Frontlines: The Latest from OutServe-SLDN

Listen Closely

Join SLDN’s Sharra Greer, tonight (Thursday) from 9 until 9:45pm EST on Strictly Confidential Radio. Sharra will be talking about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell;" the obsolete nature of the ban and the reality that openly gay men and women, like Darren Manzella, are serving and striving in today’s military. To listen in, and join the conversation, click here. -Victor Maldonado

Labels: in the news

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01-10-08 Comment (0)

Coming to DC? Need a room?

Tickets are now on sale for UNITE, SLDN's 16th annual national dinner and silent auction.

The 2008 dinner will be held on Saturday, March 8 @ The National Building Museum in downtown Washington, D.C. The silent auction kicks off at 6:30pm, and dinner starts at 7:30. Stay tuned to Frontlines for more information on our 2008 line-up of speakers . . . but mark your calendars now (and get your tickets online) for this amazing gathering of veterans, activists and supporters from around the country.To RSVP and purchase your tickets for UNITE, click here.

A special hotel rate has been established for SLDN's Annual Dinner attendees. Anyone attending this special event can take advantage of the discounted hotel rate of $179. Please call the Reservations Department at the Doubletree Hotel Washington 1-800-492-5195 and ask for the "SLDN group rate" by February 7th. Rate is available beginning Friday, March 7th and also on the night of March 9th for anyone who would like to enjoy an extended weekend. Limited space is also available at the Palomar Hotel. If you would like to stay at this "Chic/Hip" hotel at the rate of $259, please contact David Hall, Major Gifts Manager, by February 1st at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or (202) 328-3244 x 119. -Jason Knight

Labels: 2008 National Dinner, hotels

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01-10-08 Comment (0)

Collateral Damage

It can be said that there is a tax on bigotry -- a surcharge if you will -- imposed on the American people by Congress in order to keep "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in place. Since 1993 the U.S. government has spent nearly $400,000,000 training, discharging, and replacing military personnel who have been kicked-out because of the gay ban. As astronomical as this number is, it does not begin to account for the intangible costs endured by patriotic gay Americans, who are serving their country in war zones around the world. Any assessment of the law's true cost must include the personal sacrifice and private pain that the law inflicts on the lives of these men and women who spend their entire adult life aware of the fact that at any moment any one of their friends, colleagues or commanders might decide to point their finger at them and end their career. The price tag of "Don't Ask, Don’t Tell" runs even deeper than that. Its cost is not borne by just the gay soldier or the lesbian sailor, its burden is also shared by the straight brothers and sisters, the straight mothers and fathers, and, most poignantly, the straight sons and daughters of gay military personnel. In June of last year, SLDN helped publish a groundbreaking article in the Duke Journal of Gender Law and Policy which examined the impact of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” on the families of lesbian, gay and bisexual service members. Today, reporter Dana Rudolph shares the story of yet another family and the costs they pay for the privilege of having a loved one who serves their country. Freedom is never free, but it is important to remember that neither is bigotry. -Victor Maldonado

01-10-08 Comment (1)

Elaine Donnelly, Self-Professed “Bother,” Is Looking at You

Yes, readers, it's time to check in with our favorite nemesis again. What has Elaine Donnelly been up to? The answer, alas, plays like a broken record: nagging, bothering, primping . . . but wait! . . . now she's spying, too! The week started out with Elaine spouting off in USA Today about her disdain for gay troops and admitting that she has been - her words, not ours! - "bothering" Sergeant Darren Manzella's command at Fort Hood, Texas. "We have yet to get an answer," she told reporter Andrea Stone. "His commanders should be disciplined appropriately for failing to do their duty." Oh, Elaine, you do know how to win over hearts and minds. First, ignore the commitment and service of our gay troops, and then slap around and "bother" their commands for allowing them to do their jobs and keep you safe. I bet she's already made quite a few new "friends" down at Fort Hood. But, I hope Ms. D. won't ever give up on her love for me, either. I just know she won't let me down. In fact, at Tuesday morning's news conference at the National Press Club, Elaine - who, one imagines, was stuck at the salon and couldn't get there on time - sent her executive director, Tommy Sears, to do a little snooping. Yes, Mr. Sears showed up to do Elaine's dirty work and "infiltrate" the event. Mr. Sears, however, made only one lasting impression during his visit with us. Throughout Tuesday's press event, Sergeant Manzella made a point of looking Tommy-boy in the eye while telling his story of serving on the streets of Baghdad and the frontlines of the war in Iraq. Each time he did, however, Mr. Sears dropped his head in a desperate attempt to avoid eye contact. Tommy, I suspect, knew that maybe he should be ashamed. But he kept furiously scribbling in his notebook, keeping track of every word about Darren's command and how they (gasp!) appreciated the good job he's doing while serving our country. Because, you see, in the fantasy land that is Elaine Donnelly's head, the only thing worse than being attacked by a terrorist is being defended from that attack by an openly gay military member. Time to open your eyes a little wider, Elaine. It's time to see the light. - Steve Ralls

