SLDN Week in Review: April 23-27, 2012
SLDN Calls on Panetta to Expedite DADT Discharge Upgrades. This week, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) praised U.S.Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Joe Lieberman (I-CT),and Mark Udall (D-CO) for their letter sent to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and joined their call for the Secretary to use his authority to streamline the process for those discharged under the repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) law in order to expedite discharge paperwork changes and upgrades. To view the news release and letter, click here. This news was covered widely by media, including The Hill and The Advocate.
SLDN Included in Amicus Brief in Case of LGBT Veteran. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP filed an amicus curiae brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims in their case, Cardona v. Shinseki, arguing that laws denying gay and lesbian veterans the spousal benefits they have earned, and which Congress has determined are necessary to support their families, “serve only to discriminate against gay and lesbian veterans” and “must be struck down as unconstitutional.” The brief was filed on behalf of SLDN, Vietnam Veterans of America, Service Women’s Action Network, Connecticut Veterans Legal Center, Vets4Vets, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. To read more, click here.
OutServe Capital Summit Coming in May. SLDN is proud to partner with OutServe for its first-ever Capital Summit, which will bring service members and their families to Washington, DC, May 14-15, 2012, to learn more and discuss issues affecting LGBT military families. The Summit begins Monday with a day of panels and meetings followed by visits to Capitol Hill on Tuesday, organized in close cooperation with SLDN. To learn more or register for the Summit, click here.
04-27-12 By Zeke Stokes, SLDN Communications Director |
