To raise awareness to the need for Presidential leadership, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network has launched "Stories from the Frontlines: Letters to President Barack Obama." The new media campaign launched in partnership with over 33 progressive blogs is intended to underscore the urgent need for congressional action and presidential leadership at this critical point in the fight to repeal "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" (DADT).
This morning as a special guest, WGBL is very pleased to welcome to the Daily Kos, Trevor Thomas, Communications Director for Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. Please feel free to ask him questions about the campaign, the response it's received, SLDN's lobbying efforts, the state of repeal legislation. He is a real DC insider on this issue and we are lucky to have him.
Every weekday morning as we approach the markup of the Defense Authorization bill in the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, SLDN and a coalition of voices supporting repeal, will share an open letter to the President from a person impacted by this discriminatory law. We are urging the President to include repeal in the Administration’s defense budget recommendations, but also to voice his support as we work to muster the 15 critical votes needed on the Senate Armed Services Committee to include repeal. The Defense Authorization bill represents the best legislative vehicle to bring repeal to the president’s desk. It also was the same vehicle used to pass DADT in 1993.
Some participating blogs: 365 Gay, The Advocate, AfterElton, AmericaBlog , Ameriqueer, AKAWilliam, The Bilerico Project, BoxTurtleBulletin, BrandFabulousness, The Daily Kos, David In Manhattan, David Mixner, Fired Up Missouri, GoodAsYou, HRCBackStory, Kenneth In The 212, Lez Get Real, LGBTPOV, Michael in Norfolk, Mike Gets Real, Mile High Gay Guy, Open Left, Page One Q, Pam's House Blend, RepealNow, SayenCroWolf, Seattle PI Stepforward, Signorile's The Gist, The New Civil Rights Movement, The Queer Times, Towleroad, We Give A Damn.
In just two days, advocates of repealing the military's "Don't ask, don't tell policy" will gather in Washington, DC to deliver a resounding message: "Repeal can't wait." Allowing the window for budgetary inclusion to pass would be a mistake. As SLDN Executive director told Ben Smith in Politico yesterday:
"I think that the President gets it, that if we don't get this done under his leadership the first two years of his admin, year three or year four is not only more difficult -- it may be unlikely," Aubrey Sarvis, the executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, told me today. "A change of House or Senate majorities does not bode well for [repealing] Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
Sunday's event is a joint effort by a coalition of activists, as the effort was headed up by GetEQUAL, with their history, one might expect a high likelihood of fireworks. The protest is designed to capture the attention of President Barack Obama, who personally went publicly AWOL on the issue after the State of the Union Address on January.
Event organizers hope to highlight a very simple call to action for a specific task, enunciated clearly on their website and in their press releases. Sunday, it will doubtlessly be called time and again from the podium by Lt. Dan Choi, Capt. Jim Pietrangelo II, Lt. Robin Chaurasiya, Cpl. Evelyn Thomas, Spc. Jarrod Chlapowski, Maj. Mike Almy, Capt. Tanya Domi, Cpl. Brett Edward Stout, Sgt. Brian Fricke, and Sgt. Justin Elzie and other veterans and civilians alike:
"President Obama, will you immediately include 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell' (DADT) repeal language in the Defense Authorization transmittals to Congress to ensure repeal of the ban this year?"
Activists fear this request isn't being heard, perhaps with good reason: revelations came last week that the DADT issue's oldest, most credible lobbying group, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, hadn't received an invitation to White House repeal strategy talks in over a year.
But since time immemorial, those not welcome at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave have known: there's more than one way to lobby a President. "Letters to President Obama," an initiative of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, launched this week in the blogosphere. Spearheaded by Director of Communications, Trevor Thomas, it is a quietly but quickly growing blog movement, now being featured in at least 33 blogs across the nation.
Monday, some in the press chirped the news this week that 2009 DADT discharge statistics were the" lowest in years."
But Thomas has turned an old adage into the movement's advantage:
"443 DADT discharges is a statistic, 1 DADT discharge is a tragedy."
"Letters to the President" lays bare the graphic and monstrous reality of the DADT policy one case at a time, through just one letter a day.
In their own words soldiers, retired and active too, have shared the heartbreaking effects the DADT policy has had on their lives. Realities like: a soldier's loved one may only hear of their death by reading of it in the local paper.
We're shocked by the senselessness of distinguished, promising, careers truncated, ended for something unrelated to their dedicated service to our country.
