Frontlines: The Latest from OutServe-SLDN
In my own words…
On November 18, 2007, the Boston Globe carried an above the fold front-page article dedicated to the life and death of Ciara Durkin, an Army staff specialist. Durkin, a Massachusetts National Guard soldier from Quincy, MA, was found with a single bullet in her head lying on a secure military base in Afghanistan. While there is evidence that Durkin’s death was not accidental or self-inflicted, it remains shrouded in mystery. In chronicling the possible reasons for her death, the article stated the following: “Those close to her do not believe that Durkin was targeted because of her sexual orientation. Durkin had talked with her friends, before she enlisted, about the Army's ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell’ policy, which allows gays and lesbians to serve as long as they do not disclose their sexual orientation or act upon it.” Those two statements jumped off the page at me. First, it is striking that a soldier’s sexual orientation will make her a target for harassment and even murder. Unfortunately, it is not unprecedented. At least two soldiers’ deaths have been definitively linked to their sexual orientation. Private First Class Barry Winchell and Seaman Allen Schindler were both killed by fellow service members because they were perceived to be gay. And despite the DoDs anti-harassment policy, other service members continually report being targeted because of their sexual orientation, some revealing that they fear for their safety. Second, I was struck by how the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell statute was presented, not as a prohibition on service, but as a statute that “allows” gays and lesbians to serve “as long as they do not disclose their sexual orientation or act upon it.” Such a description ignores the immense difficulties faced by gay, lesbian, and bi-sexual service members. And it also belies the complexities of the issue. The implementation of the statute is not as benign as the description suggests; nor is it so straightforward. Under DOD Directive 1332, “homosexual conduct” includes a statement by a service member “that demonstrates a propensity to engage in homosexual acts.” It is a frighteningly vague definition of “conduct.” Moreover, it does not matter to whom the statement was made or the context in which it was made. Service members risk discharge if they make such a statement to a member of the clergy, to their doctor, or on the Internet. The definition encompasses much more than the simple statement “I’m gay” uttered to a fellow soldier or commanding officer. Durkin represents just one of the thousands of gay, lesbian, and bi-sexual service members who have served or are serving in silence. While her death does not appear to be linked to her sexual orientation, it is unsettling that it was even necessary to consider it as a possibility. The repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is not just about ending the ban against gays, lesbians, and bisexuals serving openly. It is also about ending an era of intolerance. When Congress passed 10 U.S.C. § 654, it sanctioned discrimination and the ignorance and hatred that accompanies it. -SLDN Board Member Jackie Gardinia, Associate Professor of Law, Vermont Law SchoolLabels: guest blogger, jackie gardinia
-----11-30-07 Comment (0)
Congresswoman Tauscher: End This ‘Counter-Productive’ Law
Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher (D-CA), the lead sponsor of The Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which would repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and allow lesbian and gay Americans to serve openly, is stepping up her calls for repeal.
In a statement released exclusively to SLDN on the 14th anniversary of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," Tauscher points to the importance of opening our armed forces to qualified gay Americans who want to serve.
"In the past 14 years, 12,000 servicemen and women have been discharged under the 'Don’t Ask Don’t Tell' policy," Tauscher says. "But it’s not just those troops who suffer – it’s our security. At a time when the overall readiness of our military is being stretched, two otherwise qualified servicemen and women are being barred every day from providing services we need. We need a boost in readiness so that we are prepared to face future conflicts wherever they may arise. A responsible and moral way to jumpstart this process is by passing the Military Readiness Enhancement Act that would repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and end the counter-productive practice of discharging qualified servicemen and women from our military."
SLDN is proud to work alongside Congresswoman Tauscher as she pushes Congress to lift the ban.
If your Representative is not yet a co-sponsor of The Military Readiness Enhancement Act, click here to urge them to sign on.
- Steve RallsLabels: Congress, MREA, Tauscher
-----11-30-07 Comment (0)
Dear Congress,
This morning, a group of 28 retired Generals and Admirals released a letter calling on Congress to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." The letter, which marks the largest single group of officers to ever call for repeal at once, comes on the 14th anniversary of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
Throughout this weekend, a groundbreaking exhibit on the National Mall will mark the anniversary with 12,000 flags representing the 12,000 men and women who have been dismissed under this law.
Now, on this most unhappy anniversary, 28 more military leaders have said 'enough is enough.' We welcome them to the campaign to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and are proud to share their letter with you:
We respectfully urge Congress to repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Those of us signing this letter have dedicated our lives to defending the rights of our citizens to believe whatever they wish. As General Colin Powell, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs said when the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy was enacted, it is not the place of the military or those in senior leadership to make moral judgments.
Scholarly data show that there are approximately one million gay and lesbian veterans in the United States today, as well as 65,000 gays and lesbians currently serving in our armed forces. They have served our nation honorably.
We support the recent comments of another former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General John Shalikashvili, who has concluded that repealing the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy would not harm, and would indeed help, our armed forces. As is the case in Britain, Israel, and other nations which allow gays and lesbians to serve openly, our service members are professionals who are able to work together effectively despite differences in race, gender, religion, and sexuality. Such collaboration reflects the strength and the best traditions of our democracy.
