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GAO-24-106436 1 (2024-11-15)

handle is hein.gao/gaopkf0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Why This Matters The U.S. Coast Guard, a branch of the armed forces located within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is responsible for protecting and defending more than 100,000 miles of U.S. coastline and inland waterways. The service also assists people in distress or affected by natural disasters. To accomplish its missions, the Coast Guard employs more than 40,000 active-duty service members. According to the Coast Guard, the service is committed to ensuring a supportive and inclusive environment free from discrimination and harassment, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. A 2020 study suggests that Department of Defense (DOD) active-duty military service members who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ+) face an elevated risk of sexual harassment and assault compared to non-LGBTQ+ service members.1 Although the study did not include the Coast Guard, it raises questions about the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals within the service since the Coast Guard follows DOD personnel policies.2 DOD has highlighted the rates of sexual assault and sexual harassment of LGBTQ+ service members as a concern. We were asked to examine issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity of Coast Guard active-duty service members. This report addresses the service's policies and actions related to sexual orientation and gender identity among its active-duty service members. Key Takeaways The Coast Guard collects limited information about the sexual orientation and gender identity of active-duty service members. Coast Guard officials stated that they are awaiting further guidance from DOD before possibly collecting additional information. The Coast Guard has a policy for handling gender transition requests from military service members (which include both active-duty and reserve members) but has not always adhered to the policy's 90-day timeframes for review and approval.3 We recommend that the Coast Guard collect information on gender transition request timeframes and use the information it collects to identify and address the causes of any delays. Coast Guard military service reported 116 discrimination and harassment incidents related to sexual orientation and gender identity from fiscal year 2013 through April 2023. Certain reports resulted in corrective actions, including requiring the person responsible to attend training, modification of a performance evaluation, and reassignment. Page 1 GAO-24-1 06436 Coast Guard Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Policies Page 1 GAO-24-106436 Coast Guard Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Policies

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