A Year-End Message

Congressman Marty Meehan (D-MA), the lead sponsor of Congressional legislation to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," has released a year-end message to SLDN's supporters.

Congressman Meehan assures that, in 2007, he'll "be working tirelessly to bring new members of both parties onboard our campaign to lift the ban." He goes on to say that "We have seen, during the past decade, the detrimental impact 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' has on our national security and military readiness. We cannot afford to keep losing the talent and contribution of patriotic, gay Americans who want to serve."

Click here to read Congressman Meehan's full message. And from all of us at SLDN, happy new year!

A President Committed to 'Unity'

Former President Gerald Ford passed away last night, according to a statement released by his wife, Betty.

President Ford made waves in the LGBT community in 2001 when, in an interview with columnist Deb Price, he endorsed federal benefits for same-sex partners and expressed strong support for employment non-discrimination. Ford told Price that, "I have a longstanding record in favor of legislation to do away with discrimination."

President Ford became the highest-ranking Republican to endorse such measures and put his time where his mouth was: He joined as a member of the advisory board of the Republican Unity Coalition in 2001, saying that "I have always believed in an inclusive policy in welcoming gays and others into the party."

Today, we honor Gerald Ford's commitment to equality and remember his dedication to the LGBT community. President Ford set a stellar example for his party to follow and challenged every American to meet our country's ideals of inclusion and unity.

Deb Price's full interview with Ford, including his reflections on a gay Vietnam War veteran who helped save his life, appears after the jump.



Gerald Ford: Treat gay couples equally
by Deb Price

Former President Gerald Ford believes the federal government should treat gay couples the same as married couples, including providing equal Social Security and tax benefits.

Ford's views, expressed in an exclusive telephone interview, make him the highest-ranking Republican ever to endorse equal treatment for gay couples.

"I think they ought to be treated equally. Period," Ford declared. Asked specifically whether gay couples should get the same Social Security, tax and other federal benefits as married couples, he replied, "I don't see why they shouldn't. I think that's a proper goal."

Now 88, Ford was a longtime Michigan congressman and Republican leader of the U.S. House before being appointed vice president and then rising to the presidency in 1974 after Richard Nixon's resignation.

From his office in Rancho Mirage, Calif., Ford comfortably discussed a range of gay issues. He said he supports federal legislation to outlaw anti-gay job discrimination: "That is a step in the right direction. I have a longstanding record in favor of legislation to do away with discrimination."

Although he doesn't know if any of his White House appointees were gay, Ford said, "I applaud that President Bush has appointed three people who are gay. ... That is a big step in the right direction. The atmosphere was totally different 25 years ago, and the issue never arose." The former president added that having gay assistants wouldn't have mattered to him "as long as they were competent."

These days, Ford said, he and his wife Betty have gay friends.

Ford also expressed hope that his Republican Party will continue to expand its outreach to gay voters.

"I have always believed in an inclusive policy, in welcoming gays and others into the party. I think the party has to have an umbrella philosophy if it expects to win elections."

Ford warmly described his inclusive attitudes after I contacted him about what has come to be seen as a stain on his presidency -- his much-criticized response to the gay man who saved his life on Sept. 22, 1975.

Three days after the thwarted assassination attempt, Ford wrote to thank Bill Sipple for his "selfless" heroism.

Yet Ford has been accused of not honoring the Vietnam combat veteran as publicly as he would have had Sipple been heterosexual.

Sipple, who had been active in San Francisco's gay movement but closeted back home in Detroit, was rejected by his mother after a gay San Francisco official revealed Sipple's sexual orientation to a newspaper columnist after the shooting. Crumbling over his mother's rejection in the wake of national media attention, Sipple died a broken man in 1989 at 47. He treasured the Ford letter, which hung in his dilapidated apartment.

Ford blasts as "untrue" and "unfair" the charge -- which has become urban legend and has been repeated by some historians and gay activists -- that he would have honored Sipple more publicly if he hadn't been gay. "I had gone to San Francisco to make a speech before the San Francisco foreign affairs group," Ford recalled. "I came out of the St. Francis Hotel and was about to get into the limo. The shot was fired (by Sara Jane Moore). The Secret Service got me to Air Force One quickly. I later learned ... Bill Sipple hit her hand and, as a consequence, the shot went above my head. ... I wrote him a note thanking him. ... As far as I was concerned, I had done the right thing and the matter was ended. I didn't learn until sometime later -- I can't remember when -- he was gay.

"I don't know where anyone got the crazy idea I was prejudiced and wanted to exclude gays," Ford said.

Jerry Ford's bold embrace of gay Americans is an historic breakthrough for a nation dedicated to equal rights. And it underscores the increasingly visible support of gay Americans by prominent Republicans.

Source: The Detroit News

Linguists: Help Wanted

SLDN recently asked former LGBT military linguists to contact us for information on how to help with a public education campaign we're beginning in 2007. In addition to hearing from linguists, though, we also heard from employers who very much want to hire linguists with military training. Here's one:

Miguel Tuason of TCS Translations in McLean, Virginia, wrote to say that "we are an Equal Employment Opportunity firm and would welcome referrals of all language specialists - particularly those with military experience - regardless of age, sex, race or sexual orientation." TCS is "a Washington, DC-based langauge services company with various federal and military contracts in the U.S. and overseas."

While it seems the military has no use for LGBT language experts, the private sector is eager to benefit from their loss.

So, if you're a linguist looking for work, you can contact Miguel by email at miguel@tcstranslations.com, or by phone at (202) 680-0747. You can also visit the TCS Translations website for more information.

It's good to know there are fair-minded employers eager to welcome qualified gay Americans into their businesses.

- Steve Ralls

An Amazing Peace

SLDN's offices will close later this afternoon for the holiday weekend, and we'll return on Wednesday, December 27. We'll begin new blog postings then, too.

Before we leave, though, we want to wish all of our supporters, and especially our men and women in uniform, many of whom are spending the holidays far away from home and their loved ones, an Amazing Peace this holiday season.

As Dr. Maya Angelou writes in her holiday poem:

In our joy, we think we hear a whisper.
At first it is too soft. Then only half heard.
We listen carefully as it gathers strength.
We hear a sweetness.
The word is Peace.
It is loud now. It is louder.
Louder than the explosion of bombs.

For Dr. Angelou's full poem, click here.

And from all of us at SLDN, best wishes for a holiday - and a year ahead - filled with amazing peace.

- Steve Ralls

Thoughts from a Coast Guardsman

Retired Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Bill Shipley recently sent a column to the Navy Times, which we're proud to publish here. If you'd like to contact Bill directly, feel free to email him at billjj@hotmail.com.

I would like to address the issue of “gays in the military”. I retired from the U. S. Coast Guard after serving over 20 years in this great service. This letter is not directed in any way toward the U. S. Coast Guard. It is however, but, directed at our government’s policy of gays in the military. I think it is way beyond time to let gays serve their county.

