US Military JAG Corps Lesbian, Muslim Lawyers Make News
In an official article, the US Navy announced that Navy LT Jennifer Johnson was awarded status as one of the “best LGBT lawyers under 40” by the National LGBT Bar Association:
The association established the award to recognize legal professionals under the age of 40 who distinguished themselves in their field and advocated LGBT equality.
A previous release from the Navy (and the award website) indicates Navy LT Paul Wagoner was similarly recognized. Fortunately, there does not appear to be an organization that only recognizes lawyers who have heterosexual sex, nor does the Navy appear to highlight such JAGs.
Johnson’s public recognition by the US military is supremely ironic, given she is deployed to a country in which she could be imprisoned for being homosexual, and she was born and raised in one that would have put her to death.
At the same time, Maysaa Ouza recently graduated from the University of Toledo with a law degree and indicated she had been selected to be an Air Force JAG.
This was newsworthy because Ouza is a Muslim, and she wears a hijab:
Even before she received her UT juris doctor May 6, Maysaa Ouza had made legal history. Just before graduation, she was selected as a new U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps attorney — the first Muslim hijabi selected for this role.
None of Ouza’s announcements indicate she applied for and was granted an accommodation to wear her hijab, but after this much ‘positive press’ it seems unlikely the application would not be granted. Still, the omission is curious, which makes one wonder if she might have gotten a step ahead of herself. (The Army’s permanent waiver for hijabs doesn’t apply, as Ouza is commissioning in the Air Force.)
The combination of the two young ladies’ stories is an interesting display of “diversity” within the JAG Corps, particularly given the spectrum represented by their particular recognized traits.
Seen any articles about Christian JAG officers? There is at least one, though he wasn’t highlighted as a lawyer due to his faith, and his credentials were a little more subtle.
With reference to the Religion Clause.
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I don’t know JD, seems to me something is missing here, like congratulating Maysaa Ouza for graduating law school or that LT Johnson received an honor for her support of LGBT equality. All of these are significant accomplishments to these seemingly nice people. Don’t they have a right to happiness, joy and freedom like everyone else?
We could assume the LT is serving the Navy honorably and there is equally a good chance Ouza will do well too.
Muslim and LGBT are the new target for everything bad in the world; shame really, because I want to believe that most of these people are GOOD people.
Just some thoughts, probably will get shredded by your reader base and thats ok too.
@watchtower
Perhaps, but look at why the articles were written. Johnson wasn’t awarded for being a good lawyer. She was awarded for her “profound commitment” to advocacy for a certain type of sexual behavior. Some might consider that laudable. Others, not so much.
The article on Ouza was written not because she graduated, but, according to their article, she’ll be the “first hijabi JAG.” She may deserve congratulations for graduating law school — but then so do all the others in her class who didn’t warrant a media event.
I get it JD, the article is about out imperfect world that has imperfect people that just want to do the right thing for themselves and others. Some of the things we do will not be acceptable by everyone. Who really deserves a media event–everyone? What news is not good enough to appreciate an accomplishment, regardless of what they wear, what they believe or who they love? We see BS news all the time, but when I see decent people do what they believe are decent things for what they believe, I can appreciate that news and take it for what its worth.
I don’t know of any particular laudable events or accomplishments, but we must take them when they happen to people even if some of us disagree. We see the bad more than the good these days.
@watchtower
Perhaps at some point we should start celebrating unity, rather than division.