November 30 Marks Tenth Anniversary of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' 10/21/2003
From: Steve Ralls of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, 202-328-3244, ext. 116, sralls@sldn.org, or Aaron Belkin, 805-893-5664, belkin@polsci.ucsb.edu WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 -- Sunday, November 30 will mark ten years since President Clinton signed the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ban on lesbian, gay and bisexual service members into law. In the decade since the military's gay ban went into effect, almost ten thousand men and women have been fired under the ban at a cost of more than $260 million to American tax payers. Editors considering tenth anniversary coverage may want to report on several recent stories which provide perspective on the policy's history and its future: SERVICE MEMBERS DISCHARGED UNDER "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL" SPEAK OUT A number of men and women discharged under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" during the past decade are available for media interviews, including: Cathleen Glover, a discharged Arabic language specialist; Airman Andre Taylor, the victim of a widespread Air Force witch hunt in Hawaii; Timothy McVeigh, who faced discharge based on his America Online profile; and Steve May, an Army Reserve Lieutenant and Arizona State Legislator who faced discharge based on remarks made on the floor of the Arizona legislature. Parents of PFC Barry Winchell and Seaman Allen Schindler, both murdered in anti-gay hate crimes within the military, are also available for interviews. PRESIDENT CLINTON ISSUES STATEMENT CONDEMNING MILITARY'S GAY BAN In his strongest denunciation of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" to date, former President Bill Clinton says that "Simply put, there is no evidence to support a ban on gays in the military." The written statement was made to Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) earlier this month. President Clinton also says that "discrimination is unfair, and it unfairly restricts the talent pool available to the military -- and that diminishes our security." (President Clinton's complete remarks are available online at http://www.sldn.org). EXPERIENCES OF FOREIGN MILITARIES UNDERMINE GAY BAN Exhaustive research by the Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military (CSSMM), at UC-Santa Barbara, disputes the Pentagon's assertions that repealing the gay ban would impact unit cohesion or military effectiveness. Comprehensive studies on the Canadian, Israeli and British militaries shows that lifting the gay ban has been a non-event for American allies. (Studies are available online at http://www.gaymilitary.ucsb.edu/). RETIRED MILITARY LEADERS SPEAK OUT AGAINST "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL" In recent articles, Dr. Michael Rankin, a retired Navy captain and Vietnam veteran and retired Admiral John Hutson have sharply criticized the military's gay ban. Rankin calls continued justifications for the military's gay ban "insulting to our service men and women," while Hutson noted that Admiral Hutson wrote that "It would be a great tragedy if we didn't take advantage of (Lawrence vs. Texas) to correct a flawed policy. Military personnel in 2003 have reached a level of maturity and tolerance that undermines the earlier 'unit cohesion' arguments." (Their full comments are available at http://www.sldn.org). Representatives from both SLDN and CSSMM are available for interviews regarding these stories. ------ Servicemembers Legal Defense Network is a national, non-profit legal services, watchdog and policy organization dedicated to ending discrimination against and harassment of military personnel affected by 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' and related forms of intolerance. www.sldn.org The Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military is an official research unit of the University of California, Santa Barbara. Its mission is to promote the study of gays, lesbians, and other sexual minorities in the armed forces. Visit http://www.gaymilitary.ucsb.edu/ |