SLDN Week In Review: May 7-11, 2012
Service Members Move the President on Marriage Equality. In his historic announcement in support of marriage equality, President Obama made it clear that the stories of service members and their families affected his decision to support the freedom to marry. This is an important step forward for the marriage equality movement and affirms what SLDN has known for some time - service members, and specifically the SLDN case McLaughlin v. U.S., are having a demonstrative impact on the debate. To read an op-ed on this topic penned by SLDN Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis, which appeared in Stars & Stripes and The Huffington Post on Friday, click here.
SLDN to Boehner: You Have No Authority to Intervene. Meanwhile, SLDN filed documents in court this week opposing a motion by Speaker of the House John Boehner's so-called Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group (BLAG) seeking to intervene in McLaughlin v. U.S. for the purposes of defending DOMA and the definition of spouse in Title 38. In the filing, SLDN asserts that BLAG does not have standing to intervene in the case. "Speaker Boehner is attempting to appoint himself to a role that is expressly reserved to the executive branch of our government. We intend to fight the interference of the Speaker in this matter," said Sarvis on Wednesday.
SLDN Fights Hostile Actions on Capitol Hill. Also on Wednesday, Sarvis fired back at opponents of LGBT military equality on Capitol Hill in response to the adoption of harmful amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that seek to limit the use of Department of Defense facilities, affect military chaplains, and undermine successful "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal implementation. For more details and to see SLDN's response, click here. An additional amendment emerged that would bar the Department of Justice from opposing DOMA. For more on that, click here.
Panetta Confirms DADT Repeal Going Well. Even as opponents on Capitol Hill were seeking to undermine LGBT military equality, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta confirmed that repeal of the discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law is proceeding smoothly. To read more, click here.
Ahead This Week. SLDN is a key partner in the first-ever OutServe Capital Summit. More than 100 LGBT service members, their families, and allies will converge on the nation's capital to network and discuss issues affecting military families. On Tuesday, they will visit Capitol Hill to share their stories and challenges with decision-makers and urge leaders to support full LGBT equality in the armed forces. For more information on the summit, click here.
05-12-12 By Zeke Stokes, SLDN Communications Director |
