Frontlines: The Latest from OutServe-SLDN

SLDN Joins Panel Discussion at Harvard Law

Yesterday afternoon I had the honor of participating in a panel discussion on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” at the Harvard Law School Dean’s Forum in Cambridge, Mass. I joined Tobias Wolff, a professor of law at the University of Pennsylvania; Elizabeth Hillman, a professor at UC Hastings College of Law; and R. Clarke Cooper, executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans. Our panel, moderated by Law School Dean Martha L. Minow, provided an overview of the federal statute’s history, a summary of where current repeal efforts stand – both in the courts and in the Senate, in addition to discussing the future of DADT and what it means for gay and lesbian service members.

I opened the discussion by offering a brief history of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (how the law we’ve been living with varies little, in language, from the previous regulatory ban that’s been in place since WWII), explaining what “Don’t Ask” really means (not much, people are asked all the time), and what “Don’t Tell” really means (don’t tell anyone, anywhere, at any time).

The students and Dean Minow asked some great questions about how families of LGB service members are impacted by the law and how transgender service members continue to be impacted by the military’s medical regulations. I gave examples of the cases that we deal with every day at SLDN, when Ashley responds to a request from our legal hotline or David does an intake with a new client. I always try to tell the stories behind the numbers – more than 14,000 patriots fired, 65,000 LGBT service members currently serving – because those numbers touch on the real-life, day-to-day experiences of our brave men and women in uniform. I also reiterated our warning to service members: Despite the New Instructions that provide some protections to our men and women in uniform, DADT is and will remain a potent threat to gay and lesbian military personnel until the Senate votes to repeal this law and the President, Secretary Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen sign off on certification.

Students in the Boston area (and around the country) should still contact their senators and tell them you want the Senate to act on repeal this year. We are pushing hard for the Senate to once again take up repeal during the lame-duck session. We’re closer than we’ve ever been and we need every vote. In New England, that means we still need Senators Brown, Snowe, Collins, and Gregg to vote for repeal. Find out where your senators stand and how to contact them by clicking here.

10-01-10 By Aaron Tax, SLDN Legal Director |