Because You Joined Our Fight
Today, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) committee report was filed in the Senate, and the bill should be on the Senate floor in just a few short weeks. Supporters of open service must remain vigilant against attempts to undermine “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) repeal.
Last week, we alerted you to the prospect of harmful amendments to the Senate’s version of the NDAA. Added to the House’s defense budget last month, these amendments contained language to disrupt DADT repeal, as well as to restate and expand the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
But because you joined our fight – and Senators Levin, Webb, McCaskill, and others did too – the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) passed its NDAA on June 16 without including these harmful amendments.
Additionally, we welcome the SASC’s action to repeal Article 125 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) relating to sodomy and to amend Article 120 of the UCMJ. These actions, long advocated by SLDN and others, including the Cox Commission and the Comprehensive Review Working Group (CRWG), were landmark changes important to all service members, straight and gay.
But make no mistake - our opponents have not given up and will try once again to turn back the progress we have made together. We will not let them. We urge you to stand strong with us and fight back for the sake of our service members.
06-23-11 By Aubrey Sarvis, Army Veteran and SLDN Executive Director |
2 Comments
Comments for this entry are closed.Bill on June 24, 2011 at 06.37 pm
Thanks to SLDN and all its supporters for continuing to push hard for the final end of DADT. Too many others seem to assume it is over—which is certainly not true. Any war can be lost in the last battle, and those others seem to be ignoring this last battle.
I appreciate also the picture of Senator Levin. He is modest and not dramatic, but the military LGBT community has no better friend.
It should be a profound embarrassment for the team of Obama/Gates/Mullen if DADT is not Certified before Secretary Gates retires. They have worked bravely and persistently (if with caution and procrastination that would risk loss of any military campaign) for ending DADT in the face of so much sad bigotry and hypocrisy from remaining adversaries who believe the American LGBT community is unworthy of full citizenship privileges and responsibilities.
I suspect a phone call from Sec. Gates to the joint chiefs would suffice to confirm that the end of DADT will be a non-event and that remaining “training” can easily be completed during the 60 day wait. Get on with it, and don’t pass the buck to Panetta!
Keith H. Kerr in Santa Rosa, CA on June 23, 2011 at 10.28 pm
Aubrey,
A wonderful statement and marching order!
Keith