Frontlines: The Latest from OutServe-SLDN

Tell Peter Pace:  Apologize.  Now.

Last night, General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, told The Chicago Tribune that he opposes repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" because lesbians and gays are "immoral," and the military is not "well served by a policy that says it is OK to be immoral in any way." SLDN immediately condemned General Pace's comments, and called on the Chairman to apologize. “General Pace’s comments are outrageous, insensitive and disrespectful to the 65,000 lesbian and gay troops now serving in our armed forces,” said C. Dixon Osburn, our executive director. “Our men and women in uniform make tremendous sacrifices for our country, and deserve General Pace’s praise, not his condemnation. As a Marine and a military leader, General Pace knows that prejudice should not dictate policy. It is inappropriate for the Chairman to condemn those who serve our country because of his own personal bias. He should immediately apologize for his remarks.” General Pace's comments also show the real legs propping up the military's ban: homophobia, prejudice and discrimination. Unable to show a shred of evidence that gays and lesbians do anything but strengthen our military capability, General Pace and others have decided to resort to a 'morality' argument. Military readiness be damned; the small-mindedness of a few now directs our national policy. That's not the way it should be. So, join SLDN in standing up for LGBT military personnel. Tell Peter Pace: Apologize. Now. You can fill out the DoD comment form online, or call the Pentagon directly, at (703) 428-0711. (And join the debate about Pace's comments at Pam's House Blend.) Our men and women in uniform deserve General Pace's praise. They should not be the target of his homophobia. - Steve Ralls UPDATE: Raw Story has video footage of MSNBC's Keith Olbermann, responding to Pace's comments. Olbermann calls Pace's remarks "tomorrow's administration scandal."

03-13-07 Comment (20)

The Blend: Medically Unfit Soldiers Being Shipped to Iraq

Pam's House Blend has news about medically unfit soldiers who are being shipped off for service in Iraq. "Remember," says Pam, "this is the same Pentagon brass that is allowing branches to lower standards and recruit people with antisocial personality disorder, autism, and troll for recruits on MySpace." LGBT Americans who want to serve, however, are shown the door. You can see the original report online at RawStory, and join the discussion at The Blend. - Steve Ralls -----

03-12-07 Comment (0)

Vets Speak Out on YouTube

A group of lesbian and gay veterans are speaking out on YouTube about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and Servicemembers Legal Defense Network! The video, which provides a look at how the military's ban has impacted individual service members, includes former Airman Andre Taylor; CPL Denise Liggett, USMC (1984-1998) and Ensign, USNR (1989-1992) (pictured); former Arabic linguist Alastair Gamble; and Pat & Wally Kutteles, the parents of PFC Barry Winchell. It also includes a statement from President Clinton about how he views the ban today and a look at the work to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." You can watch the video online here. We especially want to thank Jonathan Baker, LesIsMore Productions and SLDN board member Tom Carpenter for their tireless work to prepare the video and post it online. Their hard work has resulted in a beautiful testimony about why we must lift the ban. - Steve Ralls

Labels: YouTube; veterans

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03-10-07 Comment (0)

Math Lessons for the Pentagon

The Associated Press reports this morning that "Faced with a military buildup in Iraq that could drag into next year, Pentagon officials are trying to identify enough units to keep up to 20 brigade combat teams in Iraq." A brigade is typically 3,500 troops each. Translation: Where, the Pentagon wonders, can it find 70,000 new troops to meet the demand presented by the war? Time for a Pentagon math lesson: The military has dismissed just over 11,000 people under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Another 42,000 gay Americans would be willing to enlist if the ban were repealed. And, add to that the troops retained by stopping the 'two-per-day' gay discharges, and you're quickly getting to the magic 70,000 number. When asked if he could use more troops, Major General Benjamin Mixon, commander of coalition forces in Northern Iraq, told reporters, "no doubt about it." There's also no doubt that one of the most effective ways to boost military readiness, and get more recruits who are qualified and willing to serve, is by lifting the ban. Stephen Colbert observed earlier this week that the number of gays dismissed under the law is "half a surge." But it's no laughing matter, when the AP reports that troops already on the ground may not get their promised break, and others are preparing for their second and third tour in the warzone, and the Pentagon, all the while, turns away those who want to help. It requires no fuzzy math to figure out that repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" could go a long way in helping our military, and our men and women already in uniform. - Steve Ralls

Labels: recruiting

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03-10-07 Comment (0)

Who’s Telling?

