Coast Guard Headquarters observed LGBTQ+ Pride Month with a keynote address delivered by Raffi Freedman-Gurspan, Deputy Director of Public Engagement at the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), on June 25, 2024. Freedman-Gurspan, who was adopted from Honduras and raised in Brookline, Massachusetts, shared her perspectives on identity, belonging, and reflected on her journey into LGBTQ+ and gender equality activism.
Her early involvement with LGBTQ+ rights and gender equality started in college and continued after graduation, when she joined the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC). After several legislative roles in the state of Massachusetts, the Obama Administration hired her as Outreach and Recruitment Director in the Presidential Personnel Office, which led her to become the first openly transgender person to work as a White House staffer.
In embracing the 2024 Department of Homeland Security Pride Month theme, “Living our Truth,” Freedman-Gurspan effectively encapsulated the profound significance of individuals serving openly and authentically in public service roles. She said:
"All we’ve ever been asking for is the opportunity to be ourselves, to be our full authentic selves, and from a federal service standpoint, it is good business to have supportive work environments where people can be their best, and where they can just do the job the American people have entrusted them with."
Freedman-Gurspan also emphasized the intertwined histories of LGBTQ+ rights and American history, celebrating the progress made and acknowledging the contributions of past and modern LGBTQ+ pioneers.
When asked where she draws inspiration from, Freedman-Gurspan noted the courage and resilience of today's youth, who have grown up in a world shaped by LGBTQ+ victories thanks to those pioneers. Freedman-Gurspan explained:
“They have tasted the fruits of the labor of people like Sylvia Rivera, Marsha P. Johnson, and Harvey Milk...They have experienced so much profound change, and I’ve seen it. That’s what gives me the most inspiration—the drive, the courage, and the simplicity of a message that our people are asking for: to just be themselves, to have the opportunity to make it in this country, to serve their country, and to serve their community.”
Raffi Freedman-Gurspan gets ready to cut the ceremonial ribbon signifying the establishment of the Coast Guard Spectrum National Capital Region Chapter June 25th, 2024. (USCG Photo by Patrick Ferraris)
Her journey from activist to public servant exemplifies the power of visibility and the importance of advocating for inclusive policies that reflect the diversity of the American people. She elaborated:
“What I can say is that the progress that I have seen during my own lifetime has led me to this very place where I am, where I can be a public servant…and I am reminded from my student activism days about the important power of raising one’s hand and saying I’m here and I exist and I want to be part of the change.”
After her remarks, Freedman-Gurspan cut the ribbon in a historic ceremony that marked the establishment of the Coast Guard Spectrum National Capital Region Chapter. The NCR chapter joins a network of local spectrum chapters with over 570 members across the Coast Guard. CG Spectrum is an anti-racist, multicultural group for who are part of or support the LGBTQ+ community within the Coast Guard. All chapters aim to create a welcoming, supportive, and affirming workplaces where all people can thrive as their authentic selves. You can learn more about CG Spectrum here: https://www.mycg.uscg.mil/News/Article/3433072/get-to-know-spectrum/