Lieutenant General Jerry Hilmes; Branch: Army
Vice Admiral Harold Koenig; Branch: Navy; Field: Medical
Vice Admiral James Zimble, Midlothian, VA; Branch: Navy; Field: Medical
Major General Leslie Burger, Vancouver, WA; Branch: Army; Field: Medical
Major General Alexander Burgin, Salem, OR; Branch: Army NG; Field: Artillery
Major General Michael Conrad, McLean, VA; Field: Infantry
Major General James Delk, Fair Oaks, CA; Branch: Army; Field: Medical
Major General Jack Farris, New Jersey; Branch: Air Force; Field: Aviation (pilot)
Major General Fred Forster, Tennessee; Field: Aviation
Major General David Hale, Hampton Bays, NY; Field: Combat
Major General Randy Jayne, McClean, VA; Branch: Air NG; Field: Aviation (pilot)
Major General Dennis Laich, Dublin, OH; Branch: Army; Field: Military Police
Major General Dennis Malcor, Vine Grove, KY; Branch: Army; Field: Combat
Major General Michael Scotti*, Arlington, VA; Branch: Army; Field: Medical
Major General Harry Sieben, Minnesota; Branch: Army and Air NG
Rear Admiral William Retz; Branch: Navy
Brigadier General Clara Adams-Ender, Woodbridge, VA; Branch: Army; Field: Medical
Brigadier General Dale Barber, Waverly, NY; Branch: Army; Field: Infantry Engineer
Brigadier General Harold Bowman, Pleasant Hill, IA; Branch: Army NG; Field; Medical
Brigadier General Douglas Bradley, Diablo, CA; Branch: Army; Field: Medical
Brigadier General William Colvin; Branch: Army NG
Brigadier General Bob Hardy; Branch: Army
Brigadier General JD Johnson, Salt Lake City, UT; Branch: Army
For more information on the letter, visit The Michael Palm Center online.
- Steve RallsLabels: in the news, veterans
11-30-07 Comment (1)
A Time for Heroes
I first met Brigadier General Keith Kerr when, in 2003, I helped to coordinate his ‘coming out’ – along with another General and an Admiral – in the New York Times. General Kerr’s honesty made history, making him one of the highest ranking military leaders to ever publicly acknowledge that he is gay. It was a moment of immense pride for me, and I still consider the story one of the highlights of my time with Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. That pride was matched last night as I watched General Kerr address the Republican presidential candidates and call them out on their support for “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The General’s question was eloquent, pointed and necessary. Here, at last, was a decorated veteran, with 43 years of service under his belt, calling on our political leaders to do the right thing and lift the ban. I was at home, beaming with pride as I watched General Kerr challenge the candidates on their support for a prejudicial and unnecessary law. By 10:55pm, I was sure the good General had launched an effective and important debate in our country about open service in the military. By 11pm, however, I was on the phone with reporters who had been tipped off, apparently, by Bill Bennett (he of oh so many morals) that General Kerr was a supporter of Senator Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Mr. Bennett’s not-so-subtle insinuation was that General Kerr had been a Clinton ‘plant’ at the debate and that his motivation was to somehow initiate his own ‘shock and awe’ at the debate over the issue of gays in the military. Nothing, in fact, could have been further from the truth. Continue reading A Time for Heroes at Bilerico.com . . .Labels: bilerico, in the news, Keith Kerr, other blogs, YouTube Debates
11-29-07 Comment (1)
A Gay General Asks. Will GOP Candidates Tell?
Brigadier General Keith Kerr, CSMR (Ret.), a member of SLDN's military advisory council, has posed a question for tonight's CNN/YouTube debate with GOP presidential candidates.
"I want to know," General Kerr, who has 43 years of service under his belt asks, "why you think that American men and women in uniform are not professional enough to serve with gays and lesbians."
It's a good question, and one we hope will make it into tonight's debate. Tune in to CNN, beginning at 8pm, to see if General Kerr's question makes the line-up.
- Steve RallsLabels: 2008, YouTube Debates
11-28-07 Comment (1)
Judson Smith Speaks Out
Sarah Overstreet, a columnist at the Springfield, Missouri, News-Leader, has a piece in this morning's paper about SLDN client Judson Smith (pictured), an Honor Graduate of the United States Air Force Basic Military Training and the Louis F. Garland Fire Academy who was later stationed Patrick AFB with the 45th Space Wing Space Shuttle Support Team as a Firefighter/Paramedic.
"Judson Smith loved the military. Not liked — loved — the military," Overstreet writes in today's paper. But, she notes, "Our government booted him out of the job he loved under the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue, Don't Harass,' federal law, 10 U.S.C. 654."
Smith, as Overstreet points out, was outed by an email sent to his command. He never told, kept his end of the "Don't Tell" deal, but when his command asked about his sexual orientation, he felt compelled to be honest in his answer.
