My Favorite Holiday

Jill Raney, SLDN's new grassroots organizer, shares with us her favorite holiday...

One of my very favorite holidays is coming up next week -- Election Day! Are you ready to vote?

This Tuesday, November 7, every seat in the U.S. House of Representatives is up for grabs, as well as a third of the U.S. Senate and many state and local offices. There's no telling what our Congress and state governments will look like a week from now! Plus, many states will weigh in on propositions or ballot initiatives, some of which will affect the legal rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans.

So what does all this mean for the future of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"?

Well, this discriminatory and wasteful mess is a federal law that only Congress can change. We can all do our part towards lifting the ban by voting for representatives and senators who won't stand for a law that treats lesbian, gay, and bisexual Americans as second class citizens and endangers our military's readiness.

Do you know where your candidates stand? First, check online to see if they are a cosponsor of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, the bill in the House of Representative that would repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and replace it with a policy of nondiscrimination. If they are not listed, check out their website to see where they stand on the issues. And if there's nothing specific about a candidate's stance on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", stated positions on LGBT rights or other civil rights issues, or on military readiness issues can help you determine whether a candidate is worth your precious vote.

Not sure where you should go to vote, or when the polls are open? Head to your favorite search engine and search for your state's Board of Elections. There you can find all the important details so you'll know where to go on Tuesday.

See you at the polls!

- Jill Raney