Op-ed: How Facts and Figures Led to the End of DADT

Scholar Nathaniel Frank explains how cold, hard facts changed hearts and minds about gay rights in the military.

BY NATHANIEL FRANK

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As LGBT advocates continue to press their agenda forward, they rightly look back at the past to learn what works. While some view “the past” as meaning the start of the Obama administration, understanding the true, long-game strategy that was necessary to secure our advances in recent years is critical to building on those gains, both for LGBT issues and other kinds of progress.

Fortunately, some insight can be gained from a newly published academic volume that takes a deep look at the political history of “don’t ask, don’t tell” (DADT). The volume, a special issue of the Journal of Homosexuality, includes an article I wrote describing what I call “research advocacy”—the use of data and other evidence to gain visibility, credibility and action on LGBT issues. It was part of a twenty-year reframing campaign that LGBT advocates successfully used to make repeal of the military’s ban on openly gay service politically palatable once a friendly president and winnable Congress took power in 2009.

Click the header link above to read the full article.

LGBT Military Advocate Charlie Morgan Succumbs to Cancer

Chief Warrant Officer Charlie Morgan died Sunday, after a long battle with cancer.

BY SUNNIVIE BRYDUM

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Chief Warrant Officer Charlie Morgan, a lesbian member of the national guard who came out on national TV the day “don’t ask, don’t tell” was repealed, succumbed to cancer earlier today, according to a statement from OutServe-Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. Morgan is survived by her wife, Karen, and the couple’s five-year-old daughter, Casey Elena. Morgan was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, and underwent a double mastectomy and chemotherapy, after which she was declared cancer-free, and served another tour of duty in Kuwait. But in September 2012, Morgan learned the cancer had returned — metastatic and incurable.

Morgan came out on MSNBC on September 20, 2011, and became a nationally recognized voice against the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, which denied her wife, Karen, and their daughter, Casey Elena, from receiving military, Social Security, and pension benefits readily offered to the opposite-sex spouses of straight soldiers. OutServe-SLDN reports that the Morgans are plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of DOMA and other statues which prohibit same-sex partners from receiving equal military benefits.

“Chief Warrant Officer Charlie Morgan, a courageous fighter for our country, for her family, and for the equality of all who wear the uniform of our nation, passed away early this morning,” said OutServe-SLDN Executive Director Allyson Robinson in a statement. “On behalf of her wife Karen and daughter Casey Elena, we thank all those who have supported Charlie so fervently since she proudly came out on national television on the day ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ was repealed, and who have stayed by her side through her brave fight with cancer. She made an indelible mark on everyone she met with her integrity, her positive outlook, and her unflinching commitment to righting the wrongs visited upon gay and lesbian military families. The fight for full LGBT equality in this country is forever changed because Charlie Morgan took up the cause.”

OutServe-SLDN reports that funeral arrangements are pending, and highlights a memorial page called “Remembering Charlie Morgan,” where supporters, friends, and family can leave messages and remembrances of the courageous veteran.

The Trans Woman Who Is Taking on the Military

Decorated Army veteran Allyson Robinson has some major plans for the country’s only organization dedicated to serving LGBT people in uniform.

BY SUNNIVIE BRYDUM

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Allyson Robinson is a decorated veteran, a wife, a mother, an ordained Baptist minister, and the executive director of the recently combined advocacy organization for LGBT people in uniform, OutServe-Service members Legal Defense Network. The Army veteran was tapped to lead the 6,000-member organization in October, and her appointment is noteworthy not only because she is one of the few women leading a military group but also because she is the first transgender person to lead a national LGBT organization.

Robinson’s appointment is anything but an affirmative-action hire, said retired Navy captain April Heinze, cochair of OutServe-SLDN’s Board of Directors in a statement announcing the hire. “Allyson Robinson is exactly the right person at the right time to be our leader and voice in Washington in the fight to achieve full LGBT equality in the military,” said Heinze.