The New York Daily News reports this morning that Arizona Senator (and 2008 presidential candidate) John McCain was in the city last night, talking about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." From the News: " . . . he said he is not inclined to change the military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy on gay soldiers. He said military leaders tell him it's working." What military leaders? Certainly not retired General John Shalikashvili, the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Definitely not Lieutenant General Claudia Kennedy, one of the Army's most respected leaders. Likely not former Defense Secretary William Cohen, who has also joined calls for re-visiting the law. And probably not General Wesley Clark, either. So which military leaders, exactly, are telling Senator McCain the policy is working? And how can they say such things when two people are fired, every day, for being gay and likely two more with sub-par qualifications are signed up for duty? The fact is that the military is increasingly on the side of ending the ban. And those who aren't are likely to be remembered as being on the wrong side of history. Really listen to the leaders, Senator McCain, and you'll hear a growing chorus for repeal. - Steve Ralls

Labels: 2008, McCain

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03-09-07 Comment (0)

Don’t Know, Don’t Think

Stephen Colbert wants to have a word with the military about how it handles gay troops. Last night's Colbert Report featured a hilarious segment ("The Word") about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and the irrational exclusion of gay Americans from the armed forces. Watch it online here. Just scroll down, under the video player, until you see 'Stephen Encourages the Military to Enforce a New Policy . . . ' - Steve Ralls

Labels: in the news

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03-08-07 Comment (0)

One View from Inside the Courtroom

David at Blue Mass. Group has the view from inside the courtroom during yesterday's oral arguments in Cook v. Gates. "Both sides argued well," he notes, "and the judges (Jeffrey Howard, a former prosecutor from NH who was appointed by Bush in 2001; Levin Campbell, a senior judge who was appointed to the First Circuit by President Nixon in 1972 after briefly serving as a state and federal trial court judge; and Patti Saris, a Clinton-appointed District Court judge and former federal prosecutor and state trial court judge who was sitting on the Court of Appeals by temporary designation) were obviously well-prepared and understood the significance of the case before them." "Judge Saris seemed troubled by a number of the positions taken by the government," he adds. "She seemed quite concerned that a portion of the statute in question appears fairly obviously to infringe on protected speech, or at least to be so broad as to chill such speech; and she also noted concern that in light of the broad definition of "homosexual," it would be in practice nearly impossible for any person who self-identifies as gay to avoid discharge -- that is, the policy is not (as the military claims) about proscribed conduct, but rather about one's status as a gay person. The government lawyer labored mightily to get around these problems, but was not able to set them to rest." "Judge Howard also seemed concerned about the issues Saris noted, as well as the fact that, since the case was decided on a motion to dismiss, the plaintiffs had not had any opportunity to develop a factual record in support of their claims, which he seemed to think made it difficult for the court to answer the questions before it," he writes. "Judge Campbell didn't say much and was harder to read, but he is well regarded as a careful and fair-minded judge." In the end, David concludes, ". . . prediction based on oral argument is notoriously hazardous, but based on what I saw today, I'd be surprised if the plaintiffs didn't achieve at least a partial victory in the First Circuit." For more coverage of yesterday's hearing, visit the SLDN press room online. - Steve Ralls (Photo from our friends at Towleroad.)

Labels: cook v. gates

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03-08-07 Comment (0)

1246

Many of you have emailed to ask about the bill number for the newly re-introduced Military Readiness Enhancement Act. Congressman Meehan's legislation is now officially H.R. 1246 (as opposed to H.R. 1059 in the last Congress.) You can keep up to date on the current list of co-sponsors for the bill online here. And now you can write your representative and tell them: support H.R. 1246! - Steve Ralls

Labels: Congress

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03-08-07 Comment (0)

A Promise of ‘Liberty and Justice for All’

This morning, many of the plaintiffs in Cook v. Gates, the constitutional court challenge to "Dont' Ask, Don't Tell," are at the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston. They are asking the Court to overturn a District Court ruling dismissing their lawsuit, and allow them the opportunity to present their case for ending the ban. This is their statement about today's oral arguments. "We are grateful today to the First Circuit for hearing our appeal, and considering our request to have our day in court. When we began this journey in December 2004, we were determined to have our stories heard and to present the facts about 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.' Today’s hearing was an important step forward in that journey. Our counsel at Servicemembers Legal Defense Network and the law firm of WilmerHale have worked tirelessly to see justice served, and we are also grateful for their representation and their friendship. Today, more than ever, our country needs patriotic, qualified men and women to step up and serve. Each of us has done so before, and remains ready to do so again. We continue to believe that service should be based on qualification, and not on outdated prejudices and stereotypes. We know our nation has been made safer by the talents of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans and we are honored to be part of that proud tradition of service. We are Americans, too, and we love our country, our freedoms and our government every bit as much as our heterosexual neighbors. Every day, our military fires another two or three service members simply because of their sexual orientation. We are twelve of the more than 11,000 stories 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell' has produced during the past 14 years. Newspapers, television screens and radio broadcasts are filled with stories about the unacceptable consequences of this law: diaries seized; families interrogated; careers terminated . . . all because of a law that serves no useful purpose. This law must end. This morning, we have come to the First Circuit with unmovable confidence in our nation’s promise of 'liberty and justice for all.' We believe the freedoms we defended as United States military personnel are alive and well in our country. We know our nation can do better than this law.Today, we have asked the First Circuit to move our case for reinstatement forward. We remain confident in that case. Frederick Douglass, a great American, once said that 'Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.' We believe our nation is more secure when every qualified American is allowed to serve. Our country supports the service of lesbian, gay and bisexual patriots and the time has come to end 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.'"

Labels: cook v. gates

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03-07-07 Comment (0)