Frontlines, the SLDN Blog

Questions Surrounding a Lesbian Soldier’s Death

Today's New York Times has the story of Army Sergeant Denise A. Lannaman, a native of Kingston, Jamaica who joined the U.S. Army and, by at least one account, became a stellar service member who, in the end, may have also been the victim of a blackmail campaign aimed at exposing her sexual orientation and drumming her out of the armed forces. A veteran of the war in Iraq, Lannaman (pictured) was most recently assigned to a desk job at a procurement office in Kuwait. She carried out her duties there with "superb performance," according to one superior, and her steadfastness "eliminated misuse of [military] funds by 36 percent." But some evidence also points to the possibility that another soldier - more intent on laundering money than saving it - may have tried to use Lannaman's sexual orientation as a way to blackmail her into silence. From the Times: "Sergeant Lannaman originally had been scheduled to leave her Kuwait assignment on Aug. 27, 2006. But 10 days earlier, the top logistics officer, Lt. Col. Marshall Gutierrez, was arrested outside a restaurant in Kuwait. He was accused of shaking down a laundry contractor for a $3,400 bribe. After his arrest, Colonel Gutierrez was released to his quarters. He was found dead on Sept. 4, next to an empty bottle of prescription sleeping pills and an open container of what appeared to be antifreeze, according to military records." Then the story becomes seemingly more complicated. "On Oct. 1, [Lannaman] had a private meeting with a superior officer, said George Roach, a retired Army sergeant first class who served as the military liaison with the family," the story reports. "A military investigator later told the family that at this meeting, Sergeant Lannaman was told that she would be sent home in disgrace, according to Lannaman's sister. "We were not given a reason," the sister said. “Were they trying to scare her, had she stepped on toes of people who were profiteering, did someone threaten to expose her homosexuality?” she asked. There don't seem to be any clear answers. Did Gutierrez use the threat of an 'outing' to scare Lannaman into silence? Was her guilt over not holding Gutierrez responsible for his theft the reason behind her suicide? Was Lannaman the latest example of the untenable position LGBT service members are put in because of the ban on their service? No one seems to know for sure. "An Army spokesman, Lt. Col. William Wiggins, said yesterday that Sergeant Lannaman had not been teh subject of any contract investigations, and that he could not say whether she had been threatened with dismissal from the service," the Times reports. Indeed, it doesn't appear that the full set of facts in Sergeant Lannaman's case have surfaced yet. Stay tuned here at Frontlines for more information. SLDN will continue to monitor the case and try to find out more about what led to Lannaman's death. - Steve Ralls

Labels: in the news

09-20-07 Comment (1)

Talking About Heroes

The Advocate is out with its 40th anniversary issue, highlighting the LGBT community's top 40 heroes, as selected via an Advocate poll. Ellen DeGeneres (yep, she's gay) topped the list, and there are three entries in the top 40 of particular interest to SLDN supporters. Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer, a member of SLDN's military advisory council, clocks in at #9. "Why should we be good enough to be cannon fodder but not good enough to serve at home?," Cammermeyer asked the magazine in 2001. "Twelve years earlier, as a colonel in the Washington State National Guard," the magazine writes, "she became the highest-ranking official in the U.S. military to come out of the closet while still in service. The result was an honorable discharge, a decision Cammermeyer fought until a federal judge ruled that the ban on gays and lesbians in the military was unconstitutional and reinstated her." Colonel Cammermeyer also tells The Advocate that gay troops can have another impact. "Imagine if every gay military person said 'If I can't be open, I'm out of here - send the straight people to war, and I'll stay home and go to gay pride parades," she said. "Now is a good time to leave the military - the very time we are needed the most. The impact would be phenomenal. Maybe then we'd get rid of this stupid, half-assed law." Leonard Matlovich, a decorated Vietnam War veteran and Purple Heart recipient, ranks #36 on the list. Matlovich was featured on the cover of Time magazine in 1975, and was the palintiff in an ACLU lawsuit challenging the ban on gays in the military. He won an honorable discharge and settlement in 1980. And author Randy Shilts is #31 on the top 40 heroes list. Shilts is the author of Conduct Unbecoming, the definitive history on LGBT military service. (And, each year, SLDN presents its Randy Shilts Visibility Award to someone who has singificantly increased the visibility of gay service personnel.) Congratulations to everyone who made the list of 40 heroes! And for more information on The Advocate's special 40th anniversary issue, click here. - Steve Ralls

Labels: in the news

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09-19-07 Comment (0)

Biden Calls Military Ban ‘Bizarre’

Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden (pictured) weighed in on a number of LGBT issues over the weekend, including the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ban on lesbian, gay and bisexual troops. Senator Biden (D-DE) called the ban "bizarre," according to the Des Moines Register. "He recalled a conversation with a serviceman in Iraq," the paper reported. "Asked his opinion of the policy, the soldier's response to it, Biden said, was, 'What difference does it make? The question is, 'Can he shoot straight?'" Indeed, that now infamous proclamation from former Senator Barry Goldwater is becoming a popular talking point on the Democratic campaign trail. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) has also used Goldwater's quote on the campaign, and even New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd brought it up in her recent column on the topic. And while there are many other words that come to mind when thinking about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," bizarre seems to work, too. After all, it certainly doesn't make sense to fire two good people every day, only to replace them with two people who wouldn't be qualified for service under the enlistment standards of yesterday. - Steve Ralls

Labels: 2008, biden, in the news

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09-18-07 Comment (0)

SLDN at Lavender Law

It's September, so it must be time for Lavender Law! For those of you who have never heard of it before, Lavender Law is the annual conference of the National Lesbian and Gay Law Association (NLGLA). This year, our entire legal team (Sharra Greer, Kathi Westcott, Emily Hecht, and Aaron Tax) packed their bags and headed off to Chicago to share with the LGBT legal community all of the good work SLDN has been doing over the past year and to hear about the latest developments in the LGBT legal world (for Sen. McCain’s benefit -- LGBT means Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender). This year SLDN really expanded its presence at Lavender Law, participating in four of the nearly thirty break-out sessions at the confernce. This is due not only to the tremendous amount of political attention being focused on the issue of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," but also because of the increasing amount of (groundbreaking) work the SLDN legal team has been doing in the impact of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” on the families of LGB service members. A growing number of states provide recognition of same-sex relationships; including laws which govern civil unions, marriage, domestic partnerships, health benefits and adoption. “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” however, prohibits service personnel from taking advantage of those new opportunities because of the ban on open service and, as a result, a new area of law is beginning to emerge. Kathi sat on a panel entitled “In the Crosshairs: the Military Family,” where she talked about the plight of gay military families and how “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” impacts -- emotionally, financially, and legally -- the lives of the partners and children of gay service members. Sharra sat on two panels - one entitled “From FAIR (v. Rumsfeld) to Equal: The Top Five Things Law Students Can Do to Address the Discrimination Inherent in the Solomon Amendment,” and another entitled “LGBT Pro Bono in Private Practice.” Aaron and Emily, along with SLDN friend and attorney, Bridget Wilson, participated in a mock trial entitled “Representing the Soldier, Sailor, Airman and Marine in a (Mock) Separation Action and Board Hearing.” Sharra, Kathi, and Bridget served as the judges, Emily served as the defense attorney, and Aaron served as prosecutor. Luckily, for the “service member” involved in the mock trail, he was retained. Its too bad all cases don't have such a happy ending! From our collegues at Lavender Law we learned that LGBT service members are not alone in the struggles they face. Other members of the community face quite different, but equally heart-wrenching, problems. For example, we learned that many LGBT foreign nationals seek asylum in the United States because they are prosecuted in their home countries because of their sexual orientation. In some countries, like Iran, people are even executed simply for being gay! Unfortunately, foreign nationals who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, run into a road block in their asylum applications. They must figure out how to “prove” to the U.S. government that they are in fact gay. We heard the story of a client who went so far as to provide copies of tickets from the Cher concert he once attended -- I don’t recall if he made the cut! We are already looking forward to next year, when we’ll again be able to meet and share ideas with attorneys at Lambda Legal, the Task Force, and other allied organizations. Maybe Secretary Gates and the new Attorney General will join us for some good times and information sharing!! -Aaron Tax

Labels: legal aid

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09-17-07 Comment (0)

Great Britain Continues to Shine

It never ceases to amaze just how far the U.S. is in the closet, and with each new news-piece (as printed here today) we seem to dive farther in there. Her Majesty's Armed Forces will be holding its third Joint Service LGBT Conference in November hosted by the Royal Air Force. The two-day event will focus on diversity training, presentations and workshops, and will be a social networking opportunity for personnel and their partners. The Royal Navy and Air Force are both members of the Stonewall Diversity Champions programme and the Ministry of Defence, as a whole, strives to promote all of the armed services as "good employers for minority groups." Since the country removed it's ban on LGB service members in 2000, they have since continued to affect social and policy change. Things you may have missed: Britain Apologizes to LGB Members Booted Under Ban Britain Pays More than 6 Million to LGB Troops Booted Out The examples that Great Britain continues to show are an overwhelming affirmation that we are able to look past our own prejudices and value persons for their actions and conduct. Now if we could only get our leaders to see things that way... -Jason Knight

