Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1998 20:19:56 -0500
From: ACTION ALERT Moderator 
Subject: ACTION ALERT: Don't Ask Don't Tell Ruling

[ submitted by SLDN, http://www.sldn.org ]

*** SUMMARY ***

Help!  Your voice needs to be heard today.  In light of the recent defeat in the
courts last week for the Able plaintiffs and their challenge to the `Don't Ask,
Don't Tell' policy, it's imperative that you use the two links provided below to
make your opinions known.  The first is a link to The Washington Post's Letters
to the Editor page.  They carried a positive editorial in Saturday's paper
criticizing the Second Circuit's unfavorable ruling in the Able case.  This
editorial was the first time the paper weighed in against "Don't Ask, Don't
Tell, Don't Pursue."

*** ACTION ***

We encourage you to support them for doing so.  Here are some points you may
want to consider in framing a brief letter:

1) Praise the Post for supporting an end to the `Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy

2) In light of the much-publicized fact that the military is having to go
begging for recruits, one clear and simple solution emerges: stop discharging
trained, competent gay, lesbian and bisexual people in record numbers -- 997
last year alone.  That is two-three people every day, on average.  Even this
is a conservative number.  Hundreds, if not thousands, more people leave the
military when their time is up specifically because of this law, rather than
endure anti-gay harassment and live in constant fear of being investigated.

3) It is unfair to impose a double-standard on gay, lesbian and bisexual service
members.  They should be treated the same as their straight counterparts in the
eyes of the law.  They take the same oath, defend the same country, and risk
their lives in the same fashion.

To submit a letter online, go to
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/edit/letters/letterform.htm

The second is a link to CNN's Interactive Online Community.  They are inviting
people to post their opinion on the following question:

"Do you think the policy is discriminatory? What would be a fair and legal
policy for gay and lesbian members of the military?"

The answer to the first questions is, clearly, "yes."  As for what would be
fair, you may want to consider including comments about being treated equally in
the eyes of the law (see #3, above).

http://community.cnn.com/cgi-bin/WebX?13@@.ee7239c

Please take a moment and do this now.  It is only through our voices that we
will ever effect change.

Thanks.

-- 
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