After serving in the Coast Guard in many highly visible and responsible positions such as Company Commander, Leading Petty Officer of the Ceremonial Honor Guard and as Enlisted Aide to the Atlantic Area Commander, I feel I am proof that gays can serve in the military. Yes, if you have not figured it out, I am also a “gay American”. No, I’m not your “stereotypical” gay man; but, what does a gay man look like anyway?



I’m sure there will be many people surprised, but it is true. When I was 18 years old I enlisted in the Coast Guard, got married and had my first child all in the same year. I did all of this because I really thought I could “change” and be “normal” like the rest of society. After keeping this secret and having several children it became harder and harder to do. No, this was not a phase, I really was gay and there was no “changing”.

I then retired and became a Naval Science Instructor and helped run one of the top seven NJROTC Units in the United States. I then went to another school and opened the first NJROTC in Lincoln County in Western North Carolina. As you can see I have lived a very successful life. However, I was beyond unhappy, having to pretend to be someone I was not. I actually thought my situation was unique, I have been surprised to find out it is not. There are many people like me. Four years ago I decided that I could no longer do this, that life was not worth living if I had to continue to live this way - always wondering what if someone found out I was gay. I decided that I did not owe anyone, including society, to have to live this way.

I separated from, then divorced, my wife of 23 years. One good thing is that we managed to hold on long enough to raise our children. When I came out to my children and to people who were close to me, to my surprise, no one felt any different about me. I don’t know who came up with the theory that being gay is a “life style” or that gays want to be gay. Let me just say that anyone who would choose to be gay would be an idiot. Who would choose to put up with the kind of stuff that women and other minorities had to put up with in the past? Yes, I’m sorry to upset anyone but it is discrimination. If you ask most young people serving in the military and those not serving in the military they would tell you that they “don’t care”. The people who have the problem are the ones my age or older.

We use the phrase in the military that allowing gays to serve would be “against good order and discipline”. I really don’t understand what a person’s sexual orientation has to do with that. Why is it that we accept everything else in society including different religions. Do we discharge someone from the military because they say they are a certain religion or they don’t believe in god. Where do we draw the line? What is against good order and discipline is when someone is not treated fairly in the military.

Some people like to use the “shower issue”. This issue I really don’t understand. When I was in the Coast Guard I obviously had to shower with other males. In fact, being an athlete and working out I had to shower with males probably more than most. I can honestly say that I never thought about anything except taking a shower. The reason that males and females have different showers is for obvious reasons, we are biologically different. The bottom line is that we expect our military personnel to be professional and treat each other with respect. If you don’t adhere to the rules then you don’t need to be in the military. It is no different than a person being sexually harassed, we don’t put up with this type of behavior now and should not put up with “gays” harassing anyone as well. Some would say that “you would have never been able to do hold those types of positions or even be in the military, if people had known you were gay”. You are possibly right, so, who is the one who has the issue. As a young teenage boy trying to get out of the inner city of Baltimore, and escape poverty my sexual orientation was really not in the forefront of my mind at the time. In fact, at 17 years old I don’t think I was really sure what my "sexual orientation" was.

I remember when I was stationed at Coast Guard Headquarters and we had to attend a mandatory meeting given by a former Commandant who was the Chief of Personnel at the time. It concerned women not being accepted in the military. This Admiral stated that I don’t care how many years you have in the Coast Guard, women are here to stay, if you cannot accept it then you can get out. I was sitting there thinking I wish he was saying that about gays in the military as well. When I came out to my family, friends and students I was pleasantly surprised. With actually only one exception, they all said so, it doesn’t matter or I still love you. They were right it doesn’t matter. It only matters what type of person you turn out to be. I think to sum up the “fear of coming out”, I was given a gift inscribed with
the following. “A friend knows all about you . . . And still likes you!”

If I had judged friends of mine in the military by a certain characteristic I would have missed out on some great friendships. I had a great career in the military and as a Naval Science Instructor and had the pleasure of serving with some of the finest people in the world. I also had the great opportunity to make a difference with molding our future Coast Guard men and women as a Company Commander and as an Instructor. So, for those of you who don’t want to serve with “gay’s” in the military I guess I’m the kind of person you don’t want to serve with?

Patriotic gay men and women want to serve their country, just like their straight shipmates. Don’t ask, Don’t tell forces them to lie about who they are and risk their entire military career in order to fulfill their duties as a loyal American.“ Life is too short and I’m just glad that I had the foresight and courage to make this change in my life. My family and I are much better because of this.

- William J. Shipley, Sr.
Chief Petty Officer, USCG, Ret.

2007: A Year to Make History

As we close out 2006, I wanted to post one last blog for the year, congratulating my friends at SLDN on an amazing year, and asking all of you to help us make history in 2007.

It is truly amazing how close we are to ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." And the impact of our victory will be enormous. Just as when the military racially integrated our forces, welcoming gay troops into the fold will open the flood gates for other gains in LGBT civil rights. Repeal will be the first in a series of historic moments for our community.

For those of you who don't know, getting a film made is incredibly difficult. But I'm determined to make the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" documentary a reality. Already, I'm working with SLDN on putting together a poignant story that, we hope, will ignite the public debate about this law.

Here's how you can help: We want to hear the voices of LGBT service members who are sacrificing, in silence, for our country. If you're on duty, and would like to confidentially speak to me about your experience, and about getting more involved in the film, please email me at louise@dolfilms.org. For more information on the film, visit my website.

We have the opportunity to be history makers. And 2007 is our year to make history.

Happy Holidays . . . Happy New Year . . . and let's get to work on repeal!

- Louise Hogarth

Search for Good

Did you know you can support SLDN by simply using a search engine online? It's true!

Visit www.goodsearch.org, and everytime you search the web, you can support SLDN's work to lift the ban. Just put 'Servicemembers Legal Defense Network' in the charity field, and start your search.

Bookmark www.goodsearch.org today, and you can start supporting SLDN's work right away.

- Polly Stamatopoulos

Out of Many, One.

E pluribus unum. Out of many one. Have you seen this before? It is the motto on the great seal of the United States. The Wizard of Oz refers to America as the "Land of E pluribus unum" in the great classic from the 1930's . . . and as we all know, if its in The Wizard of Oz, then you know it has the gay seal of approval!

But seriously. E Pluribus Unum. Out of many one. The motto on the great seal has a long history going back to ancient roman times, where the poet Virgil first coined the phrase to describe a salad in a poem named Moretum. It was suggested by Pierre Eugene Sumitierre during the revolution and ultimately approved by the Continental Congress as our motto in 1782. The motto gave the founders a way to verbalize a vision of the future, a future that held the promise of thirteen different states coming together as one. Though later replaced by "In god we trust," it has had powerful echoes down through the years and has come to symbolize a uniquely American concept. That concept is that no matter who you are, where you come from, what you do or what you believe, you can be here and make a life for yourself.

