May 23, 2025 • 12 mins
⚖️ SpeakOUT with Angela Giampolo
In our monthly SpeakOut segment, we welcome back Angela Giampolo, founder of Giampolo Law Group and creator of the Caravan of Hope, a national initiative delivering free legal services to underserved LGBTQ+ individuals across the U.S. Angela, a nationally recognized LGBTQ+ legal expert and advocate, brings us timely insights into the Defense Secretary’s recent decision to eliminate transgender military personnel and what this means for service members, civil rights, and broader LGBTQ+ inclusion in federal policy.
🔗 Learn more: giampololaw.com
📸 Instagram: @yourgaylawyer
🐦 Twitter/X: @phillygaylawyer
💼 LinkedIn: Angela D. Giampolo
In our monthly SpeakOut segment, we welcome back Angela Giampolo, founder of Giampolo Law Group and creator of the Caravan of Hope, a national initiative delivering free legal services to underserved LGBTQ+ individuals across the U.S. Angela, a nationally recognized LGBTQ+ legal expert and advocate, brings us timely insights into the Defense Secretary’s recent decision to eliminate transgender military personnel and what this means for service members, civil rights, and broader LGBTQ+ inclusion in federal policy.
🔗 Learn more: giampololaw.com
📸 Instagram: @yourgaylawyer
🐦 Twitter/X: @phillygaylawyer
💼 LinkedIn: Angela D. Giampolo
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We have a feature that we air once a month.
Every month, our monthly features Speak Out, spotlighting voices shaping
the LGBTQ plus experience locally and nationally. We're joined by
Angela Giampolo, founder of Gimpolo Law Group and widely known
as the Philly Gay Lawyer. A leading LGBTQ plus legal
expert in the Advocate. Angela is also the creator of
(00:23):
Caravan of Hope, a national initiative providing free legal services
to underserved LGBTQ plus communities. She brings a unique perspective
on the intersection of law, policy and lived experience, well
as always a pleasure to have you in the studio,
or at least virtually in the studio. Now, there's so
much to talk about. Let's start with the military, because
(00:46):
our Defense Secretary has continued pressing on about eliminating trends
individuals from the military. Tell us where we're at right
now and what's being done.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Yeah, So, a couple of weeks ago, the Supreme Court
lifted an injunction that was pending with the Trump administration
wanting to ban all trans folks from active duty in
the military. And so when the Supreme Court lifted that injunction,
they said, pending litigation, but it doesn't matter. They lifted
(01:20):
the injunction so the administration can begin the active removal
of transfolks from the military. And so the Defense Secretary
issued a memo to the Pentagon saying that transfolks have
until June sixth to self identify themselves and voluntarily be
(01:41):
dismissed from the military. And for anyone who does not
self identify by June sixth as transgender, then after June
sixth they can start investigating and looking into health records
and or if someone is even suspected to have gender
discis up in any way, they can be mandated to
(02:03):
have undergo health investigation and doctor's appointments and all of
the things for the Pentagon to decide whether or not
this person has gender dysphoria and then be involuntarily dismissed.
Now that big difference there between self identifying and taking
a voluntary dismissal and or not self identifying by June
(02:25):
sixth and continuing to fight this pending litigation has huge
financial ramifications for folks, their pensions, their health insurance. For
a lot of folks, these are single breadwinners and it's
the income that entire family relies on. But if someone
(02:45):
has been in the military for ten fifteen years and
they put in their time and then they don't self
identify and take this voluntary dismissal, they would lose all
of their benefits up until today.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Wow. So yeah, that's insane.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
I guess.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
One of the things that really the kind of the
bottom line and something I think we need to stress
is the fact that there is no studies, no information,
no anything that indicates that people who aren't trans are
any less capable of being in the military than someone
who is not.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
And when correct and one of the declarations in the
Defense Secretary's memos and is that even that they're not competent,
but that they make us less vulnerable as a country,
that them serving for their country makes us more vulnerable
and from a defense perspective, and there is absolutely zero
(03:43):
proof of that that as a country we are less
safe as a result of trans folks serving in the military.
