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‘Faith In America’ Calls for Repeal of DADT

Faith in America, Inc., an advocacy organization fighting to end “bigotry disguised as religious truth” toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered persons, is calling for an immediate repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, and the passage of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act (HR1246)through Congress.

The press release, issued on October 23rd by the organizations executive director Jimmy Creech went on to say, “General Peter Pace recently declared homosexuality to be “immoral,” based on his religious upbringing. Such misguided denunciations in the name of God are not new. In the past, slavery and racial segregation were said to be “ordained by God” and women were denied equality with men because “God made them to be man’s helpmate, not man’s equal.” The Bible, it was claimed, said so.”

“[This]is a powerful statement just released by “Faith in America” and Jimmy Creech regarding the repeal of DA/DT,” said retired Army Colonel Paul Dodd, a member of SLDN’s Military Advisory Council. “I am extremely grateful to Jimmy and his wonderful organization for issuing this statement, and for their bold and courageous initiatives on behalf of the entire lgbt community.”

You can read more about Faith In America and their efforts on their website here.

-Jason Knight

Posts from the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network are published via RSS from SLDN’s From the Frontlines. Support SLDN here.

Washington Post: Maintaining Ban is Shortsighted & Unjust

This morning’s Washington Post includes an editorial from the paper calling for repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The Post still holds the record for the most pro-repeal editorials; the paper’s editorial board has demanded an end to the law more than a dozen times. (Just a few of the other Post editorials can be found here, here, here and here.)

Responding to the recent story about the military posting recruitment ads on an LGBT website, The Post writes that, “Since 1993, more than 11,000 people have been discharged from the services because of their homosexuality. Of those, 800 were in positions deemed ‘mission-critical’ by the Pentagon. Those would be combat engineers, medical professionals and linguists (58 of whom spoke Arabic) — the very people the Army, Navy and Air Force were looking for when their job postings showed up on GLEE.com, which stands for Gay, Lesbian & Everyone Else.”

“The whole sorry episode,” the paper concludes, “highlights the absurdity of the ban on openly gay people in the military. Israel, Australia, Britain and 21 other countries have no problem with gays and lesbians serving openly in their armed forces. With its military stretched to the breaking point, the United States should follow their wise lead. That it doesn’t is as shortsighted as it is unjust.”

We couldn’t agree more.

You can send a letter to the editor applauding this morning’s editorial by emailing letters@washpost.com.

- Steve Ralls

Posts from the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network are published via RSS from SLDN’s From the Frontlines.

Support SLDN here.