LGBTQ+ Pride Month Mentoring Panel highlights challenges, opportunities

  • Published
  • By Marisa Alia-Novobilski
  • Air Force Materiel Command

Air Force Materiel Command held a virtual Cross-Cultural Mentoring Panel June 21 in conjunction with LGBTQ+ Pride Month.

More than 150 individuals from across the command tuned in live to hear from leaders and allies of the LGBTQ+ community who shared their experiences and mentorship perspectives.

“It's all up to all of us to educate everyone about the LGBTQ+ community. We need to take the time to talk to folks in order to gain a better understanding of what the community has gone through, what they're facing in the future and how we, as allies, can help,” said Paul Waugh, program executive officer and director, Mobility and Training Aircraft Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, who served as the panel host.

Additional panel members included Stephen Ober, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility chief, Hanscom Air Force Base; Capt. Lauren Leet, program manager, F-22 Raptor Release 3, AFLCMC; Senior Master Sgt. David Smith, co-chair, Department of the Air Force LGBTQ+ Initiatives Team; and Charles Bogner, research biological scientist, 711th Human Performance Wing, Air Force Research Laboratory.

To view the event recording, visit https://www.zoomgov.com/rec/play/yYoeZFmPBix96tRncK5K57BdQExLcvL6mB4VMDDco8PDkjFraWthYEA4drPjL9ZVyJvFDUKCk7wYuQSJ.NZHLEOBKFKrpPsKg.

The LGBTQ+ event was one of a series of mentoring panels being conducted throughout 2022 in conjunction with Air Force special observance months. For information on mentoring and to learn about future events, visit https://www.afmc.af.mil/careers/AFMC-Mentoring.