E Pluribus Unum. Out of many one. What a great motto for our struggle when you think about it. Whenever I find myself tongue tied when I am talking about why DADT has to go, I think about the motto on the great seal. It symbolizes for me the majesty of America, our uniqueness and our potential. It is the rhetorical sledgehammer that crashes through the petty and mean spirited cliquishness that is at the foundation of bigotry and prejudice. The founders did not say "e pluribus unum, except homosexuals," rather their language made room for all comers.

As we all know, as a nation we have struggled mightily to achieve our ideals, often falling way short of the mark. Even though we fail repeatedly, the good thing is that each new generation tries anew. The history of America is a relentless march toward the idea of "out of many one" with "liberty and justice for all", which is why we must continue to believe that our struggle will succeed eventually . . . and work like hell to make it happen. Our desire to be equal and to serve equally is quintessentially American, another variation on the grandest of themes, the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness along side people from all walks of life.

E pluribus unum. Out of many one.

- Jeff McGowan, author, Major Conflict

Romney on the Ban . . . Again

Governor Mitt Romney is once again 'clarifying' his position on a variety of LGBT issues. The furor started when Bay Windows published a 1994 letter from Romney to his state's Log Cabin Republicans chapter, outlining what seemed to be truly moderate positions on a number of topics, including gays in the military. Now that Romney is a potential candidate for the White House, though, his views seem to have moved . . . to the right.

In a Q&A with the National Review, Romney once again weighs in on the military's exclusion of gay Americans:

As for military policy and the 'don’t ask, don’t tell' policy, I trust the counsel of those in uniform who have set these policies over a dozen years ago. I agree with President Bush’s decision to maintain this policy and I would do the same.

Well, Governor Romney, you have to pick: the military or the president? Because they aren't necessarily in step on the issue. As we reported earlier this year, there's a significant increase in the number of military leaders who want to see the ban lifted. And we learned just this week that those on the frontlines are ready to welcome gay troops, too.

In 1994, Romney said he believed the nation would evolve on the issue of gays in the military, and it has. If only we could say the same for the Governor.

- Steve Ralls

A Holiday Message for the Troops

This is a shout out to all of the lesbian, gay and bisexual service members out there pondering their service during the holidays. While I am free to be who I would like, now that I have been giving my "government certified homosexual paperwork," it is important to remember one of the many reasons why I believe, so deeply, that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" harms good people sacrificing the most important parts of their lives.

Many people in the service look forward to this time of year - when vacations are bountiful and they can take the person they love home to meet their families. That is not how I remember the holidays while I was in the Army. I think I went home so many years without that person, or even talking about the prospect of that person, that my family began to wonder if I had the capacity to love, and worried about me. The thing many people outside of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law may have a hard time understanding is that even my parents could be asked one day if I was gay, and if they knew I could be discharged. It is bad enough I already had to feel the burden of my integrity slipping away. I did not want them to feel this way too. Hiding from everyone can be a lonely place. Loneliness is not something that is exclusive to lesbian, gay, and bisexual personnel . . . it transcends into an emotion everyone understands and feels sometimes.

So while this simple blog article will not take away the loneliness service members all over the world may be feeling, I wanted to let my fellow lesbian, gay and bisexual comrades know that many of us that aren’t allowed to serve anymore are thinking about you, and that you are not alone. Happy holidays wherever your service takes you this season!!

- Stacy Vasquez

Poll: Straight Service Members Welcome Gays

Our friends at The Michael D. Palm Center and Zogby have released a new poll of military personnel who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. The result? Straight service members know gays are serving, and they've pretty much said, "So what?"

Here are some of the findings:

Nearly one in four U.S. troops (23%) say they know for sure that someone in their unit is gay or lesbian, and of those 59% said they learned about the person's sexual orientation directly from the individual;

More than half (55%) of the troops who know a gay peer said the presence of gays or lesbians in their unit is well known by others; and

An overwhelming majority of those surveyed - 73% - are comfortable serving with gays and lesbians.

There's no doubt that our military is ready to welcome gay troops . . . in fact, they already are. So why are we keeping an official ban on their service in place? If our men and women on the frontlines have put prejudice behind them, can't our military and Congressional leaders do the same?

- Steve Ralls

Blogs We Liked: December 11th-15th

Our sixth installment of the Blogs We Liked series. Blogs we liked this week:

• Feminist Bloggers Network on 2008 Candidates and Their Stances on DADT

• The Q Triad Blog on Right to Serve Makes Number 5, out of 10
  

• Pam’s House Blend on 2008 Candidates and Their Stances on DADT (cross-posted at Pandagon)

• Gay Opinion Blog on SLDN Calls on White House to Re-Consider Anti-Gay "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell"

• Arkansas Gay History on The Pridelets Files for December 12

• AlterNet on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell…Don’t Work [VIDEO]

• Operation Yellow Elephant on Republican Party-Building in Massachusetts
  

• From the Left on SLDN: Repeal "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell"
  

• My Comrade Blogosphere on Is SLDN the Most Dangerous Gay Group in America?
  


• Progressive U on Thank God for the Iraq Study Group…
  

If you stumble upon a blog entry you like that features "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" or highlights SLDN's work, you know the drill. Send it along to us at blog@sldn.org!

Have a fantastic weekend!

- Rebecca Sawyer

Remembering Ancient Greece

The second in our series, "Why Ending 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Matters to Me." As always, feel free to leave us your thoughts in the comments below, or to email us at blog@sldn.org.- RS

Dear SLDN Team,
In a time when our military is stretched thin around the world, we need all of the men and women that we can get. It is tactically irresponsible to ban thousands of men and women who are willing to serve our country just because of their sexual orientation. The Republicans call themselves the party of national security. How is it in our national security to forbid valuable manpower when we are experiencing manpower shortages around the world?

History has shown us that gay men and women can serve effectively in the military. Two thousand years ago in ancient Greece, bands of gay lovers served together and they were known to be fearsome warriors, because they were not only protecting their country, but their lover as well.

Sincerely,
Dat

#1: New Leadership, New Opportunities

A quick recap of our countdown of the top ten "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" stories of 2006:

#10: The Chorus of Editorial Pages Calling for Repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
#9: Government Spies on Student Groups Protesting DADT
#8: The Fight Goes Local
#7: The $364 Million Question
#6: DADT Discharges - by the Numbers
#5: The Right to Serve
#4: Shifting Military Attitudes
#3: The Year the Country Went Bleu
#2: Fighting in the Courts

And our number one story of the year? The midterm elections.

The new leadership in Congress presents new opportunities for discussions around repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." We are excited about the possibilities; the movement to repeal the gay ban is rapidly gaining momentum.

Already lawmakers are beginning to talk about repeal efforts.

Representative Marty Meehan (D-MA) was on the record stating that he plans to hold hearings next year in the House Armed Services Subcommittee:

"We will have hearings, and then we can have an honest dialogue with members of Congress. I believe, and have always believed, that once people see the facts, it will become clear that this is a policy that actually hurts national security and hurts the military."

Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) talked about the perils of kicking out qualified lesbian, gay, bisexual language specialists in an interview with C-SPAN.

Yet, we are mindful that repeal of the ban will require lots of conversations about the basics: why "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is a bad law, why repealing it and replacing it with a policy of nondiscrimination will be better for our national security and better for our troops, and why now is the time for change. And it will take lots of hard work and perseverance.

There are members of Congress--like Senator-elect Claire McCaskill of Missouri--who have not yet stated their support of repeal, but have indicated a willingness to talk about the issue

As Dixon stated last month, shortly after the midterm elections:

"The new doors that have opened, however, do not necessarily translate into certain, or fast, victory. Much work remains to be done, to educate both new and returning lawmakers. Consensus on important issues comes through bi-partisan efforts and smart strategy that brings together both sides of the political aisle... Tuesday'’s vote provides a significant opportunity to bring new allies from both parties into that coalition."

We salute all our allies who won election, and look forward to working with them in this new Congress towards repealing the injustice that is "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

In the meantime, we've got to get to work. Opportunity awaits!

- Rebecca Sawyer

The Search for More Troops

Come out, come out wherever you are? Well, not quite . . . but the armed forces are looking for a few more (presumably straight) men and women.

The Washington Post reports today that "The Army and Marine Corps are planning to ask incoming Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Congress to approve permanent increases in personnel, as senior officials in both services assert that the nation's global military strategy has outstripped their resources."

This follows a recent study concluding that the nation's military readiness is at its lowest since Vietnam.

But where will the military find those new recruits, especially given how difficult it has been to meet current staffing demand? More waivers? More recalls? Or maybe welcoming the 41,000 gay Americans who would sign up for duty if DoD would just dump "Don't Ask, Don't Tell?"

Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), a member of the Armed Services Committee, called it "shocking and scandalous" that two-thirds of Army units are rated "non-deployable." And he's right. But it's also shocking and outrageous that good men and women are turned away simply because of prejudice. And it's outrageous that our national security is up for debate in order to maintain federal discrimination.

The signs are all pointing to the need to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" now. At this point, the only thing the Pentagon hasn't received is a call from Miss Cleo, prediciting the inevitable demise of the law. But, given this latest news, how far away could that even be?

- Steve Ralls

#2: Fighting in the Courts

When I am out speaking in public about SLDN and "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell," I am often asked what we are doing politically to end the ban. It is a rare occasion that anyone raises our court case in conversation. I guess that lobbying Capital Hill is a much more hands-on approach that people can relate to – as in "What can I do to help end the ban? Call your member of Congress." Litigation is much harder for everyone to wrap their minds around, especially because we, as lawyers, seem determined to speak in a language of our own. This is doubly the case when you are arguing that a law is unconstitutional. However, I really enjoy telling people about our case, Cook v. Rumsfeld, because while I can throw around the legal lingo with the best, the case is fundamentally about people. Twelve strong and courageous human beings who want nothing more than the opportunity to honorable serve their country again. Twelve people who sacrificed themselves, first, to service to our country in the military and then again in service to the larger fight to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

The human impact of this law, expressed through our twelve plaintiffs, is what is so incredibly important about our case and what helped bring several diverse groups of people to file amicus briefs in support of the case. Seven amicus, or friend of the court, briefs were filed in our case. These briefs, on behalf of people from many different walks of life and areas of specialty basically told the court that they felt compelled to weigh-in supporting our case and these plaintiffs. Former military leaders with decades of experience, renowned constitutional scholars, and prominent social scientists all took time out of their busy lives to say to the court "we believe the twelve men and women in this lawsuit have served our country honorably and deserve the chance to return to military service."

I often hear the phrase "the time has come for change" connected with political issues and in politicians’ speeches. Well, in our case, we are saying that the time has way past come and gone for change. And happily, we are not the only ones that think that way.

We're proud to salute the men and women in SLDN's lawsuit, and we name their federal court appeal as our #2 story of 2006.

- Kathi Westcott

Donald Rumsfeld: A Little Bit Gay

OK, this doesn't exactly have anything to do with "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," or gays in the military, but we couldn't help ourselves.

The internet is abuzz with news of a truly unusual interview between reporter Cal Thomas and outgoing Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Things we learn: Secretary Rumsfeld does not plan to leave much of an inheritence for his kids; he loves The Sound of Music; and he thinks Julie Andrews is starting "to show her age."

We don't necessarily disagree with any of the three (you can debate Julie Andrew's 'years' in the comments section here), but Rumsfeld's remarks were one of those things that make you go "hmmm . . . "

After all, he also says his wife spends most of her time out with the girls. So is Rumsfeld at home, singing along with Julie and plotting a new career as an Austrian nun?

It all just seems a little bit gay.

- Steve Ralls

Growing List of Pro-Repeal '08 Candidates

If you're already looking toward 2008, and you're also a proponent of repealing the military's gay ban, things are looking rosy.

We already told you about Former Senator Mike Gravel's (D-AK) visit to the SLDN offices. Just days later, Gravel called for repeal on his website, saying, in part, that "The law flies in the face of common sense, and undermines our nation’s commitment to equal opportunity. As commander-in-chief, I will welcome every qualified American, regardless of sexual orientation, who wants to serve in our fighting forces."

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), the center of widespread attention in the '08 line-up, has said that "Gays and lesbians already serve with distinction in our nation's armed forces and should not face discrimination. Fitness to serve should be based on an individual's conduct, not their sexual orientation."



General Wesley Clark, who has also hinted at another run in '08, said during the Rock the Vote debate in 2003 that, "I think everybody deserves the right to serve. And when I’m president, I’m going to make sure that we treat every man, woman and child in America with dignity and respect. And that includes the opportunities to serve in the United States armed forces."

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), who launched a second bid for the White House yesterday, said in the last race that "Those in our military protect and defend equal rights. All should enjoy equal rights."

Other rumored '08 candidates who have endorsed repeal include Senator John Kerry (“It is a crying shame that people with enormous talent and skill are denied the right to serve even when it is against our national security."); Former Senator John Edwards (“The military should review the current policy and change it so that it treats people fairly and protects our security.”); and Former Vice President Al Gore (“Gays and lesbians should be allowed to serve their country without discrimination.”).

On the Republican side, Senator John McCain seems to be sticking with the current policy . . . for now, at least. But Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, in a 1994 letter to his state's Log Cabin Republican chapter, indicated an open mind. "I believe that there will be change over time as the military establishment and the rank and file become more comfortable with the realities of sexual orientation in the military," he said. "I believe that there will be change over time as the military establishment and the rank and file become more comfortable with the realities of sexual orientation in the military."

Today, unfortunately, Romney is trying to distance himself from those comments.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, though, has been steadfast in his support for repeal, meaning there's a chance that the nominees for both parties in 2008 will favor lifting the ban.

