Frontlines: The Latest from OutServe-SLDN

SLDN Takes the Hill!

Lobby Day 2007 was a tremendous success! Nearly 200 SLDN supporters converged on Capitol Hill last Monday to demand that Congress repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." That's nearly four times larger than our last Lobby Day! Our presence made a big difference in raising the visibility of the movement to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" on Capitol Hill. Together, we visited all 535 Congressional offices. Our rally in front of the Capitol Monday afternoon brought together more than 250 people and an inspiring slate of speakers including Representatives Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Barney Frank (D-MA)! [Click here to check out the full list of our impressive rally speakers.] We waved signs, chanted, listened to the powerful stories of the veterans gracing our stage, and made a powerful statement that the American people want “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” to go. Directly in response to our efforts, four more members of the House of Representatives have signed on as cosponsors of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act! Representatives Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and David Price (D-NC) both signed on as cosponsors during our Lobby Day, and Representatives Yvette Clarke (D-NY) and Albio Sires (D-NJ) signed on this week. Our bill to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” now has 119 bipartisan cosponsors, and we expect our support to continue to grow. Last Monday SLDN supporters proudly wore t-shirts emblazoned with our message to Repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and Lift the Ban. Congressional staff and visitors alike took notice of our matching t-shirts as well as our presence in every single Congressional office. All day long passersby stopped us and asked questions about repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Conversations like these go a long way in building a majority of Americans in support of lifting the ban! Congress is hearing us. Capitol Hill is now buzzing with the need to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." The momentum is growing! Now it's your turn! Writing your Member of Congress only takes a few minutes and is an effective way to make your views heard. Click here to call on your Representative to support the Military Readiness Enhancement Act! Thank you for your commitment to lifting the ban! - Jill Raney

Labels: Congress, Lobby Day

04-05-07