Newspaper article with the headline "I am proud of being gay: cop" and a subheading "Asks passage of rights bill." The article features a photograph of Police Sgt. Charles Cochrane speaking at a microphone with a group of women standing behind him at City Hall. The caption reads "Police Sgt. Charles Cochrane gets applause after speaking at City Hall yesterday."
A newspaper article with a black and white photograph showing two police officers in uniform. One officer is making hand gestures while the other looks on.
A police officer in uniform with a badge, hat, and blue shirt standing among people at an indoor event.

GOAL was founded to protect, support, and make LGBTQIA+ people working in law enforcement visible—at a time when visibility came at a cost.

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT

GOAL exists because LGBTQIA+ people have long served in law enforcement—often without visibility, protection, or institutional support. That reality shaped our organization from the beginning and continues to inform our work today.

As President, my responsibility is stewardship: ensuring that GOAL remains credible, accountable, and responsive to its members while engaging the public honestly about who we are and why we matter. That includes strengthening our governance, modernizing our processes where needed, and making sure our work reflects the realities our members face now—not just the history that brought us here.

GOAL’s strength has always come from its members. They serve across roles and ranks, often under complex conditions, and they bring that same seriousness to this organization. Our role as leadership is to support that work, protect the integrity of the organization, and advocate responsibly from within the institutions we know best.

Leadership transitions create opportunities to pause, listen, and move forward with intention. For GOAL, this is an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to our members and invite renewed engagement. Whether members have been continuously involved or are considering returning, the goal remains the same: a strong, responsive organization that reflects the people it serves.

Thank you for your engagement, your trust, and your commitment to the organization.

Michael Smertiuk

President

Gay Officers Action League

Our Story

  • GOAL was founded in New York City in 1982 by New York City Police Sergeant Charles H. Cochrane Jr.

    At the time, being openly gay in law enforcement could mean harassment, stalled careers, or termination. There were few protections and little recourse. Officers faced a choice between honesty and survival.

    GOAL was created to change that reality—not by standing outside the profession, but by organizing within it.

    From the beginning, GOAL served as a source of mutual support, professional advocacy, and institutional pressure for fairness. It gave LGBTQIA+ officers a way to stand together when standing alone was not an option.

  • Over the decades, laws changed. Policies improved. Visibility increased.

    But the need for GOAL did not disappear.

    Today, GOAL represents LGBTQIA+ law enforcement officers and criminal justice professionals across ranks, assignments, and agencies. Our members are active, retired, and civilian professionals who work throughout the justice system.

    Some are out. Some are not.
    All deserve dignity, safety, and equal opportunity at work.

  • GOAL’s purpose has remained steady:

    • Supporting members navigating discrimination, bias, or isolation

    • Advocating for fair treatment and advancement within institutions

    • Preserving confidentiality when it matters most

    • Representing LGBTQIA+ officers publicly—without erasing the complexity of the job

    We don’t sanitize the profession.
    We don’t abandon it either.

Law enforcement is a human institution—capable of progress and accountable to the public it serves.


We reject the idea that LGBTQ+ people don’t belong in it.