We're working to find out where the other potential candidates stand on the issue of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," too. Stay tuned here . . . as soon as we find out, we'll let you know.

- Steve Ralls

#3: The Year the Country Went Bleu

Nothing has shown the American people what a waste "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is quite like the military's continued dismissal of lesbian and gay linguists . . . especially lesbian and gay Arabic linguists.

Arabic speakers are critical in the war in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan and the war to keep our nation safe. The Pentagon admits it desperately needs good Arabic translators. Yet, the military has also sent nearly five dozen packing because of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

One of those five dozen was Army Sergeant Bleu Copas. Bleu, who was stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., was outed to his command through a series of anonymous emails. Despite his proficiency in Arabic . . . despite his stellar service record . . . despite his strong desire to serve . . . . what really mattered was his sexual orientation.

Bleu's story became the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" shot heard 'round the world.

It started with a profile by the Associated Press. Then, an interview on Good Morning America. (And countless other press stories.) And it all culminated in the best press story of the year: An unforgettable appearance on The Daily Show.

Soon, Bleu was on the Out 100 list, and was named one of Instinct Magazine's Leading Men of the Year. In a matter of days, he became a symbol of proud, patriotic gay Americans trying to serve our country . . . and his dismissal became a symbol of the idiocy we call "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

When I first asked Bleu to tell his story, he told me he wasn't sure anyone would care. Six months later, his courage to speak up has moved us forward by leaps and bounds.

That's why we name Bleu Copas, a gay Arabic linguist who became a household name, as our #3 story of 2006.

- Steve Ralls

P.S.: If you wanna see Bleu in person, plan to attend SLDN's 2007 national dinner, where he'll be sharing his amazing story with supporters from across the country.

#4: Shifting Military Attitudes

There are those who have said that Congress will not repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” until the military is ready for it.


I don’t buy that argument, because the majority should never dictate the civil rights of a minority.

Even so, that day is either here or is fast approaching.

In 1993, only 13% of enlisted personnel supported gays serving openly. Today, according to the Annenburg Foundation, a majority of junior enlisted personnel support gays serving openly.

In 1993, only a handful of senior officers supported gays serving openly, today many do. Take just these examples from 2006:

"This is a hollow policy that serves no useful purpose. We have outgrown it. Our military is better than is reflected in this policy." – Lieutenant General Claudia Kennedy, USA (Ret.) (pictured above)

"It is clear that national attitudes toward this issue have evolved considerably in the last decade. This has been led by a new generation of service members who take a more relaxed and tolerant view toward homosexuality." – Lieutenant General Daniel W. Christman, USA (Ret.), former Superintendent of West Point

"Would you rather have a felon than a gay soldier? I wouldn’t." - Capt. Scott Stanford, National Guard commander of a headquarters company who returned from Iraq in June

We are seeing change in attitudes in other contexts as well.

West Point this year awarded the Brig. Gen. Carroll E. Adams Award for the best senior thesis in the art, philosophy and literature major in the academy's English department to Alexander Roggio for a thesis critical of "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell."

The students at the Uniform Services University, DOD’s medical school, elected Patrick High, who is openly gay, to represent graduate students at the school.

Changing attitudes in the armed forces is our #4 story of 2006.

- C. Dixon Osburn

The Aroma of Hypocrisy

We've received numerous emails from our always observant readers, pointing out yesterday's Washington Post article about an evangelical group making films, with active duty personnel and officers, inside the Pentagon. According to the Post, "In the video, much of which was filmed inside the Pentagon, four generals and three colonels praise the Christian Embassy, a group that evangelizes among military leaders, politicians and diplomats in Washington. Some of the officers describe their efforts to spread their faith within the military."

The Post goes on to say that Army Brig. Gen. Bob Casen refers in the video (posted on the group's website, at www.christianembassy.com) to the organization's special efforts to reach admirals and generals through Flag Fellowship groups. Whenever he sees another fellowship member, he says, "I immediately feel like I am being held accountable, because we are the aroma of Jesus Christ."

Of course, everyone deserves the right to exercise their freedom of religion, but doing so inside the Pentagon, in an official capacity while wearing our nation's uniform, is another thing entirely. Especially when simply mentioning that you'd very much like to marry your long-time partner is grounds for dismissal altogether.

Apparently, it's OK to recruit for your religion while in uniform, but standing up for your loved ones goes too far.

That reeks a bit too much of the aroma of hypocrisy.

- Steve Ralls

Evaluating Military Readiness

Salon.com has an ominously titled piece, Miltiary Readiness Lowest Since Vietnam, about the armed forces' need for good people. From Mark Benjamin's story:

In interviews with Salon, experts who served on the study group's "working groups" explained why: The military is running out of troops and equipment. The cold, hard facts about military readiness and a 1.4 million-strong active duty force rule out a big increase in the size of the U.S. footprint in Iraq.

Late last week, SLDN called on the White House to reconsider its support of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," given the Iraq Study Group's conclusion that a lack of lanuage specialists is significant hindering the military's ability to fight the war.

Benjamin's Salon article is yet another reason our leaders - both lawmakers and military leaders - need to take another look at "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" soon.

- Steve Ralls

#5: The Right to Serve

Photo caption: Supporters from local universities and schools staged a sit-in as Kamal Rashad Davis, Curt Peterson and Rhonda Davis attempted to enlist last Wednesday at the U.S. Armed Forces Recruiting Station in Times Square. Photo: Eva Grenier/Pete Whinn. (The New York Blade)

For getting young people organized and visible, illustrating the wastefulness and heartlessness of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," a big gold star and the #5 slot in our countdown go to the Right to Serve campaign.

Lynchburg, VA-based Soulforce seeks to achieve freedom from oppression for LGBT people via relentless nonviolent resistance. Their youth-focused programming kicked into high gear this year with Right to Serve, a coordinated effort of openly queer youth with military aspirations to demand repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

This fall, two of my friends from college (UVA -- go Wahoos!) went into the Armed Forces Recruiting Center in Charlottesville, VA to enlist. They each made their queer identity clear when they spoke with the recruiter, and they were summarily denied a place in a military hurting for capable recruits. I know both of these folks well enough that I'm sure they would have gone to fight for our country had they been allowed. Soulforce organizers ensure that all Right to Serve participants share their sincerity in enlisting.

Stories like this played out in a total of 30 cities this summer and fall, thanks to Soulforce's thoughtful grassroots organizing. At the Task Force's Creating Change conference I met two young women who were proud to tell me that they attempted to join the Navy this fall and were arrested for peaceful protest following the recruiter's denial of their applications.

Participation in the Right to Serve campaign has given young activists like these a strategic outlet for their sense of duty to their communities and to America. How can our Armed Forces continue to deny these talented, earnest young people the opportunities and responsibilities of military service, especially in a time of war?

America's young people deserve better than "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." The Right to Serve campaign this year gave young people a coordinated, amplified voice with which to distribute this message far and wide.

