Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco Delivers Remarks at the DOJ Pride 30th Anniversary Celebration and Awards Ceremony

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

Thank you, David, for that generous introduction.

And thank you to all the Department employees, past and present, who make up DOJ Pride.

To the founding members, in particular, I’m so grateful you’re here.

This gathering is the result of your efforts as far back as 30 years ago.

Your footprints then have led the way to today.

DOJ Pride has never been stronger.

Creating and sustaining this organization not only reflects the pride you take in being part of the LGBTQ+ community, it’s also testament to your commitment to and belief in this Department and our country.  

The founders of this organization grappled with a government — including this Department — that historically failed to do right by LGBTQ+ Americans.

But DOJ Pride did not give up.

DOJ Pride and its members kept pushing, often uphill, in pursuit of what was right and fair and just.

Your advocacy made this Department a better place to work, and you made it a better advocate for the public we serve.

You helped ensure the Department’s sexual orientation non-discrimination policy was enforced.

You have advanced the Department’s efforts to be active in recruiting LGBTQ+ attorneys.

You annually recognize the legacies of James R. Douglass and Gerald B. Roemer, two DOJ employees who continued to serve the Department even as they battled HIV/AIDS.

And as you do all of this, your action ensures that the Department lives up to its own values.

We could not advance our mission to uphold the rule of law, to keep our country safe, and to protect civil rights without each and every one of you. 

You are vital to your teams, to your components, and to this Department. 

I am honored — and proud — to work alongside you — and will continue to do everything I can to support this community.

Congratulations on three decades of DOJ Pride. Here’s to the next 30 years and long after.

Thank you.