The List of Countries with Gay Military Bans Just Got Shorter

In Newsweekly has this brief news clip about Argentina:

In late August, the national government will submit to Congress its plan to abolish the entire Military Justice Code and create a new military justice system. Among scores of changes, the new laws will not prohibit gay relationships.

"[The ban] was nonsense," said Colonel Judge Advocate Manuel Lozano, a member of the legal commission designing the new system. "It's a matter of people's private lives."

The country known for tango, beef, and Evita Perón, is now joining the ranks of those fair-minded nations allowing lesbian, gay and bisexual service members to serve openly in their armed forces.

- Rebecca Sawyer

Honk If You Believe in Equality

Church Street Freedom Press, a LGBT community newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee, ran a fascinating story, "Taking the Marriage Battle to West End Avenue", which included this tidbit about a straight veteran who had recently returned from Operation Iraqi Freedom (emphasis mine):

Randy Sims, 26 years in the Army, told me, “I’m an Iraqi vet, just out of Walter Reed Army Hospital.” Randy was seriously wounded when a mine exploded as the vehicle he was in drove by. He has undergone several surgeries, and faces several more. This Sunday, he and his wife were driving through Nashville, en-route to Ft. Hood, Texas, when their car was broadsided by a drunk driver. His wife sustained multiple broken bones and other injuries, and will be hospitalized for several days. Randy said he was out taking a walk – “I start getting stiff,” from the wounds and surgeries, and “have to move around” – when he came across the demonstration.

“I saw the ‘Honk if you believe in equality’ sign,” he told me, and “all these kids standing out there with signs. In all my years in the military, I’ve never judged people because they were gay, or lesbian.” Thinking of those 26 years, but in particular of his last tour in Iraq that ended with his wounds, he said, “There have been a lot of (gay) guys who backed me up, who saved my life.”

Mr. Sims joins an increasing number of veterans--from Vietnam veteran Dexter Lehtinen, husband of Florida Republican Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, to retired Army Lieutenant General Claudia Kennedy--in asserting that lesbian, gay, and bisexual service members have served and continue to serve our nation honorably.

And the only way to fully respect and honor the service of lesbian, gay, and bisexual service members is to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and replace it with a policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Take the first step, and check out SLDN's Action Center for ways you can support repeal efforts.

- Rebecca Sawyer

Idiot Box on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

I stumbled upon this cartoon on Andrew's Sullivan's The Daily Dish.

From Matt Bors' Idiot Box:


(click on the image to view the rest of the cartoon)

- Rebecca Sawyer

CNN: Bush OKs Involuntary Marine Recall

CNN is reporting this morning that President Bush has issued an involuntary recall of Marines in the Individual Ready Reserves (IRR) "because there are not enough volunteers returning for duty in Afghanistan and Iraq, Marine commanders announced Tuesday." According to the CNN story, the recall intially impacts 2,500 Marines, but that there is no cap on the number who may ultimately be effected by the President's decision.

Marine Col. Guy A. Stratton, head of the manpower mobilization section, told The Associated Press that there is a shortfall of about 1,200 Marines needed to fill positions in upcoming unit deployments.

Since 1993, the Corps has been forced to discharge nearly 1,000 Marines because of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Those men and women were trained and ready to serve, but were booted simply because they happened to be lesbian, gay or bisexual.

Today's news begs the question (again): Just how long will the Bush administration and Congress stand behind this law? How many more recalls will need to happen, and how many more tours will our men and women in uniform have to endure, before the country wakes up and sees a better solution right in front us?

Write your member of Congress. This is yet another reason to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

- Steve Ralls

'In the Life,' In the Military

In the Life, PBS's award-winning LGBT newsmagazine, returns for its 15th season in October which an in-depth look at "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

Cherry Jones will narrate the story of SLDN client Jeff Howe, an Iraq war veteran who was discharged after his command learned he is gay. From today's In the Life statement:

"Howe, 32, speaks to In the Life about the unusual circumstances that lead to his dismissal from the Army after his sexual orientation was discovered. For years Howe was thriving in Silicon Valley as an 'out' gay man working at a successful Internet company. After the tragic events of 9-11, Howe made a drastic decision that surprised his family by enlisting in the U.S. Army. When his unit was assigned to Baghdad, Howe entered the surreal and uncertain world of active combat and experienced the daily pressure of keeping his sexual orientation a secret. To relieve his own anxiety and help family and friends cope with their fears about the war, Howe started a daily blog called 'Iraq My Brain.' The blog became an instant hit with his Army buddies and their families. Then something unexpected happened that radically changed Howe¹s life. After one blog entry was posted showing a photograph of a U.S. truck that had been destroyed by enemy fire, the United States Army initiated an official investigation into Howe to explore any 'potential ties to terrorists.' During the course of the investigation, intelligence officers uncovered the secret that he had so carefully protected during his time in Iraq: Jeff Howe is Gay. Howe was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army, shipped home under the cover of darkness and told by authorities to keep the incident quiet."

