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March on the White House — End "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" NOW!

Josh Spaulding,
Washington Legislative Office
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June 25, 2009

It is estimated that 265 military members have been dismissed since the beginning of the Obama administration under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Since the law was passed in 1993, over 13,000 have been discharged due to their sexual orientation. It is unconscionable that as two wars are being fought, we are losing some of our most talented men and women — linguists, doctors, intelligence analysts and soldiers — to this discriminatory policy. It hurts military readiness, it hurts unit cohesion, and it is antithetical to American values.

The ACLU has joined the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network to sponsor a march on the White House on Saturday, June 27 to let the President, Congress and the American public know that enough is enough. Two-hundred sixty-five discharges are 265 too many. We need to change this policy now. If you’re in the D.C. area this Saturday, please join us at Farragut Square (17th and K Sts. NW) in Washington, D.C., at 2 p.m. We will then march to the White House and show our support for the many thousands of gay and lesbian soldiers that are serving our country. You can also send Congress an e-mail and urge them to take action and repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”.

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