A Big Deal in the Big Apple
Later this morning, the New York City Council will hear testimony on a resolution - the city's second - calling on Congress to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." NYC passed a similar resolution in May 2005, and, if successful, today's debate will mark the first time any city has twice called for repeal.
The resolution is a result of much hard work by Denny Meyer of American Veterans for Equal Rights and other NYC-based vets who have been rallying support in the Big Apple. SLDN board member Cholene Espinoza will also testify at today's hearing.
The resolution, sponsored by openly gay Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, openly gay Council Member Rosie Mendez and Council Members Larry B. Seabrook, Chair of the Civil Rights Committee and Hiram Monserrate, Chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee, follows a similar resolution adopted by the city in May 2005. The resolution urges Congress to pass The Military Readiness Enhancement Act (H.R. 1246), a Congress bill to repeal the law.
"I think this policy is counterproductive, and I think that allowing gays to serve in the military can only help our armed forces," another co-sponsor of the resolution, Council Member Tony Avella, told The New York Sun this morning. "And especially in this time of need, where we don't have enough to volunteer."
"There are plenty of people who are LGBT in the military right now, so I don't even understand why it's such a fuss," Council Member Gale Brewer, also a co-sponsor, added. "They are extremely good officers like anyone else."
We couldn't have said it better ourselves.
Fighting discrimination has become a big deal in the Big Apple, and that's big step forward for the entire country, too.
Stay tuned here at Frontlines for updates on the results of today's debate, and news on the resolution's status.
- Steve RallsLabels: in the news, resolutions
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