And for a lot of commanders who have issued statements
against these memos, in fact, they say the exact opposite,
that not only are they some of the hardest working
and loyal members of the military, but again, anyone and
(04:06):
you know this, We've talked about this, but anyone who
comes from a diverse background in any way, shape or form,
whatever diversity they bring to the table, be it age, race,
sexual orientation, gender identity, whatever diversity they hail from, always
adds new perspective to problem solving, right, because they've been
(04:27):
problem solving, they've lived outside of sort of the box,
if you will. And so the studies actually, and not
only do the studies show that it's helpful to have
a group of diverse folks, but a lot of commanders
who have issued statements in contradiction to this have said
that there's some of the best military service folks that
(04:49):
have ever worked under them in their entire career.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Right, And you could certainly argue that by putting this
kind of restriction that in the past when we had
don't ask, don't tell, that it put people in that
uncomfortable position of being potentially threatened, perhaps with the argument
that if you were LGBTQIA, that that would make you
(05:16):
prone to blackmail or any kind of pressure. But it
seems like the opposite would be true, because if you're
forced then to go back in the closet, then that
does create this kind of vulnerability because you have something
to lose if you do reveal that you are LGBTQIA
or specifically trans or in any of those letters, right right.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Yeah, And there were actually studies done about don't ask,
don't tell, and again that's something to lose, means you
have something that you have to hide. Right, So, think
of that individual service member trying to serve a country
while also hiding this essential part of themselves. And so
(05:59):
from a mental health perspective, and the added subsequent issues
that these folks dealt with and mental health issues that
were generated by the fact that they had to hide
that made them less able to serve at their peak,
at their potential.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
Right, and studies that we're done with.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
The stress exactly associated with it. Same studies have been
done about workplace. You know, when you have folks that
can just be who they are at the workplace. Right.
HRC had a slogan, if it makes sense, it makes dollars. Right,
and equality makes sense because it actually generates more money
for a company because you have people working at their
(06:40):
peak and their potential and their authentic self and they're
not busy hiding and with hiding income, shame, and with
shame comes mental health issues, and then you don't have
the most productive employee the most productive service member. So
a lot of studies have been done saying that you know,
especially don't ask, don't tell where they were allowed to
(07:00):
serve but had to hide it, that the impact on
service members caused the exact sort of self fulfilling prophecy.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
And the Defense Secretary is saying, now, so tell.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Us where we're at. From a legal standpoint, there seems
to be, you know, the effort to continue and being
justified that this can happen. What are the challenges to
this effort to eliminate trands from the military. Is there
any legal remedy here?
Speaker 2 (07:29):
So all of the litigation that was started back when
Inauguration Day hit and they stated then that this is
what they were going to do, so the lawsuits started then.
Then that's when this nationwide injunction pending litigation basically stopped
the Trump administration. But the Supreme Court said we're going
to lift that injunction again pending litigation. So there are
(07:52):
active lawsuits ongoing. But if it doesn't end well and
a service member does not voluntarily self identify and take
the voluntary dismissal, then they are hedging their bets. That's
somewhere down the line. Again, don't ask, don't tell. Just
a couple of years ago, fifteen years later, did some
(08:14):
of the service members get their benefits paid back? So
folks really have to look at their life and their
livelihood and what's at stake and make a decision because
the pending litigation piece could take years, could take a
decade before this ever resolves itself. And if you need
this money in order to survive, you need your pension,
(08:36):
you need your benefits. Folks have a really hard decision
to make in the next few weeks.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Yeah, well, there's so much to talk about in our
limited amount of time, but in the few minutes that
we have left, it really is like drinking from a
fire hose right now. In terms of dealing with all
the various issues that are coming up around the LGBTQIA
plus community. What is another issue that you want to
make make sure that we're aware of.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
I would say there's a recent judge ruling in Texas
that came down where he said that you are despite
there being a Supreme Court case again Boss Stock v. Clinton,
protecting LGBTQ folks under Title seven from employment discrimination. He said, yes,
(09:22):
Title seven protects LGBTQI plus folks from being fired at work,
but not being discriminated against or harassed. You can harass
folks at work, you can discriminate against them at work.
You just under Title seven cannot fire them at work.
