What Now?

Last night's election results mean a certain change in Washington. There's new leadership in the House, potential new leadership in the Senate, and a changed political landscape. But what does that mean for repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell?"

SLDN just issued our statement in response to the mid-term vote count. First, "We now know that every co-sponsor of legislation to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ who sought re-election appears to have been successful, with just one outstanding race in Connecticut yet to be decided. And we also know this: Support for lifting the ban did not cause voters to reject any candidate."

And secondly, "The new leadership in the House of Representatives will provide new opportunities to educate our elected leaders about the importance of repealing the military’s ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ ban on lesbian, gay and bisexual military personnel. Legislation to repeal this unfair and un-American law will be re-introduced in the 110th Congress, and SLDN looks forward to working with the new leadership for its passage."

So what can you do? If your Representative is a co-sponsor and won re-election, thank them and ask them to renew their support in the 110th Congress. If they are not yet a co-sponsor, urge them to sign on. And if you have a new Member of Congress, reach out to them soon and ask them to support repeal. You can find a list of current co-sponsors online here.

And stayed tuned for more analysis and information on what you can do in the days and weeks ahead . . . SLDN will begin work immediately with our allies in the new Congress to realize our ultimate goal of the freedom to serve.

- Steve Ralls