Frontlines: The Latest from OutServe-SLDN

Sharon Alexander’s Extraordinary Service

I have the dubious distinction of publicly – and proudly – admitting that my greatest contribution to our fight to lift the ban was when I quit my job as an SLDN Staff Attorney. No sooner had I decided to leave SLDN than Sharon Alexander, who was then an attorney with the Human Rights Campaign, called and asked me out for coffee. Sharon had then been with HRC for two years, and I had come to consider her a trusted friend. We met at one of the seemingly infinite K Street Starbucks on a rainy afternoon in the spring of 2003. Sharon wanted to know more about what my duties as an SLDN Staff Attorney entailed, and more of the “inside scoop” about what it was like to work on the SLDN staff. By the end of our meeting, it was clear that she was very interested in applying for the vacancy soon to be created by my departure. I urged her to do just that. She applied. The decision to hire her was easy and rapid. She was then pregnant with her first daughter and was about to go out on maternity leave. I agreed to extend my stay on the SLDN staff by a few months to cover so that she could enjoy her leave. In September 2003, I returned to Georgia to enter private practice, and I like to think that Sharon “took my place.” The truth is that it was like replacing an Edsel with a Bentley. During the past five years, Sharon E. Debbage Alexander has worked with tireless passion and grit on the frontlines of the fight for the freedom to serve. There is no person who cares more deeply, or who has fought harder, than Sharon for the rights of all LGBT service members. Her remarkable talents and skill led to her rising within SLDN from Staff Attorney to Director of Legislative Affairs. Her advocacy has reached many millions of Americans through her appearances on national television, during which she convincingly stated the case for equality within the U.S. Armed Forces. Sharon, who is a former Army Captain, is married to another former Army officer, Nick. While in the Army, Nick – who is now also an attorney – was a member of the elite Airborne Rangers. He and Sharon met while on active duty, married, and then served their remaining years in the Army together. Thereafter, they attended law school together. Upon moving to Washington, D.C., Nick entered private practice and Sharon embarked on an unconventional career path, working for gay rights. She could have easily gone to one of the largest D.C. law firms and made a huge amount of money, but – instead – she chose to stand and fight with those of us who have been labeled by our country and our military as second class citizens. I recall once asking Nick what he thought about his wife being a crusader for gay rights. He looked me dead in the eye and said how proud he was of her. Our movement for equality needs more Sharon Alexanders. Sharon, we are deeply indebted to you for your extraordinary service to and sacrifice for us: LGBT Americans. Thank you for your sense of justice. Thank you for your leadership and your passion. And, most importantly, thank you for your friendship.

06-12-08