Labels: events, UK

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09-11-07 Comment (0)

In His Own Words—Eric Alva

Speaking at the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association’s (NLGJA) annual conference in San Diego, CA was a positive experience, not just for me, but for the many people in the audience. I believe that as much as you hear about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," you never fully understand the law until you hear about it, first-hand, from Veterans who have served under it. You never appreciate the sacrifice it takes to live under the policy, until you have the chance to look a gay service member in the eye. Panels, like this, are an opportunity for American’s to put a face, be it young or old, to the problem of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and, for the first time, meet someone who has experienced life in the military while being gay. Discussions like these (with, hopefully, many more to come) are just what we need, so that American’s can hear the truth about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and finally make informed decisions about why the law needs to be repealed. Sitting next to people like Former Navy Petty Officer Jason Knight was a true blessing. When you hear from other service members, and learn about their experiences, you realize that you are not alone; and how important it is for Americans to elect leaders who will repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell. -Eric Alva -----

09-10-07 Comment (0)

What Does Rummy REALLY Think About the Gays?

Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld (pictured) has given his first post-exit interview with, of all outlets, GQ Magazine. In it, we learn that Rummy's wife rides a mule, that he employs "two young, studly pilots" to fly him around the country and that maybe - just maybe - he was never all that in line with his boss when it came to LGBT issues. From GQ's exclusive interview with the former Pentagon chief comes this exchange: Q: How does Donald Rumsfeld feel about gay marriage, abortion, etc.? A: "Um, I'm not gonna get into it." Q: But why? A: "The administration has positions on these things, and if you're part of the administration, you're supportive of the administration." Q: Yeah, but you're not anymore. A: "I know. But it's just not the way I am." It's one of those things that make you go "hmmmmmm." Was Rumsfeld, in defending and implementing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" during his time as Secretary of Defense, simply towing the Administration line? Is it possible he actually wouldn't have any problem with gays in the military? And what's up with those two "young, studly pilots" he has at the controls these days? OK - so the last question is purely for our own fascination. But the first two deserve serious consideration. Will Rummy, after Bush leaves office, perhaps speak out on our side? As he himself might say, "There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know." We may have to wait till 2009 to know for sure. - Steve Ralls

Labels: in the news, rumsfeld

09-10-07 Comment (4)

SLDN Saves Career of Army MP

Many of you may have become familiar with the case of Chris Mastromario, an MP with the Army's Old Guard, who was charged with three counts of felony assult because he is perceived to be gay. The tragedy of Chris's story caught the attention of national figures, including House Majority Leader, Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Sen. Barbra Mikulski (D-MD), as well as local media. As a result this story has a happy ending! SLDN is pleased to announce that Chris Mastromarino has been retained by the Army and will be allowed to complete his term of enlistment!! While the convictions will remain on his record, the fact that he is able to complete his term of service means that, after he leaves the service, Chris may still be able to fulfuill his lifelong dream of one-day becoming a police officer. -Victor Maldonado -----

09-07-07 Comment (0)

Equador Considers allowing Gays in the Military

The web site Blabbeanado is reporting that Ecuadorian Defense Minister, Lorena Escudero has announced her resignation from office in the wake of her efforts to allow gays and lesbians to serve in the Ecudorian armed forces. Ms. Escudero's troubles began last week when El Universo reported that the Ecuadorian Defense Ministry intended to revise its regulations and allow gays and lesbians to serve in that country's military. Such a move would have placed Ecuador on a growing list of 24 nations that allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in their armed forces (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Britain, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Israel, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland & South Africa). According to the report, Ms. Escudero's efforts were part of a larger reform package that would have brought the country's military in line with the Ecuadorian constitution, which bans discrimination based on sexual orientation. In a carefully crafted statement to media, Ms. Escudero explained that her efforts were aimed specifically at retaining gay and lesbian soldiers who were already in service, and should not be seen as an effort to recruit gays and lesbians into the armed forces. However, by Friday, August 31st Ms. Escudero announced her resignation. That same day, media outlets reported that Dr. Wellington Sandoval would become the next head of the Ecuadorian Defence Ministry. All is not lost for Ecuadorians who beleive that gays and lesbians should be allowed to serve in their military. Before her departure, Ms. Escudero told reporters that Ecuadorian President, Rafael Correra told her, "It is the role of government to advocate for equal rights." -Victor Maldonado

09-07-07 Comment (1)