"Did I think about lying?" Smith asked himself. "Sure I did; I love what I do. But that's not who I am. The Air Force (core values are) 'Integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do.' If I lied, how could I have integrity about being who I am?"
Now, Smith is one of more than 12,000 men and women who have been discharged under the law. And Overstreet is not pleased.
"No part of this cockamamie law makes sense," she writes. "Don't tell? Of course people tell, especially if it will get someone else in trouble. Don't ask? The military is breaking the law consistently by asking."
"Our legislators pushed through a law whereby our military takes people and trains them to do the most difficult, professional, needed jobs we have to do — in the middle of a war, for crying out loud — then boots them and throws our tax dollars down a rathole," Overstreet says. "Then we get to pay again to train other people to do the jobs."
As for Smith, he's ready and willing to return to service when the ban is lifted. ""I would love to go back in the military if I could," he tells the News-Leader. If this law is repealed, everyone they kicked out will be able to re-enlist."
You can read Sarah Overstreet's full column online here.
- Steve RallsLabels: in the news, sldn clients
-----11-28-07 Comment (0)
Have Your Say
SLDN was recently contacted by Dean Sinclair, and Active Duty Army Social Worker pursuing a Ph.D. in research, with an article about to appear in The Journal of Homosexuality. Sinclair’s dissertation will discuss gays in the military, with a close examination of the choices they must make in light of "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell." He is conducting an anonymous survey to further his research. The survey is, according to Sinclair, "intended for those who are active duty, prior active duty, or retired from active duty United States military and identify as being homosexual." If that criteria applies to you, please take a moment to complete Sinclair’s survey and become a part of this fascinating research project. Simply follow this link. - Elizabeth Bolles Please note: This is not an SLDN survey, and SLDN makes no claims or endorsement regarding the survey, Dean Sinclair or the research being conducted. Active duty personnel, especially, should always be cautious about sharing personal, identifiable information about themselves online. -----11-27-07 Comment (0)
Cast Your Vote
On November 28th, YouTube and CNN will hold the second presidential primary debate. This time, the republicans will battle it out for the race to the White House. This means that it's time to cast your vote! What questions do you want to see answered? Go to www.communitycounts.us to vote for your favorite video.SLDN has cast our own question, in particular to Ron Paul, but the question is an important one. What will each candidate do to get rid of Don't Ask, Don't Tell and end the discrimination toward gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members. You can vote for our submission by going to the website and putting "Ron Paul" into the search box. Here is our question:
Labels: YouTube Debates
-----11-26-07 Comment (0)
Getting the Job Done
In this morning's Detroit News, column Deb Price profiles SLDN's new executive director, Aubrey Sarvis.
Price begins by telling a pre-SLDN moment in Aubrey's career, when he convinced the chairman of Verizon to speak out on Capitol Hill in favor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA):
Imagine flying on Bell Atlantic's private jet in 1997 as the telecom giant's chief congressional lobbyist. You're the sole traveling companion of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Raymond Smith.
With your incredible access, you casually mention that you assume Smith knows you're gay and you'd very much appreciate it if he'd testify before the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee in favor of banning anti-gay job discrimination.
Smith does testify, saying savvy corporations support such workplace protections because "no company can afford to waste the talents and contributions of valuable employees as we compete in a global marketplace." Treating gay workers fairly "is good business andgood citizenship," he adds.
If you're Aubrey Sarvis, it doesn't take imagination to envision that scenario: He starred in it.
Sarvis enjoys amazing access, thanks to four decades in the corridors of power -- as chief counsel to the Senate Commerce Committee, at Bell Atlantic-turned Verizon, and as the head of his own lobbying firm. He's proven he's willing to pull strings to help those of us who're gay.
Now Sarvis has been recruited to lead the charge for ending anti-gay employment discrimination by one of the nation's largest employers, the U.S. military. . . .
. . . Over the years, SLDN's groundbreaking reports have educated the nation about the damage Don't Ask does to patriotic young gay Americans and to national security: Polls now show most Americans agree that gays should be able to serve openly. . . .
. . . SLDN made a smart tactical move in picking a seasoned Washington insider who enlisted at 17 in the Army and served for three years, much of it in Korea.
Public opinion hasn't yet gotten the ban lifted. But connections forged over decades at Washington cocktail parties and on private flights may be just what it takes to get the job done.
To read Deb's full column, click here.
- Steve Ralls
Labels: in the news
-----11-26-07 Comment (0)
Episode 2
I am excited to announce the launch of our second episode of On Duty - SLDN's official podcast.
With more than 300 hits and 70 subscribers in the past two weeks since Episode 1 aired, we are more than excited to roll out the sequel. In this newest installment, you will find a news update, a special report from Staff Attorney Emily Hecht, online safety guidelines for active duty and reserve personnel, and much more.
Come see what all of the commotion is about. Visit On Duty where you can view and subscribe to our podcast through iTunes, or your favorite podcast engine. Be sure to visit our video page on our website as well for more videos.
From all of us at SLDN Happy Holidays!
-Jason KnightLabels: on duty, podcast, video
-----11-21-07 Comment (0)
