WASHINGTON D.C. – The Modern Military Association of American, the nation’s oldest and largest LGBTQ military and veteran non-profit, fully supports Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s issuance of a 90-day independent review commission on sexual assault and harassment in the military.
In a memorandum to senior military leaders, Austin laid out his intent and immediate actions that must be taken across the department, which include an assessment of compliance with sexual assault and harassment policies, evaluations of high risk installations and the establishment of a violence prevention workforce.
“I expect every member of our Total Force to be a part of the solution and leaders — both military and civilian — across the Department to take direct accountability to drive meaningful change,” said Austin. “To make real progress, we must consider outside views and ideas, to the extent practicable, and be transparent about where we have fallen short.”
The commission will aim to improve accountability, climate, culture and Uniformed Code of Military Justice reform and will be led by Lynn Rosenthall, the first-ever White House Advisor on Violence Against Women.
“With an estimated 90,000 LGBTQ servicemembers actively serving, research from Oregon State University exposed the fact that the LGBTQ military population faces an elevated risk of victimization including harassment, assault and stalking. We applaud the U.S. Secretary of Defense, General Austin in taking quick steps to address this critical issue and we look forward to working with Lynn Rosenthal,” said Jennifer Dane, MMAA Executive Director.
The press briefing announcing this independent review commission can be viewed here.