Labels: Darren Manzella, elaine donnelly, in the news

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01-10-08 Comment (0)

Where Lobbying Can Take You

SLDN’s seventh annual Lobby Day is quickly approaching (March 6-7) here in Washington, DC. I want to share my experience with those of you who may be debating making the trek to DC for the first time, and with those of you who are wondering whether you should make a repeat visit to Capitol Hill. When I first began with SLDN, Sharon Alexander, Deputy Director for Policy, super lawyer, and mom extraordinaire, invited me to the annual Lobby Day event. It was about one year after I had been discharged and I was back in college finishing undergraduate studies in political science. After twelve years in the Army, I really had not given much thought to anything other than making it to retirement in the Army. I was debating where I should go in life: law school or teaching. I had never dreamed of meeting with my congressional representative to talk about anything, much less my sexual orientation. Sharon reassured me that the training SLDN provided would help make me an effective advocate with Members of Congress. My first year at Lobby Day was incredibly empowering. As a veteran, I had searched for a way to meet other gay veterans who wanted to effect change. I made great connections with fellow veterans and supporters at this event. I walked away from the experience knowing that one voice can make a difference. The next year, as an SLDN staff member, I got to help plan Lobby Day and coordinate the meetings with Members of Congress and their staff, as well as work on introduction of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act (H.R. 1246). Planning this event was just as empowering as attending it for the first time! During my time at SLDN, I figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up: a lobbyist for veterans. I’m happy to say that after graduate school I began doing exactly that. You don’t just have to take my word about coming to Lobby Day: there is an enthusiastic group of supporters who keep coming back every year. Legislators listen to their constituents. While I also encourage everyone I know to send letters to their Senators and Representative, it is so important for members to meet face-to-face with people from their districts. I hope you will all join us on Capitol Hill on March 6-7 and lend your voice for this desperately-needed change. Only with people like you speaking out for repeal will Congress lift the ban. -Stacy Vasquez

01-09-08 Comment (2)

Morning News Round-Up

The Associated Press reports this morning on yesterday's news conference with Sergeant Manzella: "Even if no one is asking, Army Sgt. Darren Manzella has been telling anyone who'll listen that he's gay — without serious retribution so far from the military," reporter Suzanne Gamboda writes. "Manzella, a medic who served in Iraq and Kuwait, has acknowledged his sexual orientation in national media interviews and again on Tuesday in a Washington news conference." "This is who I am. This is my life," said Manzella, who received a combat medical badge for his service in Iraq. "It has never affected my job performance before. I don't think it will make a difference now. And to be honest since then, I don't see a difference because of my homosexuality." The AP also reports that the command at Fort Hood, Texas, still isn't forthcoming with any information about Manzella's case. "Paul Boyce Jr., an Army spokesman, said he was unaware of an investigation of Manzella being opened or closed," AP writes. "He said the investigation would have been done by Manzella's Fort Hood unit, and officials there are on leave and unavailable to discuss the case." KCEN television also has a report on Manzella's visit to Washington, which you view online here. And our readers can join the blog discussion about Darren at PageOneQ, Queerty or Wonkette. - Steve Ralls Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

Labels: Darren Manzella, in the news, sldn clients

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01-09-08 Comment (0)