And so that is a federal judge ruling out of
(09:44):
Texas right now, in complete contravention against Boss Stock v. Clayton,
which ultimately again that will need to work its way
up to the Supreme Court. But it puts Bostock v.
Clayton just like Oberger Fell in marriage equality. It puts
Boss Stock v. Clayton away, in my opinion, to get
Boss Stock v. Clayton back in front of this particular
(10:05):
Supreme Court. Twenty twenty's Supreme Court makeup decided Boss Stock v.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
Clayton. It was much more pro LGBTQ.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
So this crazy ruling that now there are lawsuits against it,
must now make its way up to the Supreme Court.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
And now we could see Boss Stock v.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Clayton being eviscerated just like Obergerfell.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Like we will and as we always like to do,
is draw some conclusions about how these kinds of issues
are impacting the general population, because you know, it's like
a ripple in a pond. I mean, you drop a
pebble somewhere on one side of it, and the ripples
are going to affect everybody eventually. So tell us what
(10:45):
are some of the conclusions that you arrive at in
terms of it's broader.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
I was on this panel years ago.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
It's almost ten years ago, and Pennsylvania as a state
does not have statewide employment protections for LGBTQ folks, And
so I'll never forget. I was on this panel with
this black woman, a professor, and she had no idea
that as a lesbian she could be fired at work,
but not as a black woman. Right, So Title seven
(11:13):
protects race, age, disability, and gender identity and sexual orientation.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
And so if now we can.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Say, okay, yeah, Title seven, you know, says that LGBTQ
folks can't be fired at work, but we can harass them.
What does that say for black folks? What does that
say for a sixty six year old person at work?
Speaker 3 (11:33):
What does that say for? Right?
Speaker 2 (11:35):
So again, it always comes back, you know to that
poem of they came for the Jews but I wasn't
a Jew, so I didn't stand up. Then they came
for me and there was nobody left to stand up.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Right, So Title seven doesn't just protect LGBTQ folks, It
protects a lot of marginalized communities. And if they can
start saying that they can discriminate against us, what happens
when they come for you?
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Angeley Gmolo. If people want to know more about the
work that you do, because you do a lot with
wills and trusts and things like that, which is of
special importance to people in the lgbtqia plus community, but
important for us all as well, how do they get
in touch with you?
Speaker 3 (12:16):
Absolutely?
Speaker 2 (12:17):
So you can just reach out to my law firm,
Jampolo Law Group, call the office two on five six
four five twenty four fifteen, and you can find me
on Instagram as your gay lawyer.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
But we do.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Represent everyone I say, We represent the LGBTQ community and
those who love us.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
That is my only requirement.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
Absolutely love that Angela gu and Polo whose work continues
to inspire and advocate for equality and justice within the
LGBTQ plus community, but really all of us as well.
Angela as always thank you, thank you, Laren
We have a feature that we air once a month.
Every month, our monthly features Speak Out, spotlighting voices shaping
the LGBTQ plus experience locally and nationally. We're joined by
Angela Giampolo, founder of Gimpolo Law Group and widely known
as the Philly Gay Lawyer. A leading LGBTQ plus legal
expert in the Advocate. Angela is also the creator of
(00:23):
Caravan of Hope, a national initiative providing free legal services
to underserved LGBTQ plus communities. She brings a unique perspective
on the intersection of law, policy and lived experience, well
as always a pleasure to have you in the studio,
or at least virtually in the studio. Now, there's so
much to talk about. Let's start with the military, because
(00:46):
our Defense Secretary has continued pressing on about eliminating trends
individuals from the military. Tell us where we're at right
now and what's being done.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Yeah, So, a couple of weeks ago, the Supreme Court
lifted an injunction that was pending with the Trump administration
wanting to ban all trans folks from active duty in
the military. And so when the Supreme Court lifted that injunction,
they said, pending litigation, but it doesn't matter. They lifted
(01:20):
the injunction so the administration can begin the active removal
of transfolks from the military. And so the Defense Secretary
issued a memo to the Pentagon saying that transfolks have
until June sixth to self identify themselves and voluntarily be
(01:41):
dismissed from the military. And for anyone who does not
self identify by June sixth as transgender, then after June
sixth they can start investigating and looking into health records
and or if someone is even suspected to have gender
discis up in any way, they can be mandated to
(02:03):
have undergo health investigation and doctor's appointments and all of
the things for the Pentagon to decide whether or not
this person has gender dysphoria and then be involuntarily dismissed.