We feel the fear and uncertainty these men and women live with day and night. Will today be the day someone will open their locker? Read their private email from home? Have an unfortunate, coincidental off-base crossing of paths? Will simple gossip end their hopes and dreams to make a better life for themselves, acquire job skills and education?
Their own words, their own voices, their own faces.
These are the brave and honorable troops our bureaucrats in Washington are telling to wait, another year? Two?
And all they're asking is to serve our country, with pride, dignity and distinction.
They've demonstrated so much courage on America's behalf, can America not now find it in itself to
be brave in return?
Does the President hear them? Do we?
Today's letter (previous letters can be found in this series of DADT repeal action diaries):
April 30, 2010
President Barack H. Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President,
I am the mother of two young children, and an Iraq war veteran. I joined up just like my dad – a retired Army officer – and my sister, who currently serves in the Guard. My brother is a reservist and has been deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan. Two weeks ago, our family gathered together as he is leaving again for Afghanistan -- his 4th deployment. Even my husband, Jay, served as an officer in the Air Force until 2008.
Like my dad, I chose the Army. I reached the rank of Captain and was a platoon leader in the military police. I was there during the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
I had some of the best NCO's (non-commissioned officers) in the Army who could accomplish any mission. Several members of my platoon received decorations for valor during the combat phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
On my last day of active duty, some of my old squad leaders revealed to me that one of my former team leaders was gay. They figured it was safe to tell me, as I was leaving the Army. My first feelings on the matter were, frankly, a little surprised, followed by complete indifference.
I was surprised because I had never suspected the soldier of being gay. But then, I never really had any thoughts about her sexual orientation whatsoever.
When I reflected on it, it didn't make one bit of difference in how she performed her job or how she related to the other soldiers in the platoon. She had the respect of her squad leaders (fairly conservative men, mind you), who kept her secret and continued working with her side-by-side for years.
As an officer, I would have been bound by my position to report such "credible information" that would have led to the discharge of a great NCO. I am glad that I was never placed in the position of having to choose between one of my soldiers and enforcing this terrible law, which I feel is unfair and wrong.
Please, Mr. President – at this critical time -- do not allow those serving their country to be forced to choose between good, honorable soldiers, and upholding an unfair law.
Please, do not continue to allow gays and lesbians in the service to have to choose between hiding a part of their identity and continuing to serve their country.
Please, help Congress repeal "Don't Ask Don't Tell" now.
Respectfully,
Former Capt. Rebecca H. Elliott
Untied States Army
"Stories from the Frontlines: Letters to President Barack Obama" is a new media campaign launched to underscore the urgent need for congressional action and presidential leadership at this critical point in the fight to repeal "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" (DADT).
Every weekday morning as we approach the markup of the Defense Authorization bill in the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, SLDN and a coalition of voices supporting repeal, will share an open letter to the President from a person impacted by this discriminatory law. We are urging the President to include repeal in the Administration’s defense budget recommendations, but also to voice his support as we work to muster the 15 critical votes needed on the Senate Armed Services Committee to include repeal. The Defense Authorization bill represents the best legislative vehicle to bring repeal to the president’s desk. It also was the same vehicle used to pass DADT in 1993. By working together, we can help build momentum to get the votes! We ask that you forward and post these personal stories.
For some background-
Trevor Thomas, the longtime Deputy Communications Director for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), sent an email out to inform recipients of his decision to leave the HRC and take on a position consulting with the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), an organization that advocates for, and offers support to, gays and lesbians in the military that Thomas described as "a non-partisan, non-profit, legal services and policy organization dedicated to ending discrimination against military personnel affected by ’Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ (DADT).
"I will now have the opportunity to focus full-time on repealing DADT and helping those discharged under the law," wrote Thomas, going on to note that, "More than 13,500 Americans have been denied the ability to serve--hurting our military readiness and national security."
President Obama has said that he favors an end to the current policy--Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT), a policy under which gays and lesbians are allowed to serve as long as they do not speak up about their true sexuality. The anti-gay ban has been in place for 17 years, and critics have noted that the ban is subject to abuses, with heterosexual women in the armed forces being falsely reported as lesbians for rebuffing the sexual advances of male colleagues. In addition, gay servicemembers who have not spoken up about themselves have still been discharged when third parties have reported them.
A review of the ban in currently underway, and the criteria for discharging gay and lesbian soldiers are now being reformulated to help protect servicemembers.
