Frontlines: The Latest from OutServe-SLDN

OS-SLDN Provides Testimony on Charlie Morgan Act

Today the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs was scheduled to hold a hearing to consider a number of legislative items. The hearing was postponed, but a Committee spokesman confirmed that it will be rescheduled. When it is, one of the items Committee members will hear about will be the Charlie Morgan Military Spouses Equal Treatment Act of 2013. The bill is named after our dear friend Chief Warrant Officer Charlie Morgan, who passed away earlier this year after a brave and tireless battle with cancer. Before she passed, Charlie did so much to advance the cause of LGBT military equality, especially by highlighting the damage that the so-called Defense of Marriage Act does to our service members, veterans and their families.

I was invited by the Committee to submit testimony, which I was honored to provide. In my testimony, which you can read here, I discuss Charlie's effort to see DOMA and other discriminatory provisions repealed. I also convey to the Committee why the Charlie Morgan Act is necessary regardless of what the Supreme Court does with DOMA. I hope that you take a moment to learn more about this important piece of legislation. You can read more here.

05-15-13 By Allyson Robinson, OutServe-SLDN Executive Director | Comment (0)

Take the Pride Challenge!

June is LGBT Pride Month, and OutServe-SLDN's members and supporters will attend dozens of Pride events across the country - and indeed around the world - as we celebrate and honor how far we have come on our journey to full equality in this country.

We need your help today to get our chapters the resources they need to be be successful at these events - things like banners, t-shirts, educational information, and promotional supplies. And we don't have much time to do it.

We need to raise $10,000 more in the next ten days in order to meet our goal for supplying our chapters and members with what they need. Here's how your contribution can make a difference today:

• $10 buys a t-shirt for a volunteer
• $25 buys 100 flyers to educate the public about our fight for equality and what they can do to help
• $50 buys a banner that our members use to march proudly in Pride parades
• $100 or more helps us pay registration fees and secure our participation

Use this link to do what you can today to support our 55 chapters and 6500 actively serving members around the world.

05-14-13 By Gary Espinas, Chapter & Member Services Director | Comment (0)

Give OUT on May 9th!

We invite you to be part of history and join OutServe-SLDN as we participate in the first national Give OUT Day on May 9th. It's a great way to use your social media network to make a difference for our men and women in uniform, our veterans, and their families.

What is Give OUT Day?
Give OUT Day is a new national initiative that will engage hundreds of organizations and mobilize thousands of people on a single day across the country to give in support LGBT causes.

How does it work?
Donate online through OutServe-SLDN's Give OUT Day page or create your own fundraising page here to get your friends and family involved. You can make a donation now or set it to be processed on May 9th.

Why do we need you?
The repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was just the beginning of our fight for full LGBT military equality - not the end. Your support today will help us keep up the fight for these brave patriots, veterans, and their families.

Click this link to get started!

05-01-13 By Zeke Stokes, OutServe-SLDN Communications Director | Comment (0)

Week in Review - April 12, 2013

Military Families Challenging DOMA Set to be Honored at Logo TV’s NewNowNext Awards. OutServe-SLDN and Logo Television announced Thursday that uniformed service members and veterans will be in the audience to be honored at the cable television network’s NewNowNext Awards ceremony, taking place in Los Angeles, CA, this weekend. The show will air on Logo TV at 10:00 p.m. EDT on Monday, April 15, 2013. For more on the event and OS-SLDN's nomination as "Most Innovative Charity," click here. 

Gay Marine Captain, Fiancé Featured in "Freedom to Serve, Freedom to Marry Campaign" Video. Freedom to Marry and OutServe-SLDN this week released the newest video in their joint “Freedom to Serve, Freedom to Marry” campaign, featuring gay U.S. Marine Corps Captain Matthew Phelps and his soon-to-be husband Ben Schock. Captain Phelps and Schock previously made news when they became the first-ever same-sex couple to get engaged through a marriage proposal at the White House. For more information and to watch the video, click here.

OutServe Magazine Names New Editor-in-Chief. OutServe-SLDN, the publisher of OutServe Magazine, announced this week that Angelina Leger, an award winning multimedia artist with more than fifteen years of experience, has been named editor-in-chief of the publication, now in its third year of production. Previously, Leger served as operations and graphics director for the magazine, which is available bi-monthly in print and digital versions and focuses on news, advocacy, human interest, and travel for LGBT service members, as well as their families and supporters. For more, click here. 