Indeed, Robinson is exceedingly qualified for her new position. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Robinson served as a commissioned Army officer commanding Patriot missiles in Europe and the Middle East, a senior trainer for NATO, and an adviser to the armed forces of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar.

Now Robinson is ready to engage in a different kind of battle — one of words instead of weapons.

Click the header link above to read the full article.

WATCH: Advocate Editor Hoping for More LGBT Progress in Second Obama Term

Advocate editor in chief Matthew Breen and National Center for Transgender Equality executive director Mara Keisling discuss their hopes for the second term with MSNBC’s Melissa Harris-Perry.

BY TRUDY RING

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Breen and Keisling

Advocate editor in chief Matthew Breen and National Center for Transgender Equality executive director Mara Keisling appeared on Melissa Harris-Perry’s show on MSNBC Sunday, lauding the Obama administration’s progress on LGBT issues but emphasizing there is more to be done in the president’s second term.

“His statements on same-sex marriage, of course, have had global resonance,” said Breen. For the second term, he mentions wanting to see immigration reform to allow same-sex couples to stay together, and possibly an LGBT cabinet member. He and Keisling also discuss the need for broad antidiscrimination legislation and the intersection of LGBT issues with other matters, such as foreign policy and health care.

Click the header link above to watch the interview.

Man Discharged Under DADT Named Co-Chair of Obama's Inaugural Committee

David Hall, a gay man who has spent years fighting for full LGBT military equality, was named National Citizen Co-Chair by Obama’s inaugural committee.

BY DIANE ANDERSON-MINSHALL

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A former Air Force Sergeant discharged under “don’t ask, don’t tell,” David Hall, has been chosen as one of eight Americans to serve as “citizen co-chairs” of President Obama’s inauguration, taking place this weekend in Washington, D.C. The choice of Hall, who is currently the director of development at OutServe-SLDN, which supports LGBT service members and veterans, is intended to help highlight Obama’s first-term accomplishments.

“This is certainly the honor of a lifetime, and I am grateful to President Obama for his leadership in repealing ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ so that no qualified American who wants to serve this country in uniform will ever again be denied that right simply because they are gay or lesbian,” said Hall.

Hall and his seven comrades will join in the National Day of Service, which kicks off the inaugural events on Saturday. He will attend the swearing-in ceremony Monday and along with the other co-chairs will ride on an inaugural parade float highlighting the inaugural theme of “Our People: Our Future.” Monday evening, he will attend the official inaugural balls.

“There is a great deal more to do on the road to full LGBT equality in our military, but it’s important for us to take a moment this weekend to honor the leadership of this President and recognize just how far we have come. There could be no better personification of that than former Air Force Sergeant David Hall,” said Army Veteran and OutServe-SLDN Executive Director Allyson Robinson.

Click the header link above to read the full article.

ACTUP.ORG: USA – Five ways the Defense of Marriage Act hurts gay and lesbian military families

Bill Clinton signs DOMA

Today is the first anniversary of the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the military policy that prohibited gay and lesbian service members from serving openly and honestly in the U.S. military. For years, service members in loving and committed same-sex relationships needed to hide their love and conceal the truth about their families to ensure that they would not be discharged from the service.

The repeal of the ban is an enormous step forward for the LGBT community and translates to broader visibility for gay and lesbian service members and their families. The one-year anniversary merits huge celebration and thanks to all of the organizations and individuals who helped push through repeal last September. But even though gay and lesbian service members can now serve openly, they continue to face discrimination from the federal government. Because of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibits federal respect of lawful marriages between same-sex couples, gay and lesbian military couples do not receive the same federal protections that heterosexual couples receive.

Since May, Freedom to Marry and Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) have been working together on a national persuasion campaign calledFreedom to Serve, Freedom to Marry. Through a series of videos and other multimedia content, the campaign has illustrated the various ways that DOMA negatively impacts military families by highlighting the stories and struggles of gay and lesbian service members and their families. The Pentagon and the Department of Veterans Affairs guarantees a long list of federal protections and responsibilities to married military couples: They can share health insurance and medical coverage, be issued military identification cards, live together on military bases, seek support from morale and welfare programs, and receive surviving spouse benefits. However, because DOMA denies federal recognition of their relationships, same-sex couples are not afforded these benefits and protections.

