CIA celebrates ‘LGBT Pride Month’ in June

As a part of CIA’s ongoing efforts to advance diversity and inclusion, the Agency is celebrating National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month.

In early June, members of the Agency Network of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Officers and Allies, or ANGLE, partnered with CIA’s Recruitment Center and the Center for Mission Diversity and Inclusion to host a booth at the DC Capital Pride Festival held in Washington, DC.

The LGBT pride movement grew out of the Stonewall Uprising in June 1969, when a courageous group of citizens at the Stonewall Inn resisted harassment and mistreatment. CIA Director John Brennan recently reflected on the impact of the LGBT pride movement, saying, “Since Stonewall, our nation has made enormous strides on the road to equality for the LGBT community. We should all be grateful to those whose courage and hard work have made that progress possible.”

Director Brennan also noted that the efforts of LGBT officers to advance diversity and inclusion at CIA have benefited the entire organization. “By advancing the principles of equality and inclusion, they have helped promote fair treatment for everyone,” he said in an article posted on the Agency’s Web site. “For that, they can be truly proud.”

In addition to their presence at the DC Capital Pride Festival, ANGLE members hosted a panel discussion on the power of allies in the workplace earlier this month at CIA Headquarters

CIA has participated in the DC Capital Pride Festival for the past three years and has sponsored a number of LGBT professional networking events around the country. The Agency was a founding sponsor of OutServe, and is active in advancing LGBT diversity and inclusion efforts throughout the Intelligence Community.