- Jill Raney

An Historic Anniversary

Saturday marks an historic anniversary in the fight against "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." We were reminded today that it was three years ago - on December 10, 2003 - when three high-ranking, retired military officers publicly 'came out' in The New York Times.

BG Keith Kerr, CSMR (Ret.), RADM Alan M. Steinman, USPHS/USCG (Ret.) and BG Virgil Richard, USA (Ret.) made history as the highest ranking military officers to ever acknowledge they are gay. Their courage opened up the flood gates for change. Because of their willingness to share their stories, America finally saw the face of gay patriots who have served.

Their 'coming out' led other high-ranking military leaders, like Lieutenant General Claudia Kennedy and others, to join the fight for repeal. It's no exaggeration to say their public statements were a giant leap forward in the campaign for repeal.

We know there are 1 million gay veterans living in the United States. These three have been exceptional spokespeople for their community.

So on Saturday, join us in celebrating a very special anniversary . . . and an historic coming out party that changed the fight against the ban.

- Steve Ralls

Blogs We Liked: December 4th - 8th

Happy Friday! Our fifth installment of the Blogs We Liked series. Again, in no particular order, blogs we liked this week:

• Good As You on "Hey, Ms. D: Public Opinion Includes the WHOLE Public!"

• Queerty on "McCain Can't Make Up His Mind"

• Huffington Post on "Navy Times Editorial Blasts 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy as 'Failed'"

• Pam's House Blend on "Homo-Obsessed Military 'Watchdog' Elaine Donnelly Pants Over Barney Frank" (cross-posted at Pandagon)

• 2 Moms 2 Canada on "Make-You-Gay Warfare"

• Easy Vegan.info on "Holiday Gifts for Activists & Agitators"

• Scott's Big Mouth on "The State of the LGBT State? Ask the 'Sages'"

If you stumble upon a blog entry you like that features "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" or highlights SLDN's work, you know the drill. Send it along to us at blog@sldn.org!

Have a fantastic weekend!

- Rebecca Sawyer

Why Ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Matters to Me

Editor's note: earlier this year, we asked our supporters to tell us why ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" mattered to them. Each week, here on the blog, we will share some of those responses.

If you would like to tell us your reasons for supporting repeal efforts, feel free to check out the campaign website, or to leave us a comment below.

Without further ado, our first response:

Dear SLDN Team,

U.S. Constitution Amendment XIV, Section 1.

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

That is why "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" must go.

Sincerely,

Jeffery Biss

- Rebecca Sawyer

#6: DADT Discharges - by the Numbers

742: the number of military personnel discharged under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ban on openly lesbian, gay, and bisexual service members in 2005.

2: the number of service members discharged per day under the gay ban.

49: the number of service members discharged in 2005 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where PFC Barry Winchell was murdered in 1999. Up from 19 dismissals at Fort Campbell in 2004.

219: the number of women, from all branches of service, discharged under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in 2005, representing 30% of the total number of those dismissed under the gay ban.

15%: the percentage of women in all branches of service.

11,000+: the number of service members discharged under the gay ban since 1993.

40%: the percentage gay discharges have dropped since the terrorist attacks of September 11th.

757: the number of "mission-critical" specialists kicked out under the gay ban since 1993.

55: the number of Arabic linguists dismissed under the ban.

6: this story's place on our countdown list of top DADT stories in 2006.

65,000 + 1 million: number of currently serving lesbian, gay, bisexual military personnel and the number of LGBT veterans in the United States; also, reasons to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

- Rebecca Sawyer

Zero Snaps for Tony

White House press secretary Tony Snow recently said at a news conference that "You don't snap your fingers and have the Arabic speakers you need overnight." As TPMMuckraker.com reported, the military has “been kicking out Arabic speakers who they think snap their fingers a little too much.” That is a reference to the case of SGT Bleu Copus, who, in the process of his homosexual conduct investigation, was asked if he was involved in community theater.

Since the beginning of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the military has discharged 300 service members with “important language skills,” at least 55 of whom, like Bleu, were Arabic linguists.

It’s time to call proponents of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” on their hypocrisy. Don’t defend a lack of Arabic translators in one breath while supporting a stay-the-course mentality on “Don’t’ Ask, Don’t Tell” in the other. The President could snap his fingers and get more linguists if he got behind a repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” encouraged Congress to pass HR 1059 (The Military Readiness Enhancement Act), and agreed to sign it when it reaches his desk. You can keep snapping and hope the administration starts dancing to a different tune, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. Instead, let's get busy and tell our Congressmen and Senators to get behind repeal now.

- Aaron Tax

Kudos to BG Kerr!

BG Keith Kerr, CSMR (Ret.), a member of SLDN’s Honorary Board and one of three retired flag officers to come out as gay in 2003, was recently elected to the board of directors of the Redwood Empire Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA).

According to the MOAA website, they are

"...the nation's largest and most influential association of military officers. It is an independent, nonprofit, politically nonpartisan organization.

With about 360,000 members from every branch of service - including active duty, retired, National Guard, Reserve, and former officers and their families - we are a powerful force speaking for a strong national defense and representing the interests of military officers at every stage of their careers."

BG Kerr has this to say about his election:

"That they have approved an openly gay officer is, to me, an important development... The more they interact with LGBT people and realize that we are patriots and genuine soldiers/sailors/airmen/Marines/Coasties, the more likely they are to support repeal."

Congrats, General Kerr! Feel free to leave your kudos for General Kerr in the comments below.

- Rebecca Sawyer

Time Progresses, Mitt

Bay Windows reporter Laura Kiritsy has an in-depth opinion piece out today that takes a look at Massachusetts Governor (and rumored '08 presidential candidate) Mitt Romney's views on LGBT rights . . . then and now. According to Kiritsy, Romney has ran far to the right on gay issues since he penned a seemingly supportive letter to his home state's Log Cabin Republicans chapter some twelve years ago.

Here's what Kiritsy writes about Romney and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell:"

"While Romney said he supported President Bill Clinton’s 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell' policy against openly gay service members, he sounded downright optimistic that the battle on that issue wasn’t over. 'I believe that there will be change over time as the military establishment and the rank and file become more comfortable with the realities of sexual orientation in the military,' said Romney. 'I will support progress being made in that area as time progresses and the military and society becomes more accepting.'"

Hi, Governor. Guess what? Today, the military establishment and the rank and file are more comfortable and ready to get rid of the ban.

Now that time has progressed, and the opinion inside and outside the military favors repeal, will you stay true to your word and lend your support to the cause?

Inquiring minds want to know . . .

- Steve Ralls

#7: The $364 Million Question

In February 2005, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released its long-awaited analysis of the costs of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Their conclusion, based on what even they admitted was an incomplete calculation, was that the gay ban, conservatively, had cost American tax-payers about $191 million . . . no small chunk of change. But what would be the cost if we took into account every financial burden imposed on the taxpayer by the ban?