DOMA is at odds with the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and now, gay and lesbian service members and their families are caught in the middle. After dealing with the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy for 17 years, same-sex couples are continuing to face discrimination. Until DOMA is repealed, Americans will continue to be divided into two classes. To highlight some of the keys ways that DOMA hurts military families, Freedom to Marry and SLDN have created this infographic. Share the graphic on Facebook and show your friends that while there’s much to celebrate on today’s anniversary of the repeal of DADT, there’s also much work to be done.

Click the header link above to view the infographic.

HAGEL ENDORSES ‘DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL’ REPEAL AND EQUAL BENEFITS FOR SAME-SEX MILITARY COUPLES

by THINKPROGRESS

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In a letter responding to questions from Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Defense Secretary nominee Chuck Hagel addressed concerns about his support for LGBT equality in the military. He made it clear that he supports the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the policy that required gay, lesbian, and bisexual troops to hide their identities, and expressed his intent to provide equal benefits to the same-sex partners and families of service members.

Click the header link above to read the full article.

Poll finds DADT repeal had little effect on service members

gaywrites:

Opinions were mixed about what would happen when Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was repealed. Some said service members would have a difficult time adjusting; others said the change would be welcomed with open arms.

Apparently neither is true, according to results from a new Military Times Poll. 25 active duty service members noted that they were gay, lesbian or bisexual, and only one came out after the DADT repeal; the others were either already out or kept their orientations hidden. More numbers:

In the 2011 Military Times Poll, 59 percent of active-duty respondents said they did not believe they would be affected by the repeal. When service members were asked this year how they were affected after the repeal, 69 percent said they had felt no impact.

Although units where someone disclosed they are gay, lesbian or bisexual after repeal felt more of a change, 59 percent still said the repeal had no noticeable effect.

In addition, although 10 percent of 2011 respondents said they would be less likely to remain in military housing after DADT repeal, just 2 percent said this year that they moved.

This is so interesting to me considering the extent of resources that was dedicated to figuring out how repeal would affect the troops. Not sure if I’m disappointed or not that so few people have come out since repeal, but I’m sure they know what they are doing. Interesting stuff.

Court Ends Log Cabin's Case Against DADT | advocate.com

By Michelle Garcia

DADT UPDATE X390 (THINKSTOCK) | ADVOCATE.COM

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has decided to end the Log Cabin Republicans’ challenge to the federal government over “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

The organization filed the suit to repeal the ban on gays in the military in 2004. In 2010 a district court judge ruled that “don’t ask, don’t tell” was unconstitutional, and the case advanced toward the Ninth Circuit, but thereafter, Congress and President Obama repealed the law, and the military trained the ranks on sexual harassment and sexual orientation.

The San Francisco court said in September that the case is moot because the law was overturned, and Wednesday the court said none of its judges wanted to vote on rehearing the case, as requested by the Log Cabin Republicans, according to the Associated Press.

The organization wanted the case to continue, as there have been some threats to reinstate “don’t ask, don’t tell” after President Obama’s term in office ends, or with a new Congress. Additionally, Log Cabin wanted to continue challenging the law because several affiliated benefits for members of the military are being blocked due to the Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibits the federal government from recognizing the marriages and civil unions of gay citizens, specifically gay service members.

Log Cabin executive director R. Clarke Cooper said the court’s decision clashes with its duty to “defend the constitutional rights of service members.” He added, “Log Cabin Republicans will continue to fight for uniform treatment of all servicemembers, in Congress and in the court of public opinion, including working to end the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, which wrongly discriminates against military families.”

Dan Choi vows to re-enlist | gayagenda.com

With the fallen Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy behind him, Dan Choi, a gay veteran of the United States Army, announced Friday he would re-enlist. Choi waited only 2 days before he began the process of re-enlisting in the army CBS News reports.