Thoughts from Aubrey Sarvis

An excerpt of comments made by SLDN executive director Aubrey Sarvis at today's National Press Club news briefing with Sergeant Darren Manzella. In our policy work in Washington, and with our military service clients like Sergeant Manzella, SLDN is witnessing a clear and undeniable shift in attitudes regarding “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and the issue of open and honest service in our military. Today, we have polls indicating overwhelming public support for repeal; we also have stories like Sergeant Manzella’s, which demonstrate that, within the military, troops and commands are increasingly welcoming and supporting their gay colleagues. In fact, SLDN is aware of more than 500 troops who are serving openly today, either to their commands, fellow troops or, in some cases, both. Yes, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” is arbitrarily enforced, even more so now that we are at war. Darren, who came out on national television December 16 and yet continues on active duty today, is a perfect example of why this law doesn’t work and isn’t needed. First, commands do not want to discharge qualified troops simply because they are gay. As the experience of Darren and those other 500 troops’ shows, qualification should – and often does – trump sexual orientation on the list of commands’ priorities. It is simply counterproductive and costly to dismiss good medics like Sergeant Manzella, trained linguists, doctors, pilots and other critical personnel who help get the job done every day. Secondly, Sergeant Manzella received tremendous support from his fellow troops after he initially came out to many of them 16 months ago. Zogby tells us that most troops don’t care about the sexual orientation of the people they serve with, and the military, reflecting, civilian society, is increasingly more familiar with, and accepting of, lesbian and gay Americans. And finally, it is time to give commands the opportunity to officially retain gay troops and to end the unnecessary arbitrary enforcement of the congressional gay ban. With no evidence to support tired, old arguments about unit cohesion, social experimentation, and troop morale and with plenty of fresh evidence pointing to a more welcoming environment in a military that needs more good people, everyone in our armed forces should be treated the same. Commands should BE FREE TO judge all their troops based on how well they do their job and not on who they are. There is mounting evidence that more commands are doing just that. Now, the law should mirror the reality and lead of those commands, and lawmakers should repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” This is a fight for equality and fairness for ALL. ALL. And if this is indeed the season of change, we say to Congress let that change begin with the repeal of this discriminatory and unfair law. Darren’s story illustrates exactly why change is needed. A trained, highly qualified medic, Sergeant Manzella served with distinction in Iraq and in Kuwait, from where he just returned a few days before Christmas. Darren joined the Army in 2002 and was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas, where he was lead instructor and coordinator for the Combat Lifesaver program, which trains non-medical soldiers in emergency first aid procedures to assist the medical team in combat situations. In March 2004, he deployed to Iraq, where he provided medical coverage during more than one hundred 12-hour duty assignments on the streets of Baghdad. While under fire, Manzella provided continuous medical care to his fellow soldiers, Iraqi National Guardsmen and Iraqi civilians. His extraordinary care during an attack in Iraq earned him the Combat Medical Badge, and he is also the recipient of several other awards recognizing his courage and duty to service in the warzone. Photo by Judy G. Rolfe for SLDN

Labels: aubrey sarvis, Darren Manzella, sldn clients

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01-08-08 Comment (0)

Darren’s Day in Washington

Darren Manzella is used to early mornings. As an Army medic, he's had a few early wake-up calls. So he was more alert than I was when his day in Washington kicked off, at 7:45am this morning, as we prepared for his first public appearance since 60 Minutes. I met Darren at his hotel, and then brought him to the SLDN offices before heading over to the National Press Club for his first appearance before reporters. What all of us at SLDN learned, when he got before the cameras this morning, is that Darren is a natural: passionate, well-spoken and ready for his close-up. As reporters from CNN, the Associated Press and the Washington Blade (among others) listened intently, Darren recounted his experience coming out to his command and his fellow troops ... and the remarkable response from his superiors after 60 Minutes aired. As Darren first told USA Today, and elaborated on this morning at the Press Club, his command has neither discharged him after learning he is gay, nor told him not to talk publicly - as he did today - about his positive experience serving as an openly gay soldier. "I'm looking forward to returning to work at Fort Hood when my leave is over," he told the crowd at the Press Club, "I can't wait to see my buddies in my unit and get back to doing my job." And that's why Manzella is the type of soldier the Army should be anxious to retain. This afternoon, Manzella is continuing to speak with reporters here at the SLDN offices, and has just wrapped up a photo shoot for SLDN's national ad campaign. Then, his D.C. visit continues tomorrow with our evening reception at the Army-Navy Club, where he'll be joined by his mom. On December 16, Sergeant Manzella fired his first shot against "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and this week in Washington, he's showing no signs of slowing down. And because of his bravery and courage, we are closer than ever to lifting the ban. (You can read coverage from Darren's visit online at The Blade and Wonkette.) - Steve Ralls

Labels: Darren Manzella, in the news, sldn clients, SLDN on 60 Minutes

01-08-08 Comment (1)

Vote!

Following up on this morning's USA Today article on open service by gay troops in the military, AOL is asking online readers to voice their opinions about the ban on lesbian and gay service members. Click here to cast your vote about whether gays should be allowed to serve openly, and whether "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" works. Log on now, and cast your vote!

Labels: polls

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01-08-08 Comment (0)