Press Releases
New Jersey Lawmaker Joins Effort to Repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
Washington, DC - Congressman Robert Andrews (D-NJ) announced his support on Monday for The Military Readiness Enhancement Act (H.R. 1246), a Congressional bill to repeal the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ban on lesbian, gay and bisexual service members. Congressman Andrews, who represents New Jersey's 1st District, joins 120 other lawmakers, both Democratic and Republican, in calling for an end to the law. New Jersey lawmakers Rush Holt, Frank Pallone, Jr., Bill Pascrell, Jr., Donald M. Payne, Steven Rothman and Albio Sires are also co-sponsors of the legislation. ...Read More
Pentagon Announces It Will Discontinue ‘TALON’ Domestic Surveillance Program
Washington, D.C. - The Department of Defense (DoD) has announced plans to discontinue its controversial Threat and Local Observation Notices (TALON) surveillance program, launched in 2003 track and monitor domestic terror threats. The program came under intense scrutiny after news reports revealed officials were collecting data on demonstrators and protestors, including those within the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. In February 2006, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) filed a federal lawsuit seeking information related to surveillance of LGBT activists and student groups. Documentation released in April 2006 found extensive monitoring of students opposed to the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law at New York University, the University of California at Berkeley, and the University of California at Santa Cruz. ...Read More
Osburn to Step Down as Executive Director of SLDN
WASHINGTON - April 20, 2007: C. Dixon Osburn, longtime Executive Director for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, is resigning this month to pursue new career opportunities. Osburn is one of the co-founders of the thirteen year-old group whose mission is to end discrimination against and harassment of service members harmed by "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and related forms of intolerance. ...Read More
Seven Retired Military Officers ‘Come Out’ in Response to General Peter Pace
WASHINGTON, DC - A group of seven high-ranking military veterans publicly acknowledged their sexual orientation in the April 24th issue of The Advocate. The seven are the largest number of senior officers to "come out" publicly as lesbian or gay at one time. They "came out" in response to General Peter Pace's remarks in a March 12th Chicago Tribune interview where General Pace, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, declared that lesbian, gay and bisexual service members are "immoral" and stated his support for the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law banning lesbian, gay and bisexual military personnel. The seven officers demanded that General Pace apologize and called on Congress to repeal the law. ...Read More
SLDN YouTube Video Showcases Veterans, Calls for Repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
WASHINGTON, DC - A documentary by Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) showcases ten veterans and family members sharing their experiences under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." law banning lesbian, gay and bisexual service members. Individuals featured include SLDN Honorary Board Member MCPOCG Vince Patton, USCG (Ret.), who served as a research analyst on the President's Task Force on the Study of Gays in the Military in 1993; Patricia and Wally Kutteles, the parents of murdered PFC Barry Winchell; and Alastair Gamble, a former Arabic linguist discharged under the gay ban. ...Read More
SLDN Calls for Dismissal of Recruiter Who Sent Anti-Gay and Racist Emails to Potential Recruit
Washington, DC - Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) today strongly condemned the anti-gay and racist emails sent by Army Recruiter Sergeant Marcia Ramode to Corey Andrew, a potential recruit. In her emails with Andrew, Ramode said, among other things, that Andrew, an openly gay African American man, should go back to Africa and do your gay voodoo limbo tango and wango dance and jump around and prance and run all over the place half naked there and practice your gay morals over there... SLDN demanded SGT Ramode's dismissal. ...Read More
Veterans & Activists to Rally in Washington for Repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
WHAT: A Capitol Hill rally in Washington, D.C., to support legislative efforts to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” ban on lesbian, gay and bisexual service members. The rally coincides with Servicemembers Legal Defense Network’s (SLDN) fifth annual lobby days, organized to support The Military Readiness Enhancement Act (H.R. 1247), a Congressional bill to repeal the ban on open service. ...Read More
Retired Military Officers ‘Come Out’ and Demand Apology from General Peter Pace
WASHINGTON, DC – A group of seven high-ranking military veterans today responded to recent remarks by General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who earlier this week called lesbian, gay and bisexual service members ‘immoral’ and re-iterated his support for the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” ban on lesbian, gay and bisexual service members. The officers, who are all lesbian or gay, called on Congress to repeal the law, and demanded that General Pace apologize for his remarks. ...Read More
Retired Officers Come Out to Protest “Don’t Ask”
Seven retired military officers publicly came out of the closet Friday, hoping their actions will stir Congress to repeal "don't ask, don't tell" and force Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to apologize for calling gays "immoral" this week. ...Read More
Former Republican Senator Alan Simpson Endorses Repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’
WASHINGTON, DC – Former Senator Alan K. Simpson (R-WY) writes in this morning’s Washington Post that he now supports repealing the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” ban on lesbian, gay and bisexual personnel. Simpson, who supported the law in 1993, writes in an op-ed that “I believe it is critical that we review – and overturn – the ban on gay service members in the military. I voted for ‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’ But much has changed since 1993.” ...Read More
