On Friday, November 11, LGBT veterans and supporters came together for the Center’s LGBT Veteran’s Day Reception: A Celebration of Service, honoring the first Veteran’s Day since the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Current and former soldiers of the United States armed forces from as far back as World War II, to as present as Afghanistan were available for an event to honor their sacrifices to the country as well as their ability to now serve openly and proudly as lesbian, gay, or bisexual.

Photo by Andy Duty

Alfred Eriksson, currently an antique prints and maps dealer, was one of those who served in the Second World War. Drafted in 1943 he served till 1946. He was a Sergeant in Army intelligence studying the Japanese army.  Of the repeal he said,” It’s wonderful.”

“During the actual war they didn’t pay attention to sexual orientation,”   he said when asked about attitudes toward sexuality in the army during that time. “Everyone was very discreet,” he added.

Ed Loecher who served as a Staff Sergeant in Korea from 1951-1955 echoed that sentiment. “I don’t think anyone cared too much. When you’re out in the field people don’t care as much.”

Morgan Cooley, an E5 Sergeant in the U.S. Army for six years in Afghanistan expressed her excitement over being able to attend multiple Veteran’s Day events openly now. She expressed the pressure she felt as a woman, especially in the military environment which can be as close as a family.

Photo by Andy Duty

The mastermind behind the event was Adrian Ogle, the Cultural Programs Coordinator. Why did he decide to make this his first event at the center? “Because following the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell repeal I came to the conclusion I was disconnected from the service.”

The event was marked by a performance from the Gay Men’s Chorus as well as speeches from speakers Zeke Stokes from the Service Members Legal Defense Network, Brenda “Sue” Fulton from Knights Out, Denny Meyer from American Veterans for Equal Rights and the Transgender American Veterans Association, Joshua Seefried from OutServe, and Anu Bhagwati from the Service Women’s Action Network.

For all of its celebration the occasions was also used to remember the battles won but also the battles to come as event goers mentioned the continued plight of transgender soldiers who still cannot serve openly in the military.

More than 13,000 gay and lesbian military personnel have been expelled from the armed services for coming out about their sexual orientation since the law took effect in 1993 under then-President Bill Clinton.

Servicemembers Legal Defense Network released this statement, applauding the end of the discriminatory law:

“Today marks the official end of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and is an historic milestone along the journey to achieving LGBT equality in America’s military. Thanks to veterans, active duty, leaders, allies and supporters everywhere, this is a monumental day for our service members and our nation. Indeed, we have taken a tremendous leap forward for LGBT equality in the military.

“Our work is far from done, but today we pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of our patriots as we look forward to a new era of military service – one that honors the contributions of all qualified Americans who have served or who wish to serve.”

SLDN reports that one hundred events are taking place in all 50 states as repeal supporters celebrate the end of this law. Here is information about the event taking place in New York City:

New York City
September 20, 2011: 7 until 9 p.m.
http://www.sldn.org/NewYorkEvent
Stonewall Inn, 53 Christopher Street, New York, NY 10014

Special Guests:
Speaker Christine C. Quinn (D – District 3 – New York City Council)
Brenda S. “Sue” Fulton, West Point ’80, Executive Director of Knights Out
Katherine Miller, OutServe Board of Directors, former West Point Cadet
Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey, Producers/Directors, “The Strange History of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” premiering on HBO, Tuesday, September 20
Mati Weiderpass, SLDN Board of Directors, former US Army Captain
Darren Manzella, SLDN client, former US Army Sergeant

The Center congratulations all of the activists whose tireless efforts led to this historic day, and pays special tribute to the LGBT people who have served and continue to serve courageously in our military. 

The Center has heard countless stories of the brave men and women who defended our country, but were forced to hide who they are. We’ve in fact offered support services to many of these individuals who are coping with the effects of discriminatory policies and wrong-headed double standards. We’ve also hosted a number of events in recent years, giving voice to those speaking out against “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and advocating for repeal of the law. This past November alone the Center hosted several programs on the topic, including a robust panel discussion with key thought leaders, a screening of the documentary, “A Marine Story,” a compelling photo exhibit, “Proud to Serve,” and a special night of book readings from LGBT Marine Corps veterans.

The Center is the premiere space for our community to come together, share ideas and plan action around the most pressing inequalities facing us, including “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” And we will continue to be that nexus for LGBT people and our allies on all of our most important issues of the day. Therefore, we applaud the President for fulfilling his campaign promise to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and we thank those in Congress who voted to repeal this law, particularly New York Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Charles Schumer (D-NY). The New York Times editorial board summed it up well, writing: “After the transformative vote, Mr. Obama said thousands of men and women would no longer have to live a lie in order to serve their country. As they begin this new chapter in their service, their country too will find itself transformed for the better.”

Glennda Testone

Related Posts and Links

Campbell Soady Gallery presents Proud to Serve by Jo Ann Santangelo
Military Working Authors: The Marine Corps Writers

Repeal DADT NOW

Today is a virtual lobby day and we need your support the ensure the repeal. Take Action!

HERE’S HOW:

1. E-mail your elected officials

2. Follow-up with a phone call. Call 202-224-3121. Connect to your lawmakers and urge Congress to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” this year.

3. Spread the word. Share this blogpost on Facebook, Twitter and other social media below.

Through the power of our community we CAN effect change.

At the Center, we hear many stories. Some depict challenges, injustice and discrimination and others are uplifting and inspiring.  Since 1993, the Center’s heard stories from members of our community about how our military’s ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ (DADT) policy resulted in 13,000 gay, lesbian and bisexual people discharged from the military.  This policy required LGBT military service members to keep their orientation secret in order to continue serving in the military.

The time to repeal DADT is now! As military officials begin sharing their stories and the press reports the antiquated policy’s impact, it is time for us to be heard. The Associated Press reported that, Adm. Mike Mullen, “The military’s top uniformed officer [...] made an impassioned plea for allowing gays to serve openly in uniform, telling a Senate panel it was a matter of integrity and that it is wrong to force people to ”lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens.”

We are inspired by NY Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s project, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Stories and her call for hearings to repeal #DADT in the senate. She started her new website because she “thought that the more stories we could bring to bear into the public discourse, [the more] it will move this debate forward to a place where we will earn the 60 votes we need to repeal it.”

We encourage you to get involved by visiting the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Stories Project, sharing your story and signing their petition.

http://dadtstoryproject.com

For more information about other campaigns to overturn DADT, please visit Human Rights Campaign.

Update – February 12, 2010

Please read my interview with The Women’s Media Center Just Not Married: Fighting for Equality on Valentine’s Day.

Glennda Testone

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand will appear at NYC’s LGBT Center at 3:30PM this Sunday, where she will speak about the repeal of DADT and DOMA.

As a New York progressive, Senator Gillibrand strongly believes in equal rights for all. Since her time in the House of Representatives, she has spoken out in support of full marriage equality, becoming one of the first members of the U.S. Senate to favor full marriage rights for same sex couples. In the U.S. Senate, Senator Gillibrand is working on an aggressive agenda to provide equal rights for all, including eliminating the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in our armed forces, protecting people of all sexual orientations and gender identities from hate crimes and employment discrimination, and repealing the Defense of Marriage Act. This event is an opportunity for New York City’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community leaders to meet your new Senator, learn more about her agenda and discuss your priorities.

To attend, RSVP at the above link.

See original post at http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2009/10/sunday-sen-kirsten-gillibrand-to-appear.html