For more information on In the Life, and the broadcast schedule for its season premiere, visit www.inthelifetv.org.

- Steve Ralls

Through the Eye of the Storm

Cholene Espinoza, an openly lesbian Air Force Academy graduate, former U-2 reconnaissance pilot, and embedded Iraq War journalist, has just published a memoir about her work in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, called Through the Eye of the Storm.

In the wake of Katrina, we mentioned a former SLDN client who was a part of the recovery effort. Cholene's is another inspiring story of one person motivated to make a difference along the devastated Gulf Coast. Like the anonymous service member who blogged in the days following Katrina, Cholene was moved to action and continues to make a real difference in the lives of hurricane victims.

- Steve Ralls

Your Turn to Weigh In

The issue of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is back in the headlines, in full force! This week, SLDN broke the story of a spike in gay discharges at military bases around the country. The news appeared first in a story from the Associated Press, which was carried in newspapers around the country. And this morning, more coverage popped up in the New York Times, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and the San Francisco Chronicle . . . along with a great editorial in today's News-Leader in Missouri.

If your home town paper has covered the rising number of dismissals, it's your turn to weigh in! Write a short, pithy letter to the editor, thanking the paper for their coverage, and highlighting the need to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Remember to include your name, email address, home address and a daytime phone number. And, if your letter is printed, let us know and we'll send you a free SLDN t-shirt!

- Steve Ralls

Boxes Galore!

It’s not everyday that I get four huge boxes filled with dozens of smaller little boxes delivered in my name to SLDN, but that’s what happened to me last week.

A month or so ago, a man from Chicago contacted SLDN asking about how to get involved in our work, and more specifically, how to show his support for our LGBT service members deployed in harm’s way. I spent quite a while on the phone with him, discussing how he could contribute to SLDN’s work and how to get involved with SLDN members active in Chicago. Then we moved on to the question of how to support our troops.

He asked about care packages, and I told him we’d be glad to forward a care package to a deployed client for him, since our confidentiality requirements prevent us from giving him the name and address of a client. I talked to him about the sorts of things that would be appropriate for a care package - no chocolate or other things that would melt, hard candy, lip balm and baby wipes are usually appreciated, etc. We finished up on the phone, and I thanked him for his interest in our work and in the people we serve.

A couple of weeks later, Erin, our front desk receptionist, came to tell me that a delivery had arrived for me and she needed somewhere to put it. I walked from my desk to the front office to find four large cardboard boxes from our new friend in Chicago. The stack of boxes was almost as tall as I am. I opened the boxes to see what was inside and found smaller packages filled with candy, treats, sudoku books, baby wipes, chewing gum, lotion – all manner of treats and diversions for our troops serving in harm’s way. In each box was a note expressing thanks to the service member for his or her service to our country, with an email address to write if there were other things the service member could use to make the deployment more bearable.

It was a Friday afternoon when the box arrived, and I couldn’t think of a better note on which to end the week. This week is ending pretty good too, as I mail out one of these packages to a client of mine serving in Eastern Europe as a peacekeeper. SLDN supporters want to support our troops – the troops that sacrifice so much to defend our freedom. And this is a very concrete and very generous example of that support.

- Sharon Alexander

"Yo Bush. Do you speak Arabic?"

The blogs have been hoppin' this week with entries about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Here's a sampling of what people are talking about online . . .

Over at HuffingtonPost.com, playwright Chris Durang looks at the dismissal of Bleu Copas, an Arabic linguist. "Yo Bush," Durang asks, "Do you speak Arabic? Does Laura? Does Condi?"

Michael Barone also takes on the Copas case at the blog at U.S. News & World Report. "I wonder," Barone writes, "just how wise it is to discharge Arabic-speaking and -reading military intelligence personnel for being gay." How wise indeed.

And a favorite of the staff here at SLDN, blogger Pam Spaulding looks at Elaine Donnelly's rant about an award-winning, anti-Don't Ask, Don't Tell thesis from a student at West Point. Donnelly, who we must say always has a flawless hair-do, says she's taking the award up with the powers that be at West Point. "I question the judgment," of West Point officials who conferred the award on the paper, she says. Which is a sure sign that someone at the Academy did something right, after all.

