Frontlines: The Latest from OutServe-SLDN
So much to do
It seems this time of year that there's never enough time to get everything done, and with four children at home, my wife Danyelle and I always look forward to those days just after Christmas when things settle down just a bit. The anticipation of gift-giving is over, and we all can simply enjoy one another's company for a few days before the demands of the new year kick in.
But it's hard to rest when there is so much left to do.
Indeed, the fight is far from over. Though "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" has been relegated to the dustbin of history, our fight continues for military families who are still treated as second class citizens because of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). It continues for veterans who served our country honorably yet have not received the recognition and dignity their service is due. It continues for the more than 60,000 LGBT service members currently wearing our nation's uniform, who are not serving with legal protection from harassment and discrimination. And it continues for the brave transgender patriots who have served, who serve today, and who wish to serve in the future, yet are barred from doing so by outdated, discriminatory regulations.
Help us fight for them in 2013 with a contribution today!
We have much to be grateful for as we reflect on this year - but so much to do as we look ahead. You can make a difference. In fact, we cannot do it without you.
12-27-12 Comment (0)
The Week in Review: December 3-7, 2012
Army veteran, OutServe-SLDN board member weds at West Point Cadet Chapel. Army Veteran and OutServe-SLDN Board member Brenda S. “Sue” Fulton last Saturday married her long-time partner, Penelope Dara Gnesin, at the Cadet Chapel at West Point. The two became the first to wed in the historic cathedral and only the second same-sex couple to marry on the hallowed grounds of West Point since the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) and the legalization of same-sex marriage in the State of New York. To read more, click here.
OutServe-SLDN praises Senate for passage of responsible defense authorization bill. Army veteran and OutServe-SLDN Executive Director Allyson Robinson praised U.S. Senate leaders this week for passage of the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that does not include harmful language adopted by the House of Representatives last spring. The House-passed bill would limit the use of Department of Defense facilities, negatively impact military chaplains, and undermine successful "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) repeal implementation. To read more, click here.
Department of Defense General Counsel, DADT repeal ally, resigns. Army veteran and OutServe-SLDN Executive Director Allyson Robinson released a statement this week following the announcement of the resignation of Jeh Johnson as General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Defense. Read her statement here.
Discharged service members among first to marry in Wasington State. A number of those who will be among the first to enter into same-sex marriages in Washington State are high-profile gay service members discharged for their sexual orientation - including Colonel Grethe Cammermeyer - who say the legalization of same-sex marriage represents the next step forward for LGBT rights. For more on this story, click here.
OS-SLDN champagne brunch this weekend in Washington, DC. This Sunday, OutServe-SLDN will host a fundraiser in the nation’s capital to raise resources and support for its ongoing mission to achieve full LGBT equality in America’s military. For more information or to purchase tickets, click here.
Have a story or event you want included in the Week in Review? Send it to Zeke Stokes at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for consideration.
12-07-12 By Zeke Stokes, OutServe-SLDN Communications Director | Comment (0)
Discharged service members among first to marry in Washington
By Chris Johnson
A number of those who will be among the first to enter into same-sex marriages in Washington State are high-profile gay service members discharged for their sexual orientation who say the legalization of same-sex marriage represents the next step forward for LGBT rights.
In Washington, where voters legalized marriage equality on Election Day by a 54 percent majority via a measure known as Referendum 74, same-sex couples were set to be able to obtain marriage licenses on Thursday. The three-day waiting period in the state means gay couples that obtain licenses on that day will be able to legally marry beginning Sunday.
Washington is the first of three states — which includes Maine and Maryland — where voters legalized same-sex marriage at the ballot on Election Day to allow same-sex couples to obtain marriage licenses and legally wed.
To read the entire story click here.
12-06-12 Comment (0)
Jeh Johnson: A hero of DADT repeal resigns
by Jonathan Capehart
One of the many heroes in the repeal of “don’t ask don’t tell” (DADT) has resigned. Jeh Johnson, the general counsel at the department of defense, will return to the private sector at the end of the month.
Johnson is one of those impressive people for whom public service is a form of thrill-seeking. His current stint at the Pentagon is his third tour away from private law practice in New York City. He was an Assistant United States Attorney in New York (1988 to 1991) and he was the general counsel of the Air Force (1998 to 2000).
To read the entire story click here.
12-06-12 Comment (0)
New Photographic Project Shines Light on DOMA Harm
At OutServe-SLDN, we are proud to be in the fight to secure full LGBT equality in our military - and an important piece of the movement to bring full equality to every corner of American life. But as the song from the musical Chicago says, we simply cannot do it alone.
Whether it's Amanda Lucidon's Legal Stranger Project, Kathleen DeBold's work at Lambda Literary Foundation, or Mike Jacoby's film The Undesirable, the literary, arts, and entertainment communities are an important part of the work we must continue to do collectively to engage and educate the American public on our issues.
I am pleased to share with you a new Kickstarter project, Gay Warriors: Portraits of Same-Sex Military Couples, which includes two of OutServe-SLDN's clients challenging the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in federal court - Major Stephen Snyder-Hill and his husband Joshua. The artist and photographer, Tatjana Plitt, writes in her description of the project:
"It is the courage of soldiers like Stephen Snyder-Hill, who was booed on national television during a Republican debate when he asked whether the candidates would reinstate Don't Ask Don't Tell, that have inspired me to do this project. The repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell has given us the opportunity to finally honor the loyal men and women who have bravely served their country for so long, in spite of the discrimination they faced. By documenting same-sex military couples at this historic crossroads, we have the chance to fully acknowledge their humanity, dignity & love for each other and fight the next battle for full marriage equality with them: the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). DOMA prevents the military from recognizing same-sex marriage. This means that even if a gay soldier is married, they are not entitled to many of the benefits, support and rights their heterosexual counterparts automatically receive. The irony is that these soldiers are fighting for the very freedoms they themselves cannot enjoy. My art project is part of the fight to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act."
At OutServe-SLDN, we couldn't agree more.
12-05-12 By Zeke Stokes, OutServe-SLDN Communications Director | Comment (0)
