Lunch ‘n’ Learn: "Progress Isn’t Uniform: The Battle for LGBTQ+ Rights in the US and UK Armed Forces" with Sarah Rabin

In this session, we sit down with Sarah Rabin—American expat, military researcher, and former VA employee—whose groundbreaking PhD explores the health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ personnel in the UK Armed Forces. After five years of living and studying in the UK, Sarah brings a rare transatlantic lens to the complex and often contradictory world of military inclusion.

From the U.S.’s renewed transgender service ban and shifting priorities to the UK’s mixed messages—compensating victims of historic discrimination while stalling on trans rights today—we explore how decisions made in military institutions echo deeper cultural, political, and moral battles playing out across society.

Whether you’re part of the LGBTQ+ community, the Armed Forces community, an ally, or just interested in how institutions reflect broader social change, this is a thoughtful and timely conversation worth tuning into.