“Cradle of Liberty” Provides Hope for “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Repeal
On Friday, November 21, I ventured to Boston to participate in a tribute to the Massachusetts legal community and its efforts to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT), sponsored by SLDN and Boston College Law School Lambda and the Coalition for Equality.
The "Cradle of Liberty" seemed an apt place to host such a gathering for people fighting for civil rights and justice. It was my first trip to Beantown, and I had time last Saturday to walk the Freedom Trail and check out the historic old haunts of Samuel Adams and Benjamin Franklin; to see the Old State House where the Declaration of Independence was first read from the balcony overlooking the site of the Boston Massacre; to admire the "new" State House built on what had been John Hancock's land where Samuel Adams and Paul Revere set the keystone in 1795, and glance at the Old South Meeting House where colonists gathered before the Boston Tea Party.
The reception I attended at Boston College Law School was not quite so rebellious as dumping the King's tea in the harbor, but the 35 or so people attending are no less committed to the ideals of freedom; the spirit of, and quest for "liberty and justice for all" is alive and well in Massachusetts.
The tribute was hosted by SLDN Board Members Jackie Gardina and Shannon McLaughlin. Gardina graduated magna cum laude from Boston College Law School, where she also worked as an adjunct professor, and is now a professor at the Vermont Law School. McLaughlin, also a graduate of Boston College Law School, is a partner in the law firm McLaughlin and Kim, is a Captain in the United States Army Judge Advocate Corps with the Massachusetts Army National Guard, and has served in operations Enduring Freedom and Noble Eagle. Both serve as tireless volunteers to help repeal DADT. As the night's guest speaker, SLDN staffer and Army veteran Sergeant Darren Manzella (who served two tours in Iraq and, among other achievements, earned the Combat Medical Badge for providing medical care to soldiers and civilians while under enemy fire) told his story of coming out while in the Army; serving as an openly gay soldier; his experiences participating in a 60 Minutes special about serving as a gay soldier in Iraq, and his discharge from the Army under DADT. Manzella's story not only gets to the heart of the tragic injustice of DADT, but certainly resonated with the students and others attending the Boston event-including Congresswoman Niki Tsongas (D-MA).
After Manzella's presentation, Tsongas came to the podium and urged people to "keep up the pressure" on Congress to ensure all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation, can serve openly, honestly and be treated fairly and equally in our military. A member of the House Armed Services Committee, Tsongas was the 137th co-sponsor (there are now 149 co-sponsors) of The Military Readiness Enhancement Act (H.R. 1246). Tsongas says she is "continuing the proud traditions" of former Massachusetts Congressman Marty Meehan, who she replaced in representing the state's fifth district. Meehan introduced and sponsored H.R. 1246, as well as a previous version of the bill, H.R. 1059.
"It was with the support of the district I now represent, and the vision of Marty Meehan, that this out-dated policy has come to the attention of Congress with such powerful effect. And, we are here today in part because Rep. Meehan courageously championed this repeal," Tsongas said during the recent July 23 Congressional hearings on DADT. "Young men and women deserve the opportunity to serve and protect their nation regardless of sexual orientation, not just because they are proud patriots, but because this country is as much theirs as it is yours or mine."
Her late husband, Massachusetts Senator Paul Tsongas, was the first U.S. Senator to introduce legislation to ban job discrimination based on sexual orientation, and one of her first votes in the House of Representatives was in support of Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank's (D-MA) Employment Non-Discrimination Act to help protect gays and lesbian in the work force. The entire Massachusetts delegation is on board with repeal of DADT, and Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) has expressed interest in introducing legislation in the Senate to repeal DADT.
"While we have made great progress in Massachusetts and a handful of other states, as a nation, we still have a long way to go," Tsongas said. Yes, indeed. In a 2005 poll conducted by the Boston Globe, 79 percent of the participants said gays and lesbian should be allowed to serve openly in our military. More recent polls conducted elsewhere in the country reveal similar results, with about 75 percent supporting repeal of DADT. Let's hope the rest of the nation follows the lead of Massachusetts.
Friday's tribute to the Massachusetts legal community was well deserved, and it was an honor to attend such an event in Boston, the "cradle of liberty," where the fight for justice and equality is a strong tradition still carried forth by brave and dedicated patriots! I certainly returned to DC more motivated than ever to help repeal DADT. I think we can all be inspired by Massachusetts's proud history in the pursuit of freedom for all.
11-28-08 By Dave Stalling |
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