The Michael D. Palm Center (then known as the Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military) decided to find out. The Center assembled a Blue Ribbon Commission comprised of some of the best minds on the issue, and went to work. Their resulting report, issued in February of this year, found the cost was actually about twice what GAO had estimated: at least $364 million.

That's right: Our federal government made an investment of $364 million to hunt down and boot out lesbian, gay and bisexual troops.

"The real issue here is that you have a policy that is costing us money, hurting readiness and is really not fulfilling any national security objective;" Lawrence Korb, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, and a member of the panel (and SLDN's honorary board), told The Washington Post. "It just doesn't make sense now, particularly when you're having such a hard time getting people to join the military and retaining them in the right skills."

Retired Rear Admiral John Hutson also told the Post about the human cost, too: "The policy is more expensive than we thought it was, in many ways," he said. "The real cost is the cost in human dignity, in self-respect, and in the image of the military held by the American public, the world community and itself. . . . The dignity of the armed forces is at stake."

It's the story of the $364 million question: How much will we pay to put our anti-gay prejudice on display? The answer: Too much.

We salute the work of the Blue Ribbon Commission, and we name their report as our #7 "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Story of 2006.

- Steve Ralls

A Near Re-Enlistment Story

Former Army Sergeant Bill Smith (pictured) sent along this interesting tidbit in a recent note to SLDN:

"This past fall I spoke with an Army Recruiter about re-enlisting in the Army. I wanted to see what would happen. I provided the recruiter with all of my information -- DD214's, SSN, etc. After reviewing my record I was told I would be a perfect candidate for re-enlistment and possible OCS. There was no mention of me being discharged because of DADT. I found this to be very interesting and wonder—was the recruiter ignoring the fact that I came out to my commander and was discharged as a result or was this information not retained in my Personnel File?"

Bill, a Bronze Star recipient and a veteran of Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, would have been a perfect recruit... were it not for "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

Interestingly, there seems to be a pattern of recruiters, desperate to meet their quotas and desperate for the best and brightest, ignoring the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ban on openly lesbian, gay, bisexual service members. Bill's story follows a November report out of Denver of Army recruiters ignoring "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" when potential recruits revealed their sexual orientation.

Needless to say, all the more reason to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" now! Check out our online action center to find out how you can help with repeal efforts!

- Rebecca Sawyer

#8: The Fight Goes Local

In a sure sign that the movement for repeal is catching fire at the grassroots level, local government bodies passed resolutions in 2006 urging Congress to toss "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" once and for all.

In June, Portland passed a resolution supporting repeal, followed by Atlanta in October. New York State also took a step towards supporting repeal, following in the footsteps of the New York City Council, which approved a similar resolution last year.

They join city councils in Chicago, San Francisco, West Hollywood, St. Louis and Cathedral City in calling for repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” too. The California State Legislature also approved a resolution, in 2005, calling for an end to the ban.

The resolutions are largely a result of hard work by local chapters of American Veterans for Equal Rights. AVER members have helped their allies and neighbors understand: when the military turns away qualified gay Americans who want to serve, every community suffers.

We salute our supporters who are working for repeal at the local level, and we name the local repeal resolutions as our #8 "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" story of 2006.

- Steve Ralls

There She Goes Again

Elaine "Antediluvian" Donnelly is at it again . . . belittling the service of gay Americans and fighting for their exclusion from the U.S. military. This time, she's particularly upset about Cook v. Rumsfeld, SLDN's constitutional court challenge to the gay ban.

Elaine even goes so far as to attack actual veterans (of which she is not one) for their support of repeal, saying that, "The fact that some of them have military background really is of no consequence."

Actually, what's really of no consequence is Elaine and her so-called Center for Military Readiness. If Elaine didn't really believe this law was in its last days, she wouldn't be squaking and fretting so loudly.

We know Elaine is a favorite topic of our supporters, so fire away, and leave your thoughts about her latest rant here in our comments section. Or, if you're so inclined, send her a personal note and let her know: she is so wrong in so many ways.

- Steve Ralls

Who's In and Who's Out?

Late last year, General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff gave a speech on leadership at Wharton Business school.

The general was asked by a member of the audience, "as future leaders we will be challenged with team building issues including matters of diversity. The U.S. Military has taken a stand prohibiting individuals who are openly homosexual from serving in the military. How is a leader to deal with diversity issues that encourage you to accept some minorities but not others, and how do you maintain morale in such an environment?"

He responded: "Each organization is different. I might give you a different answer if I was the leader of Company A, widget company B instead of the US Military. The US military's mission fundamentally rests on the trust, confidence [and] cooperation amongst its members, and the homosexual lifestyle does not comport with that kind of trust and confidence and therefore is not supported within the US military. I'll leave it at that."

Boy did that get right up my nose when I read it! That said, I am not going to spend the rest of this blog ranting about the injustice of the comment, because quite frankly, it's nothing new and since I have written so many other columns with bile that "spilleth over" on stuff like this, I'm just spent.


Pace's comments, hurtful though they are, have greater value when highlighting what I have long considered to be a serious failure in the formation of leaders in the services. That failure is valuing conformity over individuality. Trust, confidence and cooperation" is code for "you must be like us".

Said another way, the services want you to live up to a certain image that they like to project that is completely arbitrary and which represents only a small portion of the population it purports to represent and protect. This has nothing to do with doing the job or team work, which is of course a bedrock of unit cohesion.
Even in the most stressful of situations, people of all sorts pull together to get the job done, nobody cares about race or orientation when the bullets start flying there is too much else to worry about. We all know that our community has always measured up under fire, there are literally thousands of stories documenting it.

There is no doubt, the experiences that service people have can , on occasion be very intense, and of course that makes any group tighter but that certainly is not a pretext for excluding others. Rather, this misty-eyed claptrap about being part of a "brotherhood" or "fraterntiy" based on values and experiences is just a convenient way to exclude people who can meet the standard in every other way but come from a segment of society that is not well understood or liked. In this regard, the GLBT experience of today and the Pre-Eisenhower era African American experience in the military are similar.

So what precisely are we talking about? Who's in and who's out?

I have come to believe that, if you are Republican, Christian, an ex-jock of some sort (preferably a football player) with a mini-van driving soccer mom and several kids all of whom have an addiction to arts and crafts, you'll fit right in. One need only remember the cynical manipulation of the unfortunate death of Pat Tillman to understand that the Services believe that that "Christian Jock thing" is potent stuff in shaping public opinion.

Be single, a Democrat, develop a passion for Artwork other than Don Troiani's Civil War schlock prints, or be slightly embarassed by T-shirts that are covered in skulls with wings and phrases like "Death from Above" when you are out at a restaurant, and you will definitely raise eyebrows and be somewhat suspect.

Now, before all of you get nuts because you disagree with my characterization or think I am bashing good people or you own a Troiani, I want to acknowledge there are many variations on this theme and few absolutes, not every officer is a jock or a christian etc, and if they are, there's nothing necessarily wrong with being so. The point here is that patriotism is not the preserve of any one group and as Americans we have to make sure our institutions have room for everybody.

