational diversity in LGBTQ+ spaces and included a panel with leaders of federal employee resource groups.

Photo above: Check out all the cool swag at our outreach

and recruitment booth at the Out & Equal Summit and

LGBTQ career fair!! Most popular items— • ”Your customer, Your coworker” posters • Mighty Mini Microbe soil health coloring books • LGBT Recruitment packet

Photo above: Jeremy Wood, Equality USDA Communi- cations Director, proudly welcomes visitors to the USDA booth. The blue, pink , and white flag is the trans Pride flag; the pink, purple and blue flag is the bisexual Pride flag. We received a lot of questions and compliments on our Pride flags—great conversation starters!

Photo above: Summit attendees are excited to talk with Equality USDA Vice President Kimberly Kelley and LGBTQ+ SEPM Gabriella Coughlin at the booth.

3 Equality USDA Partnership Events

Equality USDA sponsored the Queer Farmer Convergence in Decorah, Iowa The inaugural Queer Farmer Convergence was September 29—October 1, hosted by Humble Hands Har- vest, a small vegetable farm in eastern Iowa. The Convergence was attended by 30 people from across the Midwest focused on centering queerness in sustainable agriculture. Read a recap of the event from the host’s perspective on the Humble Hands Harvest website here. The group discussed queer economics, opportunities for queer ag collaborations, and how to further food systems in new and innovative ways.

As a result of the first-annual Queer Farmer Convergence, the group is generating a listserv, a zine, a shared resource page, and is sharing content through queerfarmercollective.com.

Humble Hands Harvest happens to be a customer of USDA—they’ve worked with NRCS to build a seasonal high tunnel (like a greenhouse) on their farm in Winneshiek county, Iowa! Equality USDA is proud to con- tribute to creating inclusive spaces for LGBTQ+ folks in rural areas through this new partnership.

Seeking workshop presenters for the 5th Annual Cultivating Change Summit Des Moines, Iowa June 19-21 This three-day global agriculture conference features educational opportunities, workshops, expert pan- els, networking mixers, and keynotes from prominent agriculture LGBTQ+ and ally leaders. The purpose of the Summit is to bring together agriculture LGBTQ+ employees, human resources and diversity and inclu- sion professionals, employee resources group leaders, executives and organizational leaders, allies and others who are working toward an equitable environment. If you are submitting a workshop for consideration, please let us know at [email protected].

Apply here.

Hey, that’s the USDA panel at the 2018 Cultivating Change Summit!

Pretty cool—we’re part of Cultivating Change’s mar- keting materials now (and so isMighty Mini Mi- crobe, our Soil Health superhero!)!!

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LGBTQ+ History Month LGBTQ+ History Month was created in 1994 by Rodney Wilson, a high school history teacher in Missouri. The month was initially chosen to include National Coming Out Day on October 11 and to commemorate the anniversary of the first National March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Rights by LGBTQ+ people on Oc- tober 14, 1979. LGBTQ+ History month includes: • Spirit Day on October 20, on which people around the country wear purple in support of LGBTQ+ youth; • Ally Week, a week in which allies against LGBTQ+ bullying are celebrated; • The anniversary of Matthew Shepard's murder. 21-year-old Matthew Shepard died on October 12, 1998, sparking the cre- ation of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

Snapshot: Equality USDA History Source: USDA GLOBE History fact sheet—Where has USDA GLOBE been?

In 1992, Federal GLOBE was formed. This is an umbrella organization that facilitated communication between the GLOBE organization in the various Departments of the Federal Government.

On April 15, 1993, Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy issued his Civil Rights Policy Statement. This statement for the first time specifically prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation at USDA. In June of 1993, Secretary Espy formed a Task Force on Sexual Orientation to look at how the nondiscrimination policy should be implemented.

In December 1993, the first meeting of USDA GLOBE was attended by 18 people. To a large degree, the ability of the group to form was facilitated by Secretary Espy’s Civil Rights Policy statement and Task Force creation.

On March 25, 1994, USDA GLOBE was officially sanctioned as an employee organization by Wardell C. Townsend, Jr, Assistant Secretary for Administration.

During the years 1994 - 1995, the organization focused on spreading the word of our existence throughout the De- partment. Two USDA GLOBE field chapters were established in and Colorado. The organization also focused on developing a support network among members, many of whom had not previously been out in the workplace.

In 1996, the organization continued to focus on outreach to our membership. A mentoring program was developed to encourage contact with field members. A third USDA GLOBE started forms in Florida. On May 29, 1996, USDA GLOBE submits a compilation of all the agency Civil Rights policy statements issued within USDA to the Office of Civil Rights in an effort to advocate for a stronger implementation of the sexual orientation nondiscrimination policy. At the time, USDA GLOBE noted that only 6 of the 13 statements issued by the various Mission Areas and Agencies in- cluded a prohibition of discrimination based on sexual orientation. On June 12, 1996, USDA GLOBE met with Secre- tary Dan Glickman and encouraged the Secretary to lend his leadership to the implementation of the sexual orienta- tion nondiscrimination policy. Stay tuned for more Equality USDA history lessons in future newsletters.

