Labor secretary denounces gay pride poster vandals

WASHINGTON — Labor Secretary Hilda Solis is denouncing vandals who defaced many of the gay pride posters installed at the agency’s Washington headquarters.

Solis, the first secretary in the department’s history to publicly recognize Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month, sent an agency-wide e-mail last Friday saying she would not tolerate anti-gay misconduct.

“It appears, however, that some members of the Labor Department team have a different view, as it has come to my attention that most of the posters have been continually defaced or removed,” Solis said. “On several occasions, even the poster frames have been torn completely off the elevator walls.”

The posters first went up at the agency’s headquarters on June 22. Solis said they will stay up until the end of the month and would be replaced immediately if they are removed or destroyed.

The posters include photos of eight prominent gay Americans, ranging from Nancy Sutley, chairwoman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, to television talk show host Rachel Maddow.

“I do not believe these actions represent the majority of our employees, so I refuse to let this situation define us,” Solis said. “But I do want to make myself absolutely clear: Respect for others is nonnegotiable at the U.S. Department of Labor.”

The agency enforces fair and safe work places around the country, Solis noted, adding that every Labor Department employee should be committed to “working with all employers and employees, no matter their race, color, religion or sexual orientation.”

The incidents came to light as President Barack Obama prepared to host a White House reception Monday evening to commemorate gay pride month.

Spokesman Enrique Chaurand said there was no formal investigation into the vandalism.

“The secretary’s letter speaks for itself,” Chaurand said. “We’re busy worrying about other things than who’s tearing down posters.”

Chaurand said Solis’ e-mail provoked more than 100 e-mail responses from agency employees, most of them overwhelmingly positive. But a few employees indicated they were not excited about the poster campaign.

“One may have said, ‘I appreciate where you’re coming from, but maybe you should take me off your e-mail list,’” Chaurand said.

(This version CORRECTS that the posters went up June 22, not June 1.)