The "Christian Jock thing" is the public image of an insular way of thinking that does not contribute greatly to dealing with complex issues or new ideas. And boy do we ever live in a complex world! In fact the culture of the military fosters complacency, arrogance and laziness because there is a not so subtle tendency to look down on everyone not like you. It's that higher calling ya'know!

The gay issue aside, an example of how damaging this mentality is can be seen in Iraq. I believe the culture of the Army and Marines has contributed mightily to the problems in dealing with the population in Iraq. Counter insurgency warfare requires a softer touch, that focuses heavily on respect for "the natives", not as we have painfully found out, an attitude that "all they really want is to be like us."

A good example of being unwilling or unable to appreciate nuance or values different than the insular culture in the services, lead the 4th ID for example to engage in heavy handed tactics in its area of operations that, while well-meaning, were inflammatory and counterproductive, leading ultimately to the abuses at Abu Ghraib. Read FIASCO by Tom Ricks if you want the complete picture. The British on the other hand, ruled India for as long as they did, because for most of their occupation they immersed themselves in the culture and were open to experiencing the unfamiliar.

This innate fleexibility is probably one of the reasons why some gays can serve openly in their Armed Forces today. This idea of openness and respect for others generally pays off because it gets the same in return. Lamentably at present, this is thinking out of the box for the US military.

Purely as an interesting aside, I highly recommend Colonialism and Its Forms of Knowledge by Bernard S.S. Cohn and The Principles of Counterinsurgency Warfare by Don Galula if you are interested in exploring the contrasts. These books are quite insightful about how to interact with a foreign culture when you are looking to impose order.

So, how the hell do we crack this nut? Well, it ain't gonna be easy. Just like turning an aircraft carrier around in the Panama Canal, its going to be a long process.

Thus far SLDN has led the way in educating the country on the contributions of Gay and Lesbian service members. Their polling data and studies have gone a long way toward dismantling the bigoted rhetoric of the other side. Moreover, as is my wont, I want to point out we must be unfailingly grateful to these fine men and women -- many of whom have never served a day in uniform for their dedication to those who serve in silence. But that is only part of the answer.

It is not enough to simply say that the status quo doesn't work, rather we have to offer an alternative, specific vision of what our leaders should look, sound and act like. We must articulate an alternative vision of the culture of the military. I think this is an opportunity that those seeking change have ignored for far too long. Moreover, SLDN is uniquely qualified to take this mission on. We certainly have enough ex-military officers who could help in the formulation of such a statement. Who better to talk about training and culture? Moreover, other advocacy groups could be persuaded to take part in the disucsion. Alliances of this sort would also create common ground with non-gay groups that might be persuaded to work with us on dismantling the ban.

If you haven't noticed, I have scrupulously avoided using the word diversity anywhere up until now. Why you may ask? Quite simply I think it is a tired term with a lot of baggage. What I am talking about is far broader in its scope than a methodology on how to deal with issues of race and gender. We need to retool the philosophy that underpins the value system currently in place not just tinker around the edges, which I would argue is the current state of affairs when talking about diversity in the military.

General Pace's is the epitome of the system that created him. On certain matters, he can no more think outside the box than a moose can ice skate. If we don"t want to hear future Chairmen spouting idiocy like Pace did at Wharton, then we must expand our focus beyond the narrow confines of single issue advocacy and try to effect change on the culture of the military as it relates to how they think about the unfamiliar.

- Jeffrey McGowan, author, Major Conflict

#9: Government Spies on Student Groups Protesting DADT

In December 2005, NBC's Lisa Myers reported that the Pentagon was spying on Americans, including student groups protesting military recruitment and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." A blogospheric explosion ensued as prominent blogs like AMERICAblog and Wonkette weighed in on the issue.

Not only did the story reveal the government's surveillance of private citizens and infringement of First Amendment rights, but it also sparked a critical discussion in the blogosphere and in the general public about the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ban on openly lesbian, gay, and bisexual military personnel. For that reason, the domestic spying story is #9 on our countdown of the top ten "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" stories of 2006.

A quick rundown of the story:

In January, SLDN filed a Freedom of Information Act request on behalf of itself and thirteen other lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups, asking for "any and all documents" concerning meetings and communications within and between LGBT organizations, and a request for “reports, video recordings, audio recording and photographs” obtained through the Pentagon surveillance. In February, the Pentagon admitted to collecting 'inappropriate' information on protestors. In later months, we saw the Pentagon turning over Threat and and Location Observation Notice (TALON) reports revealing the scope of their surveillance.

And yet, we will probably never know the full extent of the government surveillance of the LGBT community.

But, what is more important is that the domestic spying story raised American consciousness around civil liberties and highlighted the stupidity of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law. Because of this, we honor all of the bloggers and journalists who helped us raise the visibility of this story and of our issue.

- Rebecca Sawyer

Voting Against Solomon

According to this morning's Badger Herald, the newspaper at the University of Wisconsin Law School, more than 75% of the school's student bar association has supported a resolution condemning the federal Solomon Amendment.

In March, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the law, which requires schools to grant military recruiters full access to their students, or risk losing their entire federal funding. Many colleges and universities opposed the law, saying it forced them to violate their non-discrimination policies, which require potential employers to hire qualified students, regardless of sexual orientation.

Mark Noel, chair of QLaw, a UW law school student group concerned with LGBT issues and the law, told the Herald there were several reasons for passing the resolution. These reasons, he said, include clarifying the detriment caused to fellow students by violating UW’s nondiscrimination policy, improving campus climate and preventing the loss of openly homosexual faculty and staff.

“If you really care about these issues and these principles behind the nondiscrimination policy, you have to speak up," he said.

You can read full coverage of the resolution vote online here.

- Steve Ralls

A Breath of Fresh Air from Alaska

On Friday my colleagues and I here at SLDN, along with some of our board and honorary board members who happened to be in town visiting the office, had the pleasure of meeting with the first declared candidate for the Democratic Presidential nomination, former U.S. Senator Mike Gravel from Alaska.

Senator Gravel is running on a platform that centers on withdrawing troops from Iraq, reforming American foreign policy, implementing universal health care coverage, and creating a new national initiative program for citizen law making. I guess it goes without saying that he’s a man with big ideas, and he isn’t afraid of a fight.

A U.S. Army veteran himself, Senator Gravel sought to meet with SLDN to lend his support to our work on repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” He said he believes “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is a bad law, and as President he would lead efforts to change it. He promised his support in whatever way we can use it, and we thanked him for coming to meet with us.

Straight talk isn’t something DC politicians are known for. But Mike Gravel is a straight shooter and a straight talker, and that’s a breath of fresh air in this town. And it was refreshing for all of us to meet with someone with not only a clear vision of what he believes is right for our country, and the courage to stand up for it.

- Sharon Alexander