If you find other DA, DT-related blogs, send those to us at blog@sldn.org.

- Steve Ralls

Fall Is In the Air

For political junkies we are just now starting to get a whiff of it. I felt it the other afternoon. For the first time in months, I had a “hot” (not iced) cup of coffee here in your nation’s capitol. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, we find ourselves smack dab in the middle of the Dog Days of August, and summer dress rules apply. But still, there was this faint fresh breeze today that suggested that the glorious even-year arrival of autumn might be just around the corner. I can almost see them off in the distance: red yellow leaves, orange pumpkins, and haystacks. I can hear the faded sound of distant marching bands practicing for football games. I can feel those Red Sox pitching arms starting to tire as they lumber toward the wire with the Yankees. Sounds pastoral right?

Ah hooey! Give me relentless attack ads, give me a box stuffed full of campaign mailings, give me your tired candidates, give me those cavernous radio voices dubbed over long-bowed anxiety packed string music, I’m ready for election season, baby! I guess the combination of that cool breeze and musing over last Sunday’s punditry regarding Tuesday’s controversial primary contests started to get the ole political stomach growling. This fall’s electoral battles promise to be just as attention-grabbing as the last few cycles have been. Unlike the 2004 Presidential campaign cycle, the big prize this year is control of the halls of Congress. That’s right, over the next 90 days you are going to need to get yourself ready because I have to tell you, it is on! Politically speaking, it’s showtime!!!

I suspect that many of you do not adore politics as I do. For that I commend you. I also expect that you will lead more serene contented lives. But if there is something that we share it is a common commitment to end this foolish policy that bars lesbian, gay and bisexual people from serving openly in the United States armed services. I am not going to be distressed when you flip from Notre Dame v. Michigan to Oklahoma v. Texas when the assault ads interrupt your autumnal paradise. I only ask that you try to take note where the candidates stand on this important issue. We will do our honest best to let you know where they stand as the political war is waged this fall. Until then, pull out your orange and brown sweaters and break out your giant foam fingers. As for me, I’m going to head down to the Hawk-n-Dove and check into reserving a table for election night.

- Greg Rasnake

Travelog: San Diego

I just recently returned to the office after being in San Diego for work. My trip was good, despite catching a killer cold, and I was happy to spend time in southern California preaching the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and sharing with people information about our legal services work.

Every year, for at least the last five years, SLDN has attended the San Diego Pride Festival. San Diego Pride is always an excellent Pride for us because we are able to speak with lots of active duty and reserve service members as well as veterans and military retirees. In spite of some un-San Diego like rain over the weekend, I was heartened to once again speak with many current and former military members. Many of whom already were aware of SLDN and what we do, but lots of whom were grateful to learn that there is a resource out there for them as they proudly serve their country in silence.

In addition to the Pride festival itself, we always try to include several other events and missions to our travel. I was accompanied on this trip by Polly, our development director, and Alan, our major gifts officer, who set to work drumming up contributions for our work through multiple donor and potential donor meetings while there. I obediently attended whatever meetings they needed me to attend and also conduct some outreach and education work on my own. The Friday before Pride, I had the great opportunity of speaking at a lunch program at the law offices of Morrison & Foerster (MoFo) which was sponsored by the firm’s diversity group. I was glad to speak at MoFo to educate on our issue and to thank them for their continued pro bono support. MoFo has consistently been ready, willing and able to step in to assist us when we have been in need of pro bono help and they are currently working with us on a project. The food smelled great – I chose to eat after the presentation and should have known the food would be gone by the time I finished – and the attention and questions about our work were fabulous. My hat is off to Drew and the great staff and attorneys at MoFo who pulled together the lunch and continue to support SLDN’s work and mission.

Following Pride, I wrapped up my time in San Diego with two events. The first was a live interview on QueerChannel – a progressive radio station out of San Francisco. It was a great opportunity to talk about SLDN and the work we do. I was glad to be asked and I hope we reached some new people through the program. The second event was a meeting with the Navy defense attorneys at San Diego. It is always great to be able to talk with military defense counsel to let them know that we are a resource for their cases and to have some give and take on what we are all seeing with under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

All in all I think the weekend was a success. Hands were shaken, hugs given, and lots of information shared. Hopefully these types of trips bring us closer to the day when “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is gone for good and SLDN no longer needs to exist.

- Kathi Westcott

The Times Are Changing

Reuters reported this week that anti-gay messages had been widely supported by the command aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier. The reporter witnessed anti-gay graffiti and jokes, anti-gay messages contained in a video about the F-14 Tomcat fighter aircraft, and pilots, including the commander of the fighter squadron, wearing t-shirts that said, “I’m a Tomcat guy and you’re a homo.”

