Quincy Reporter

Sen. Jil Tracy wants women veterans to be recognized for their actions.

Tracy speaks out about giving equal respect to women veterans during her speech on the Senate floor on Apr. 9.

"I want to join Sen. Gillespie in recognizing this day of Jun. 12, 2022, as women's Veterans Day. It's hard to believe that women have not been previously officially recognized as regular members of the United States military before the state, but we thank all of our veterans and we also want to recognize that our women have contributed greatly to the veterans' cause. they've served our nation. They've given the great sacrifice, as many of our other veterans and so we women just want to commemorate and recognize and bring it to your attention that these women veterans need to be recognized. and so I thank Sen. Gillespie for bringing this and just ask you all to join us in this resolution," said Tracy.

According to USA Today, several women veterans feel that they are not even recognized as 'veterans.' Lindsay Gargotto, the Military and Veteran Services director at Bellarmine University in Louisville and an Air Force veteran said that this can also make you feel 'invisible.' 

"If you're looking at things and being depicted a certain way and you're like, 'that's not me,' then that gets internalized over time," she said. 

House Joint Resolution 64 declares Jun. 12, 2022, as "Women's Veterans Day" in an effort to commemorate the day women were officially added as regular members of the United States military. It recognizes the critical role women have had in the military.

HJR 64 was introduced by Democratic Rep. Stephanie Kifowit in January. Gargotto also said, "There is a much more diverse narrative than what exists," as reported by USA Today. "We just need to be more open as a community to understanding that."

House Joint Resolution 64 was adopted by both chambers on Apr. 9.