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SLDN Demands Investigation Into Death of Lesbian Service Member

WASHINGTON, DC - Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), issued the following statement today in response to news about the death of lesbian National Guard Specialist Ciara Durkin, who was found dead at Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan on September 27th.

The SLDN family sends our heartfelt condolences to Ciara�s family, friends and loved ones. We stand ready to assist the Durkin family in any way possible and we join Senators Edward Kennedy and John Kerry of Massachusetts in calling for a full and thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death. Every day, more than 65,000 lesbian and gay Americans report for duty in our armed forces. Ciara�s story is a vivid reminder of the sacrifice our community makes on behalf of our nation�s freedom and defense.�

Durkin was deployed to Afghanistan in February and was due to return home in January. Her funeral is scheduled for Saturday at St. John�s Parish Church on School Street in Quincy, Massachusetts. The public is invited to send messages of support for the Durkin family, via email, at sldn@sldn.org.

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