Choi has been a visible activist for the LGBT community ever since 210 when he was discharged after having had a decorated and exemplary career for the Arm. As a participant in several rallies and protests, Choi recently found himself in the spotlight as he stood trial for a November 2010 arrest during a White House protest.

ACTION ALERT!!! SLDN: Will I See You in California?

In September, I retired after twenty years of service to the Air Force - a day I didn’t think I would see. After nearly three years of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” investigations and discharge proceedings– with SLDN by my side providing the legal help I needed to stay in the military– I was able to retire on time and receive my full retirement benefits.

But SLDN’s work is far from over.  Last week, they filed suit in federal court, challenging DOMA and other federal statutes that prevent gay and lesbian military families from receiving the same recognition, benefits, and support as their straight, married peers.  To learn more about the suit, click here.

That’s why I’m traveling the country to help strengthen support for SLDN.  This week, I’ll be in Southern California with SLDN Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis, and I hope you will join us for one of the events below. We’ll be discussing the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and SLDN’s ongoing work to achieve full LGBT equality in our military.

San Diego: Thursday, November 3rd:

www.sldn.org/SanDiego2011

West Hollywood: Saturday, November 5th: www.sldn.org/WestHollywood2011

We hope to see you there!

11-02-11 By Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach, USAF (Ret.) |

Gay American Troops Demand Equal Benefits

Let us be equal! It’s been just over a month since that folly, ”Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was repealed, allowing openly gay service men and women to serve in the military. Now a new fight for equality started last week when a group of gay and married military personnel sued the U.S. government for the same benefits as straight military couples, they claim its a matter of justice and national security.

The lawsuit has been filed in the U.S. District Court claims the government’s Defense of Marriage Act violates their constitutional rights.  It also asks the military to recognize their marriages and provide spousal benefits such as medical coverage along with the right to be buried together in military cemeteries, benefits already enjoyed by straight service personnel

The Defense of Marriage Act means the Pentagon bound by law to ignore same-sex marriages, even though they are currently legal in six states and in Washington, D.C. itself.    “While the repeal of (Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell) was an important first step in the military’s march for equality, it is time to take the next step and provide equal benefits for equal work,” the lawsuit claims.

The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network has filed this new lawsuit on behalf of eight service members both active and retired.   “It’s about justice for gay and lesbian service members and their families in our armed forces rendering the same military service, making the same sacrifices, and taking the same risks to keep our nation secure at home and abroad,” Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis said in a press release.

The lawsuit calls the continued denial of benefits to gay spouses “a threat to national security.” It argues that, given the extreme mental and physical demands of modern warfare, the military has already recognized that “service members who are distracted by thoughts that their loved ones are not being cared for may render the service members less effective combatants.”

Equality may not be an ideal wanted by all, Elaine Donnelly, president of the Centre for Military Readiness, claims the lawsuit is an attempt to impose throughout the military a definition of marriage that’s accepted in just a handful of states, but then that group was strongly opposed to the repeal of DADT.

To many it should be a clear cut case, if you want an equal fighting force, then that forces personnel should all have equal benefits.  However, as we all know, what may seem like a certainty is very rarely the case. Especially as we head into a presidential election year normal rational thinking may not apply.

Chicago veteran of Don't Ask, Don't Tell reenters military in wake of repeal | windycitymediagroup.com

by Erica Demarest

Discharged veteran Lee Reinhart made history Oct. 24 when he became the first known openly gay man in Illinois to reenlist in the U.S. Armed Forces since the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

“We should be proud of Lee and proud of our country,” said Rep. Mike Quigley ( D-Ill. ) , who administered Reinhart’s reenlistment oath. “Dr. King had it right: ‘The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.’ This is our country getting it right.”

Reinhart served in the U.S. Navy from 1995 to 1999. After Sept. 11, he enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard but was quickly discharged under “don’t ask, don’t tell.” Reinhart spent the next decade working with Quigley and fellow activists to achieve repeal.

Click on the link above to read the full article.