Dining Out for Life

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Image of a rainbow layered cake with the logo for Dining out for life as a banner on top
Join us on April 25th for a social evening dinner in collaboration with the Dining Out For Life® annual fundraising event. Dining Out For Life® is an annual dining fundraising event raising money for community-based organizations serving people living with or impacted by HIV. The concept is simple: Restaurants donate a generous percent of their sales to a local HIV service organization, and the local HIV service organization fills participating restaurants with diners.
Interested? Click the button below to RSVP and help us choose a venue! Please note the reservation link only works within VPN.
Count me in!

Lambda Board Nominations

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Graphic with rainbow flag colors on the background and a white checkmark in a circle on the foreground

Nominations for the Lambda PTO Board of Directors are now open

To nominate a fellow USPTO employee to the Lambda Board of directors, please make sure you’ve consulted with your nominee and they’re willing and able to fill the position. The nomination form has a summary of what each position requires. Once the nominee has agreed to be on the ballot, you may enter their name for consideration using the link below. Lambda Board nominations will go on for two weeks from December 12th to 29 to allow those on leave to participate in the process. Elections will follow on the first week of January.

Submit your nomination today

How to Celebrate Transgender Employees on TDOV and Year-Round

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Celebrating Transgender Day of Visibility. Out & Equal, workplace advocates.

From our friends at Out & Equal:

“March 31st is Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) – a day where communities come together to honor and celebrate the accomplishments of transgender and gender non-conforming people. Out & Equal has produced a resource to help your organization participate and engage in this day of celebration. This resource should be a helpful tool for your organization’s year-round internal efforts for transgender inclusion and help guide your external communications around TDOV.”

outandequal.org

Transgender Day of Remembrance

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“2020 is on pace to be the deadliest in recent years for the transgender and gender non-conforming community, according to a data analysis released by Everytown for Gun Safety ahead of the Transgender Day of Remembrance on Friday. The annual November 20 observance honors victims of fatal anti-trans violence.”

Donaghue, Erin. “Deadly Year for Trans Community as Transgender Day of Remembrance Marked.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 19 Nov. 2020, www.cbsnews.com/news/transgender-day-of-remembrance-deadly-year/.

Click here to access the Out & Equal resource for Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Bisexual Visibility Day (Sept 22)

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Five things you should know on Bi-Visibility Day:

  1. Members of the Bi+ Community are less likely to be out in the workplace than lesbian and gay peers. 
  2. The Bi+ community makes up much of the LGBTQ community, and those who identify as bisexual outnumber those who identify as gay or lesbian.
  3. Bi+ employees regularly face stigma and negative stereotypes.
  4. Bi+ Individuals often feel excluded by both LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ peers.
  5. The Bi+ Community needs allies in the workplace.

Want to learn more? Check out these articles from Out & Equal and The Advocate:

#BlackLivesMatter

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Words painted in bold yellow run the length of several blocks of a street and read "black lives matter"

The Executive Board of Lambda PTO strongly believes that BLACK LIVES MATTER.  Black and African American members of the LGBT community suffer extraordinary amounts of economic inequality (https://www.hrc.org/resources/being-african-american-lgbtq-an-introduction), have the highest rate of HIV infection in the US, despite using the same or better safer sex standards as their White counterparts, (https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/group/msm/bmsm.html), and an increased risk for youth suicide (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3093285/).  And these are just a few of the challenges LGBTQIA+ Blacks, African-Americans, and POC face.  Lambda PTO stands with our members, allies and all people of color.  Our rights and liberties as LGBTQ+ individuals are inextricably tied with the rights and liberties of ALL marginalized people.  We encourage attendance at the Listening Sessions with Bismarck Myrick currently being planned by the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity in order to allow oft-silenced or forgotten voices to discuss these very important issues that are facing our society and our everyday lives.  We also encourage reaching out, and letting us know if there is a way we can support you now, or when you find yourself in need. 

Did you know….

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Photo of a rainbow flag hanging from the Madison catwalk railing.

The Pride Flag is on display in the atrium for the second year in a row.  Despite the current situation of mandatory telework Agency Leadership still agreed that it would be a sign of support for our LGBTQ+ community during Pride Month.  Please enjoy the pictures that were captured the other day so that we could share with you as we all “virtually” celebrate Pride.  Happy Pride!  We miss you all very much!