What is refreshing, however, is that the commander of the Naval Air Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, Rear Admiral Denby Starling, promised immediate action to hold those responsible accountable when he learned of the incidents. He told Reuters that the anti-gay messages were “contrary to Navy policy and core values and have no place within Naval Aviation or the Navy.”

That is exactly right. That is leadership. I sent Admiral Starling a letter today to thank him for his leadership. It is important, I think, to praise commanders for doing well. If you would like to send a note, write him:

Admiral Denby Starling
Commander, Naval Air Force
U.S. Atlantic Fleet
1279 Franklin Street
Norfolk VA 23511-2494

Admiral Starling’s leadership is, I hope, a sign that the military is indeed changing. We know that there are 65,000 gays, lesbians and bisexuals currently serving.

We know that a majority of junior enlisted personnel support gays serving openly. We know from our own experience at SLDN that many commanders are quite good, and do not discriminate based on sexual orientation. We appreciate Admiral Starling’s leadership, and it will send a strong and unmistakable message to all under his command, and to his peers throughout the Navy, that discrimination and harassment violate all that the Navy and this country stands for.

- C. Dixon Osburn

Honoring an American Patriot

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel had this article on the life of Richard Taylor, a Wisconsin man who recently passed away. Taylor and his partner of 49 years, Ray Vahey, came out publicly only last year to take on the fight for marriage equality in Wisconsin. Speaking all over the state, they shared the stories of their "silent generation" and talked about the importance of equality.

One of the most striking quotes in the article was Vahey’s about his partner’s military service during World War II:

“Richard voluntarily put himself into harm's way to protect his country and the rights of all Americans of that day, and all of the generations that have followed. Now there is an attempt to separate Richard from society and take away his right to equality under the law.”

Blogger Towleroad had this to say about Richard Taylor's life and activism:

“Talk about serving one's country in so many ways! Every Congressional member who is against same-sex marriage or gays in the military should know the story of Vahey and Taylor, model citizens and everyman American heroes.”

- Rebecca Sawyer

The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Song

Artist Robert Urban has a new song about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." You can hear the song - and read the lyrics, online here.

- Steve Ralls

Bragg Soldiers: Gay Ban is Trivial

A new report from the Fayetteville Observer says that soldiers at Fort Bragg - where recently dismissed Arabic linguist Bleu Copas was stationed - believe the military's ban on openly lesbian, gay and bisexual military personnel is "trivial."

“If you are doing your job, you fall into the same category as anyone else,” said a former drill sergeant now serving at Fort Bragg.

Military attitudes are changing, and Bleu's willingness to speak out about the injustice of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is changing hearts and minds. As the Observer noted, Fort Bragg soldiers don’t care about “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

- Steve Ralls

Speaking Out in Norfolk

I thought our "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" town hall meeting in Norfolk, Virginia went extremely well. The town hall meeting on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was held on Saturday, July 29, and it was sponsored by the Military Equality Alliance. Panelists were five gay and lesbian veterans, including combat veterans, whose combined service was nearly 100 years. CPO Vivien Viloria, USN (ret.), COL Thomas Field, USA (ret.), and Roxie Hoven, who served in the Navy for 9 years, joined me in sharing our stories. Former Army Captain and MEA Board Co-Chair, Lara Ballard, moderated the panel discussion.

The community center where it was held was packed with veterans, both gay and straight, and heterosexual supporters who had not served but wanted to help end the policy.

I talked about the service members I had met while in the military and of their pain and struggles.

We also had lots of press coverage, both TV and local papers.

And--we had protesters, two of the Fred Phelps variety carrying banners reading something like "Fags Hate America" and "Fags Rot in Hell." I may have the wording a little off, but that's the message. I heard they were active duty military. If so, they were not in uniform, and had a right to be there.

I attempted to engage one in conversation. I put out my hand and said "I understand you are military like we are. If so--thank you for your service." He refused my hand and just glowered at me. Scary people.

I'm glad we did it, and was honored to be on the panel with Vivien, Roxie, and Tom. I hope we did some good. The state and congressional representatives from that area have refused to budge on the issue. They think keeping folks like us out of the military is just great, maybe even God's plan. If nothing else, this gave the local men and women who have been fighting the battle for so long the assurance they are not alone. Some of them joined us at a Thai restaurant after the session. Brave people. As one reminded me--Norfolk is not Arlington.

- Robert Michael Rankin, M.D., Capt, MC, USNR, (Ret.)