Now that big difference there between self identifying and taking
a voluntary dismissal and or not self identifying by June
(02:25):
sixth and continuing to fight this pending litigation has huge
financial ramifications for folks, their pensions, their health insurance. For
a lot of folks, these are single breadwinners and it's
the income that entire family relies on. But if someone
(02:45):
has been in the military for ten fifteen years and
they put in their time and then they don't self
identify and take this voluntary dismissal, they would lose all
of their benefits up until today.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Wow. So yeah, that's insane.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
I guess.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
One of the things that really the kind of the
bottom line and something I think we need to stress
is the fact that there is no studies, no information,
no anything that indicates that people who aren't trans are
any less capable of being in the military than someone
who is not.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
And when correct and one of the declarations in the
Defense Secretary's memos and is that even that they're not competent,
but that they make us less vulnerable as a country,
that them serving for their country makes us more vulnerable
and from a defense perspective, and there is absolutely zero
(03:43):
proof of that that as a country we are less
safe as a result of trans folks serving in the military.
And for a lot of commanders who have issued statements
against these memos, in fact, they say the exact opposite,
that not only are they some of the hardest working
and loyal members of the military, but again, anyone and
(04:06):
you know this, We've talked about this, but anyone who
comes from a diverse background in any way, shape or form,
whatever diversity they bring to the table, be it age, race,
sexual orientation, gender identity, whatever diversity they hail from, always
adds new perspective to problem solving, right, because they've been
(04:27):
problem solving, they've lived outside of sort of the box,
if you will. And so the studies actually, and not
only do the studies show that it's helpful to have
a group of diverse folks, but a lot of commanders
who have issued statements in contradiction to this have said
that there's some of the best military service folks that
(04:49):
have ever worked under them in their entire career.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Right, And you could certainly argue that by putting this
kind of restriction that in the past when we had
don't ask, don't tell, that it put people in that
uncomfortable position of being potentially threatened, perhaps with the argument
that if you were LGBTQIA, that that would make you
(05:16):
prone to blackmail or any kind of pressure. But it
seems like the opposite would be true, because if you're
forced then to go back in the closet, then that
does create this kind of vulnerability because you have something
to lose if you do reveal that you are LGBTQIA
or specifically trans or in any of those letters, right right.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Yeah, And there were actually studies done about don't ask,
don't tell, and again that's something to lose, means you
have something that you have to hide. Right, So, think
of that individual service member trying to serve a country
while also hiding this essential part of themselves. And so
(05:59):
from a mental health perspective, and the added subsequent issues
that these folks dealt with and mental health issues that
were generated by the fact that they had to hide
that made them less able to serve at their peak,
at their potential.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
Right, and studies that we're done with.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
The stress exactly associated with it. Same studies have been
done about workplace. You know, when you have folks that
can just be who they are at the workplace. Right.
HRC had a slogan, if it makes sense, it makes dollars. Right,
and equality makes sense because it actually generates more money
for a company because you have people working at their
(06:40):
peak and their potential and their authentic self and they're
not busy hiding and with hiding income, shame, and with
shame comes mental health issues, and then you don't have
the most productive employee the most productive service member. So
a lot of studies have been done saying that you know,
especially don't ask, don't tell where they were allowed to
(07:00):
serve but had to hide it, that the impact on
service members caused the exact sort of self fulfilling prophecy.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
And the Defense Secretary is saying, now, so tell.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Us where we're at. From a legal standpoint, there seems
to be, you know, the effort to continue and being
justified that this can happen. What are the challenges to
this effort to eliminate trands from the military. Is there
any legal remedy here?
Speaker 2 (07:29):
So all of the litigation that was started back when
Inauguration Day hit and they stated then that this is
what they were going to do, so the lawsuits started then.
