Going the Distance for Repeal
I participated in the Navy Five-Miler race near the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, Sunday morning, along with SLDN’s Development Director and former Air Force Staff Sergeant David Hall. One of my favorite parts of my internship last summer with the Air Force JAG Corps was the early-morning runs with my colleagues along the Potomac, and yesterday’s event made me remember why.
The military places a premium on physical fitness for obvious readiness reasons, but another layer exists as well, which can only be described as “esprit de corps.” Running in a group, motivating each other, and making it to the finish line together is a powerful form of unity.
Hundreds of people turned out for yesterday’s race, including a large number of military personnel and DoD civilian employees. Yellow Navy shirts and Army jerseys abounded. I sported SLDN’s colors with an “Honor Every Veteran: I Support LGBT Military Personnel” shirt with our logo, and was encouraged when another runner approached me after the race to thank me for wearing it.
The sheer nonsense behind “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was abundantly obvious yesterday. No one asked me if I was gay when I registered for the race, or when we waited together at the starting line, or when we crossed the finish line. My name went into the roster and results like everyone else’s, and we ran up hills and around corners as a unit. But as an openly gay person, I cannot serve alongside the people I ran with despite my personal fitness and willingness to work hard. Discharged from the Air Force under DADT, former Staff Sergeant Hall currently cannot return to duty.
Yesterday’s race united us with military personnel and set us apart simultaneously. But I am confident that this sense of separateness will start to dissipate in the coming months – beginning with getting DADT off the books. We must push through and vote to repeal DADT during the Senate’s lame-duck session this year.
Write a letter to your senators today and tell them we must get this done. We will make it to the finish line together.
09-27-10 By Elizabeth Shirey, Grassroots/Policy Advocate |
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