Gilchrest on Gays in the Military & DA, DT on the Big Screen
Republican Congressman Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD) continues to speak out about why he believes the military's ban should be lifted.
In yesterday's Washington Post, Gilchrest, a Vietnam War Veteran, talked about his own knowledge that gays and lesbians served during that conflict:
"You just didn't think about it in those days, but you knew there were people of that persuasion, and they served with great distinction," he said.
And in talking about the process that led to his support for the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, he told his hometown paper, the Delmarva Daily News, that "As the years and decades go by, you learn more and think more." As long as military personnel obey their code of conduct, he said, members both straight and gay can serve with distinction.
You can read both articles in our press room at www.sldn.org/press. Just click on "SLDN in the News."
___________
On Wednesday evening, I was in New York for a panel discussion on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and the premiere of a film trailer for Louise Hogarth's upcoming documentary of the same name.
New York's gay community center hosted the panel, which also included Catherine Gray, the film's co-producer, Greg Williams of Lot 47 Films (the film's distributor), former Coast Guardsman Jason Brittingham and Air Force Academy graduate Megan Kuzmich. (Jason and Megan are also former SLDN clients.)
The film, which is scheduled to premiere early next year, will take an in-depth look at the true costs of the military's ban, its impact on the lives of gay service members and the effort to repeal the law through Congress and the courts.
Louise, whose last film "The Gift" was a critical success on the film festival circuit and now plays regularly on the Sundance channel, aims to target an audience outside of the LGBT community. “Many Americans do not realize the extraordinary impact the military’s ban on gay personnel has on our national security and the very real impact it has on the frontlines. Straight Americans should be just as outraged as their gay neighbors that our military is undermined by simple prejudice. This film is meant to reach those Americans who may not fully grasp the detrimental effect of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,'" she recently told the press.
You can visit the film's web site online at www.dolfilms.org.
-Steve Ralls
In yesterday's Washington Post, Gilchrest, a Vietnam War Veteran, talked about his own knowledge that gays and lesbians served during that conflict:
"You just didn't think about it in those days, but you knew there were people of that persuasion, and they served with great distinction," he said.
And in talking about the process that led to his support for the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, he told his hometown paper, the Delmarva Daily News, that "As the years and decades go by, you learn more and think more." As long as military personnel obey their code of conduct, he said, members both straight and gay can serve with distinction.
You can read both articles in our press room at www.sldn.org/press. Just click on "SLDN in the News."
___________
On Wednesday evening, I was in New York for a panel discussion on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and the premiere of a film trailer for Louise Hogarth's upcoming documentary of the same name.
New York's gay community center hosted the panel, which also included Catherine Gray, the film's co-producer, Greg Williams of Lot 47 Films (the film's distributor), former Coast Guardsman Jason Brittingham and Air Force Academy graduate Megan Kuzmich. (Jason and Megan are also former SLDN clients.)
The film, which is scheduled to premiere early next year, will take an in-depth look at the true costs of the military's ban, its impact on the lives of gay service members and the effort to repeal the law through Congress and the courts.
Louise, whose last film "The Gift" was a critical success on the film festival circuit and now plays regularly on the Sundance channel, aims to target an audience outside of the LGBT community. “Many Americans do not realize the extraordinary impact the military’s ban on gay personnel has on our national security and the very real impact it has on the frontlines. Straight Americans should be just as outraged as their gay neighbors that our military is undermined by simple prejudice. This film is meant to reach those Americans who may not fully grasp the detrimental effect of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,'" she recently told the press.
You can visit the film's web site online at www.dolfilms.org.
-Steve Ralls
posted by SLDN at
10:53 AM
<< Home