She’s fighting the good fight

NEW YORK — Former National Guardsperson Sgt. Jen Hogg, is stepping it up for LGBT veteran and servicemember rights.

The former Sanford, N.C., native was 12 when she realized she was a lesbian. According to an article published by Out in Jersey, she felt “like a fish out of water,” growing up in rural North Carolina.

At 18 she moved back to her birthplace, Buffalo, N.Y., and enlisted in the Guard. On 9/11 she was called into active duty. After five years of service, she left for civilian life. A year later, she co-founded the Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN), to improve the “welfare of U.S. servicewomen and veterans.” Hogg is vocal on military sexuality and gender issues. In fact, one of the most controversial issues it addresses is sexual trauma within the military.

She stated that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” compounds problems. And, she further shared that many don’t report assaults because of the investigative process.

The article said that lesbians are more damaged by the policy bans and that it is at a higher rate than for males. Men tend to get a “pass” because they are at the front line of battle, unlike their female counterparts who normally perform other duties.

Hogg is now studying law at City University of New York.

Get included!

STATEWIDE — Want to have your church, synagogue or other religious group history preserved? Look no further. The LGBT Religious Archives Network (LGBT-RAN) is an innovative venture in preserving history and encouraging scholarly study of LGBT religious movements around the world. LGBT-RAN has a two-fold basic purpose. First it assists LGBT religious leaders and groups in determining how best to preserve their records and papers in appropriate repositories. Secondly, LGBT-RAN provides an electronic information clearinghouse for these archival collections and other historical data about LGBT religious history for the use of historians, researchers and other interested persons.

LGBT-RAN can best be understood as a virtual archive. It is not a physical repository that collects and preserves papers and records. Instead, LGBT-RAN is a resource center that enables the preservation of history and makes historical information easily accessible through this website.

For more information, visit lgbtran.org.