Join Us in Seattle on May 23 to Support OutServe-SLDN. Col. Grethe Cammermeyer, USA (Ret.), RADM Alan M. Steinman, USCG (Ret.), Matthew Phelps & Ben Schock, and Maj. Margaret Witt, USA (Ret.) invite you to join us for a reception honoring America's service members, veterans and their families. Click here to RSVP or make a contribution. 

04-12-13 By Zeke Stokes, OutServe-SLDN Communications Director | Comment (0)

Week in Review - April 5, 2013

Registration Opens for 2013 International Leadership Conference. Registration is now open for the 2013 OutServe-SLDN International Leadership Conference and is open to all OutServe-SLDN members and supporters. This is a family-inclusive conference, and there will be activities planned throughout the weekend for children 12 and under. We encourage you to make your entire family a part of this exciting weekend. Get more details and register to attend here.

More U.S. Senators Support the Freedom to Marry. This week brought additional support for marriage equality from both Republican and Democratic members of the U.S. Senate. To read the latest, click here. 

Navy Chaplain Officiates Same-Sex Marriage Ceremony. Last weekend, on Saturday, March 30, Jonathan Franqui and Navy Senior Chief Dwayne D. Beebe hosted their wedding ceremony among all of their loved ones at Old Christ Church in Pensacola, Florida. The couple met in 2011, had an instant connection, and have had a whirlwind romance ever since. They've fallen in love, been accepted into each other's family circles, and got engaged during the San Diego LGBT Pride Parade, the first Pride parade where gay and lesbian service members were authorized to wear their uniforms. Read more here.

OutServe-SLDN Nominated "Most Innovative Charity" by Logo Television. OutServe-SLDN is nominated to receive Logo Television's NewNowNext award in the category "Most Innovative Charity." Please cast your vote here and pass along the link to your friends, family, and colleagues. 

04-05-13 By Zeke Stokes, OutServe-SLDN Communications Director | Comment (0)

Registration Now Open for 2013 International Leadership Conference

Meet us in San Antonio October 25-27, 2013!

Registration is now open for the 2013 OutServe-SLDN International Leadership Conference and is open to all OutServe-SLDN members and supporters. This is a family-inclusive conference, and there will be activities planned throughout the weekend for children 12 and under. We encourage you to make your entire family a part of this exciting weekend. Here's what else you need to know:

• The Conference will include panels and workshops dedicated to building a stronger and more inclusive military community. It will provide an opportunity for interacting with one another on a variety of timely and important issues.
• We have been able to cut the price nearly in half from last year's registration fee in order to make this as affordable as possible for as many as possible.
• There will be a host hotel - which we will announce shortly - and that rate is likely to be about $115 per night. Attendees will not be required to stay at the host hotel in order to register for and attend the conference, which will allow attendees to find and stay in more affordable places or even stay with friends and family in the area.

This is going to be bigger and better than ever, and we are looking forward to seeing you there. We will be announcing an exciting lineup of special guests, entertainment, and informative workshops to make this worth your trip.

Register here and join us in San Antonio! Can't join us? Help sponsor a cadet or midshipman to attend!

04-04-13 By Zeke Stokes, OutServe-SLDN Communications Director | Comment (0)

Week in Review - March 15, 2013

Military Officials, Service Members Urge Supreme Court to End DOMA. Former Congressman and former U.S. Navy Three-Star Admiral Joe Sestak this week joined with Former Congressman, Army Captain and Iraq War Veteran Patrick Murphy, OutServe-SLDN Executive Director Allyson Robinson, and Staff Sgt. Tracy Johnson in urging the U.S. Supreme Court to end the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Thirty military officials and OutServe-SLDN, which represents gay and lesbian service members and veterans, each filed an amicus brief in the United States v. Windsor case challenging DOMA and being heard by the U.S. Supreme Court on March 27. Read the news release here.

