Happy Thanksgiving

Dear Members and Friends, I hope this message finds you well and warm! As Thanksgiving has finally arrived, kicking off the holiday season, I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude for all you do. Your exceptional participation has led GOAL down the path of yet another successful year, once again exceeding all expectations for our organization. You continue to inspire and amaze, both inside of our respective agencies and across the LGBTQ community. And from your efforts and support, we all have so much to be thankful for - an incredible Pride celebration; an annual dinner that again grew to new heights; and a new telling of our story and our struggles to a wider and more diverse audience than ever. None of this would happen without you, and I am so happy today to give thanks for all this and the work yet to come. Like many of you, I will be working on this holiday, fulfilling the obligation that so many of us freely took when we raised our hands and swore an oath years ago. And for those of you that work in the criminal justice system and do not have a "uniformed" role, you sacrifice a great deal as well and are the backbone of support without which we could not thrive. Our common bond of service is the fabric that holds us together; we don't simply have a job or a career. And for that, I'm also so happy to give thanks. As always, whether on duty or enjoying the holiday, remain vigilant and be safe. On behalf of the Executive Board, I wish all of you a very Happy, Healthy and Safe Thanksgiving Day. Fraternally, Brian E. Downey President