Then that's when this nationwide injunction pending litigation basically stopped
the Trump administration. But the Supreme Court said we're going
to lift that injunction again pending litigation. So there are
(07:52):
active lawsuits ongoing. But if it doesn't end well and
a service member does not voluntarily self identify and take
the voluntary dismissal, then they are hedging their bets. That's
somewhere down the line. Again, don't ask, don't tell. Just
a couple of years ago, fifteen years later, did some
(08:14):
of the service members get their benefits paid back? So
folks really have to look at their life and their
livelihood and what's at stake and make a decision because
the pending litigation piece could take years, could take a
decade before this ever resolves itself. And if you need
this money in order to survive, you need your pension,
(08:36):
you need your benefits. Folks have a really hard decision
to make in the next few weeks.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Yeah, well, there's so much to talk about in our
limited amount of time, but in the few minutes that
we have left, it really is like drinking from a
fire hose right now. In terms of dealing with all
the various issues that are coming up around the LGBTQIA
plus community. What is another issue that you want to
make make sure that we're aware of.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
I would say there's a recent judge ruling in Texas
that came down where he said that you are despite
there being a Supreme Court case again Boss Stock v. Clinton,
protecting LGBTQ folks under Title seven from employment discrimination. He said, yes,
(09:22):
Title seven protects LGBTQI plus folks from being fired at work,
but not being discriminated against or harassed. You can harass
folks at work, you can discriminate against them at work.
You just under Title seven cannot fire them at work.
And so that is a federal judge ruling out of
(09:44):
Texas right now, in complete contravention against Boss Stock v. Clayton,
which ultimately again that will need to work its way
up to the Supreme Court. But it puts Bostock v.
Clayton just like Oberger Fell in marriage equality. It puts
Boss Stock v. Clayton away, in my opinion, to get
Boss Stock v. Clayton back in front of this particular
(10:05):
Supreme Court. Twenty twenty's Supreme Court makeup decided Boss Stock v.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
Clayton. It was much more pro LGBTQ.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
So this crazy ruling that now there are lawsuits against it,
must now make its way up to the Supreme Court.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
And now we could see Boss Stock v.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Clayton being eviscerated just like Obergerfell.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Like we will and as we always like to do,
is draw some conclusions about how these kinds of issues
are impacting the general population, because you know, it's like
a ripple in a pond. I mean, you drop a
pebble somewhere on one side of it, and the ripples
are going to affect everybody eventually. So tell us what
(10:45):
are some of the conclusions that you arrive at in
terms of it's broader.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
I was on this panel years ago.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
It's almost ten years ago, and Pennsylvania as a state
does not have statewide employment protections for LGBTQ folks, And
so I'll never forget. I was on this panel with
this black woman, a professor, and she had no idea
that as a lesbian she could be fired at work,
but not as a black woman. Right, So Title seven
(11:13):
protects race, age, disability, and gender identity and sexual orientation.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
And so if now we can.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Say, okay, yeah, Title seven, you know, says that LGBTQ
folks can't be fired at work, but we can harass them.
What does that say for black folks? What does that
say for a sixty six year old person at work?
Speaker 3 (11:33):
What does that say for? Right?
Speaker 2 (11:35):
So again, it always comes back, you know to that
poem of they came for the Jews but I wasn't
a Jew, so I didn't stand up. Then they came
for me and there was nobody left to stand up.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Right, So Title seven doesn't just protect LGBTQ folks, It
protects a lot of marginalized communities. And if they can
start saying that they can discriminate against us, what happens
when they come for you?
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Angeley Gmolo. If people want to know more about the
work that you do, because you do a lot with
wills and trusts and things like that, which is of
special importance to people in the lgbtqia plus community, but
important for us all as well, how do they get
in touch with you?
Speaker 3 (12:16):
Absolutely?
Speaker 2 (12:17):
So you can just reach out to my law firm,
Jampolo Law Group, call the office two on five six
four five twenty four fifteen, and you can find me
on Instagram as your gay lawyer.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
But we do.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Represent everyone I say, We represent the LGBTQ community and
those who love us.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
That is my only requirement.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
Absolutely love that Angela gu and Polo whose work continues
to inspire and advocate for equality and justice within the
LGBTQ plus community, but really all of us as well.
Angela as always thank you, thank you, Laren
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