Noted Thomas, "We are at a critical time to repeal the law this year as Congress begins to take action on the Defense Department budget next month."
One high-profile gay servicemember facing discharge is Lt. Dan Choi, who argues that adherence to the anti-gay policy stands in contradiction to the training America’s servicemembers are given--and constitutes a violation of their integrity, as well. Choi’s act of civil disobedience on March 18--and the apparent refusal of the HRC’s president, Joe Solmonese, to accompany Choi to the White House from a rally in Freedom Park--left some in the GLBT community wondering about the HRC’s priorities, while others questioned Choi’s decision to get himself arrested.
About Servicemembers Legal Defense Network - Vision, Mission and Goals:
A Vision-
Freedom to Serve.
A Mission-
SLDN is a national, non-profit legal services, watchdog and policy organization dedicated to ending discrimination against and harassment of military personnel affected by "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and related forms of intolerance.
Goals for Freedom-
Lift the ban preventing gays, lesbians and bisexuals from serving openly and honestly in the military.
Provide free legal services to service members harmed by "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" and related, discriminatory policies.
Protect service members from harassment based on perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.
Advocate for policies and practices that improve the lives of service members.
Support service member and veteran pride as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender persons.
Strengthen organizational capacity to assure the freedom to serve in the most cost-effective, strategic fashion.
Click here to download SLDN's strategic plan. (PDF)
Advocate.com reported on March 18 that Choi handcuffed himself to the White House fence. Capt. Jim Pietrangelo, who had already been discharged under the anti-gay ban, joined him. Both men wore uniforms.
Choi had not been scheduled as a speaker at the Human Rights Campaign’s March 18 rally against the ban, which took place at Freedom Plaza and featured comedian Kathy Griffin; even so, he requested, and was granted, a spot to address the crowd. When he took the mike, Griffin asked Choi what his response might be to those who oppose the ban and say that gays wanting to serve openly have "an ulterior motive."
Responded Choi, "You’re great at telling joke, but let me make one thing very clear: this is not a joke. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is not a joking matter. It is the only law that enforces shame." Choi went on to say that the law constitutes "a dereliction of duty, and it is a dereliction of my moral code and my moral fiber" to keep quiet and serve as a closeted gay man. "Our fight actually isn’t just here at Freedom Plaza," Choi told the crowd. "Our fight is at the White House. And I am asking you to send a message to the president with me, to my Commander in Chief: repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Not next year, not tomorrow, but now." Choi went on to announce, "Following this rally, I will be leading to the White House to say, ’enough talk.’ "
Lt. Dan Choi delivered a powerful and very well received address at Harvard University last night. At times funny, at times heartbreaking, Choi continues to distinguish himself as a leader who can not only grab attention, he deserves it. Kossack Craigkg provided a liveblog here. Video has been made available in 6 parts:
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The WGLB ActBlue page is up and active. The five winners were added in addition to an honorable mention. The first week NY Senator Kirsten Gillibrand was chosen with 33 out of a total of 78 votes. The second week Senator Barbara Boxer of California was selected with 13 of 52 votes. The third week we chose Ted Ankrum for Representative with 16 of 44 votes cast. The fourth week we selected Jennifer Brunner for US Senate in Ohio with 25 of 71 votes. And last week we selected Billy Kennedy for Representative from NC with 12 of 29 votes cast (running against lunatic Virginia Foxx). Elizabeth (Libby) Mitchell, running for Governor of ME, was added as honorary candidate. If any of these selected candidates end up in easy reelection bids, we will remove them from our ActBlue fundraising page so we can focus our efforts where they will make the greatest impact. Thanks.
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Have you signed our petition to encourage the World Cup organizers to honor Eudy Simelane and all of the South African women who have suffered "corrective rape" at the hands of homophobic thugs? The 2010 FIFA World Cup is being held in South Africa and Eudy was raped and murdered in part for her love of the game of soccer/football and in part for her living an open life as a lesbian. We're only at 131 signers to date. PLEASE take a second and add your voice!
This mornings diary provided by Clarknt67.
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---UPDATE---
Trevor is a very busy man and has to now go deal with his duties at SLDN, I want to thank him for stopping in this morning and answering our questions. He will try to stop back over later and answer late arriving questions, so feel free to continue leaving them in threads below. Thank you again Trevor and keep up the pressure and the great work! And please, feel free to contact us with any additional diary topics you or your organization would like to share with us here at DailyKos.