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LGBTQ+ History Month 31 Days, 31 Icons October 2018

Monday Oct. 1 Gilbert Baker -- Rainbow Flag Designer Tuesday, Oct. 2 Matthew Shepherd-- Hero, martyr, human Wednesday, Oct. 3 Janet Mock -- Writer, TV Host, Actor, Director, and transgender rights activitist Thursday, Oct. 4 - Gay rights activist, dismissed from federal service during the Lavender Scare Friday, Oct. 5 Melvin Boozer -- Gay Pioneer Saturday, Oct. 6 Marsha P. Johnson -- Revolutionary LGBTQ+ pioneer and activist Sunday, Oct. 7 Richard Burns -- Movement Leader Monday, Oct. 8 -- Civil Rights leader, chief organizer of the 1963 March on Washington Tuesday, Oct. 9 Francisco Cartagena -- Puerto Rican Activist Wednesday, Oct. 10 Debra Chasnoff -- Documentary Filmmaker Thursday, Oct. 11 Chi Chia-Wei -- Taiwanese Gay Pioneer Friday, Oct. 12 Harvey Milk -- Member, San Francisco Board of Directors Saturday, Oct. 13 Major General Tammy Smith -- Army Reserve Sunday, Oct. 14 Gavin Grimm -- Teen Transgender Activist Monday, Oct. 15 -- Revolutionary LGBTQ+ pioneer and activist Tuesday, Oct. 16 Joyce Hunter -- Gay Pioneer Wednesday Oct. 17 Tab Hunter -- Actor & Singer Thursday, Oct. 18 Dale Jennings -- Gay Pioneer Friday, Oct. 19 -- Marriage Equality Lawyer Saturday, Oct. 20 Steve Letsike -- South African Activist Sunday, Oct. 21 Saul Levin -- CEO and Medical Director of the American Psychiatric Association Monday, Oct. 22 Rachel Levine -- Transgender Physician General, COmmonwealth of Pennsylvania Tuesday, Oct. 23 Tarell Alvin McCraney -- Oscar-Winning Screenwriter Wednesday, Oct. 24 Ann Northrop -- Pioneer AIDS Activist & Journalist Thursday, Oct. 25 Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon -- Founders, Friday, Oct. 26 Danica Roem -- Transgender State Legislator Saturday, Oct. 27 Michelangelo Signorile -- American Journalist and Talk Radio Host Sunday, Oct. 28 Ethel Smyth -- Composer & Suffragette Monday Oct. 29 Leo Varadkar -- Prime Minister of Ireland

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A letter from the Equality USDA Partnership Liaison…

Hi folks,

Having just joined the board I want you all to know I’m excited to be part of this reenergized organization. As an introduction, I’m just your run-of-the-mill transgender, quantitative geneticist running a federal climate change pro- gram who also stays busy with in her church, her neighborhood and the LGBTQ community in Northern Virginia. I’ve been part of USDA since 1991, first with ARS, then with the Forest Service where I was a research geneticist in Cor- vallis OR for 13 years before moving to DC in 2007. Since being here, I have worked for the Forest Service, then helped get the USDA Climate Hubs off the ground from 2014 to 2017, and moved to NIFA two years ago. But the most significant transition I made since being in DC was coming out as my true self in March of 2017. The transition from male to female (which I have been on the inside all along, just not on the outside) was a surprise to many, but has finally allowed me to be me. It has been a blessing in so many ways, but to go there would require a small book.

I am joining the Equality USDA Executive Board as the news has turned once again to the trans community. Much of the discussion ultimately centers on the definitions of sex and gender from a legal and scientific perspective. In sci- ence, sex refers to physical characteristics, and gender relates to behavioral and psychological ones; sex and gender are not the same. Gender is how we see ourselves, whether man, woman, neither, or somewhere in-between. So while my body had male characteristics, I thought like and believed I was a woman; this is termed gender dysphoria in the medical world. People with gender dysphoria deal with it in many ways, like many I (eventually) dealt with my dysphoria by making my outside match my inside. This process of socially and medically changing one’s gender presentation is known colloquially as transition, and was overseen by therapists and doctors. Every major medical and mental health organization in the US recognizes transition related care as the most effective treatment for dys- phoria and the necessity of it; none endorses efforts to change a person’s gender identity.