Final Legal Resolution for former Air Force Major Mike Almy. OutServe-SLDN and the law firm Morrison & Foerster announced on Friday that their client, former Air Force Major Mike Almy, has reached a settlement in his lawsuit against the Defense Department that challenged his 2006 discharge under the discriminatory, now-repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) law. Read the news release here.

March 26 Rally for Marriage Scheduled at the U.S. Supreme Cout. On Tuesday, March 26, OutServe-SLDN will join other supporters of the freedom to marry for a rally at the Supreme Court as oral arguments are heard in two cases related to Prop 8 and the so-called Defense of Marriage Act. To RSVP for the rally, click here. 

OutServe-SLDN Nominated "Most Innovative Charity" by Logo Television. OutServe-SLDN is nominated to receive Logo Television's NewNowNext award in the catergory "Most Innovative Charity." Please cast your vote here and pass along the link to your friends, family, and colleagues.

03-15-13 Comment (0)

Week in Review - March 1, 2013

OutServe-SLDN to Supreme Court: Strike Down DOMA: OutServe-SLDN on Friday filed an amicus curiae brief with the United States Supreme Court in the case of United States v. Windsor arguing that the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) harms military families and compromises national security. The brief, on which the law firm Chadbourne & Parke serves as counsel, urges the Court to strike down the law as unconstitutional. Oral arguments in the case are scheduled in late March. 

Meanwhile, retired Navy Captain Joan Darrah, a plaintiff in OutServe-SLDN's lawsuit challenging DOMA in federal court, represented the organization and LGBT military families as broad bipartisan coalition of organizations filing briefs came together in Washington, DC for a news conference spotlighting harm DOMA does to LGBT Americans. To read the news release, click here. 

Hagel Confirmed Secretary of Defense. Army Veteran and OutServe-SLDN Executive Director Allyson Robinson praised the Senate this week for confirming former Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel by a vote of 58-41 as the nation’s next Secretary of Defense. She called on him to address the military's lack of discrimination and harassment protections for gay and lesbian service members. To read the news release, click here. 

Broadway Boys Set to Headline OS-SLDN National Dinner March 9. OutServe-SLDN announced the addition of The Broadway Boys to the lineup for the upcoming March 9 2013 National Dinner in Washington, DC. The group is a collection of the hottest male voices currently working on the New York stage. Through their dynamic vocal prowess and redefining arrangements, the Boys add elements of Pop, Funk, Gospel, Jazz, and Folk to showtunes and classic pop songs. Tickets are still available and may be purchased here. 

03-01-13 By Zeke Stokes, OutServe-SLDN Communications Director | Comment (0)

Week in Review - February 22, 2013

Collateral Damage: How the Defense of Marriage Act Harms the Troops and Undermines the U.S. Military. Following Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s recent announcement that the Department of Defense would extend some benefits to same-sex couples, advocates quickly turned to another stumbling block—the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, awaiting a Supreme Court ruling on its constitutionality this summer. This week, the Center for American Progress and OutServe-SLDN released a report, “Collateral Damage: How the Defense of Marriage Act Harms the Troops and Undermines the U.S. Military,” which details exactly how DOMA negatively affects gay service members and their families. Read the report and watch the video here.

Retiring Army Colonel Tapped to Become First OutServe-SLDN Chapter Director. Army Veteran and OutServe-SLDN Executive Director Allyson Robinson announced this week the appointment of Colonel Gary D. Espinas, currently a military professor of national security affairs in Monterey, California, as the first Director of Chapter and Member Services at OutServe-SLDN. Espinas will begin the newly created full-time position on April 30 following his military retirement. Read the news release here.

Bishop Gene Robinson Joins Lineup for March 9 National Dinner. Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson has joined the lineup of special guests for the March 9 OutServe-SLDN National Dinner in Washington, DC. Other special guests scheduled to appear include former Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-PA); reality television stars and winners of CBS’s The Amazing Race, Josh Kilmer-Purcell and his partner Brent Ridge (The Fabulous Beekman Boys); Washington Post opinion writer and MSNBC contributor Jonathan Capehart; and the first same-sex couple to wed in the West Point Cadet Chapel, Sue Fulton and Penelope Gnesin. To purchase tickets, click here. 

02-22-13 By Zeke Stokes, OutServe-SLDN Communications Director | Comment (0)