I have been able to change the status of my legal documents (SSN, driver’s license, passport) from male to female, and courts have provided me some level of protection from discrimination under the same laws and statutes as sex discrimination. Over the last two decades, numerous federal courts have ruled that federal sex discrimination laws apply to discrimination against transgender people, including the Title VII employment law, Title IX education law, the Fair Housing Act, and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act.

A narrow definition of sex based on “a person’s status as male or female based on immutable biological traits identi- fiable by or before birth” serves to erase the 1.4 million Americans who identify as a gender other than the one they were assigned at birth. It upends our lives and the lives of our family members, dependents, and loved ones. Bottom line, I would be a male in the eyes of the federal government and no longer be protected from harassment, discrimi- nation and would probably lose my trans and female health services though insurance.

Fortunately I’m blessed to the core and spoiled rotten. I have support from my neighbors, church, workplace, and the local transgender community (where I co-moderate support groups at times). Most importantly I have a strong faith in God and know that he/she supports me. Unfortunately many in the trans community do not have the sup- port system or finances I have and are rightfully worried.

And because of all my support, I feel it is important that I give back to the LGBTQ community and consider it a privi- lege to be on your board. I was part of a board that restarted a 501(3)C in Northern Virginia four years ago (TGEAGW.org) and hope that some of that experience can be of help to Equality USDA. You all have a talented and dedicated board and I look forward to working with them and for y’all. I am not a shy person, so if you have any questions for/about me or comments you want to provide to me as a board member, don’t hesitate to call or email.

Cheers, Randi Johnson [email protected] / [email protected]

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Looking for ways to support our transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming friends and family?

The best way to be an ally is to listen with an open mind to transgender, nonbinary and gender noncon- forming people speaking for themselves. Seek out the stories of trans, nonbinary, and gender non- conforming people like Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, Janet Mock, Charlie Parkhurst, Laverne Cox, Leslie Feinberg, Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Chaz Bono, Hina Wong-Kalu, and Stormé DeLarverie, just to name a few.

Recognize that without the contributions of transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming peo- ple, the LGBTQ movement would not be where it is today. Learn about the Compton Cafeteria riots, Cooper Donuts Riot, and the . Understand that it was trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming who put their lives on the lines to fight for their rights, and ours, during these events.

Consider supporting the organizations below.

• National Center for Transgender Equality • The Trans Justice Funding Project • Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund • Trans Women of Color Collective • The Sylvia Rivera Law Project • The Trevor Project • Trans Lifeline • Transgender Law Center

Here are 182 groups funded by the Trans Justice Funding Project this year alone who are out there, do- ing this work for us all every day. The Trans Justice Funding Project is a community-led funding initi- ative founded in 2012 to support grassroots, trans justice groups run by and for trans people. They center the leadership of trans people organizing around their experiences with racism, economic injustice, transmisogyny, ableism, immigration, incarceration, and other intersecting oppressions.

8 Resources

Intersex Awareness in the Workplace webinar from Out & Equal Thursday, October 25, 2018 | 12:00pm Pacific (1hr) - Register here: http://outandequal.org/town-calls/

People with intersex traits—referring to “any range of characteristics that may not fit traditional conceptions about male or female bodies” (InterACT Advocates)—may encounter various forms of discrimination throughout their lives and in the workplace. Yet conversations around sex- or gender-based discrimination at work, especially in the , rarely take intersex issues into account. Join Out & Equal for their first webinar focused exclusively on inter- sex issues in the workplace. Kimberly Zieselman, Executive Director of InterACT Advocates for Intersex Youth, will provide an overview of intersex issues and give insights on how these issues manifest in the workplace, while Debbie Cohen of GE Healthcare will then discuss how companies can better support their intersex employees, drawing from GE’s own experience in this area.

Here are some of the Equality USDA Board’s favorite LGBTQ+ history sources: Making Gay History podcast Mattachine podcast LGBT History: The Lavender Scare LGBT History Month On Instagram: @lgbt_history and @theaidsmemorial

UPCOMING EVENTS

November 2018: Native American Heritage Month November 15-18, 2018: oSTEM Conference, Houston TX November 20, 2018: Transgender Day of Remembrance June 19 - 21, 2019: Cultivating Change Summit, Des Moines IA August 2019: Joint NRCS Employee Organization Leadership Conference, Spokane WA

Equality USDA Executive Board: President: Meghan Walter Vice President: Kimberly Kelley Communications Director: Jeremy Wood Treasurer: Diana Ramos Partnership Liaison: Randi Johnson

To join Equality USDA, complete a membership interest form here

Information and weblinks shared in this newsletter does not constitute endorsement by the Department Agriculture of the linked websites, or the information, products or services contained therein. All links are provided with the intent of providing educational information in support of Special Emphasis Program initiatives and employee welfare.