Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Lt. Dan Choi, GetEQUAL Activist Robin McGehee Invited to "'DADT" Repeal Signing

In the course of my activism, I have been lucky to meet and/or speak with some of those individuals truly on the front lines of the push for LGBT equality. Two such individuals are Dan Choi and Robin McGehee who have been in the forefront of civil disobedience in the successful push to see DADT dispatched to the trash heap of history. Both deservedly have been invited to the signing of the DADT repeal law by President Obama which will happen tomorrow according to USA Today:
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President Obama is likely to sign the repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy Wednesday, and may hold a news conference this week, spokesman Robert Gibbs said today.

*Though the schedule is being finalized, Gibbs said he expects a formal signing ceremony Wednesday morning to sign the "don't ask, don't tell" repeal. "I think there are a lot of people who are interested in attending," Gibbs said. Gibbs said White House and Pentagon lawyers are working on "implementation and legal issues" associated with lifting the ban on gays in the military.
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Since there is much that yet needs to be done before LGBT service members can serve without fear of discharge, Dan Choi is planning on keeping the pressure on Obama to finalize the repeal process. Here's part of a statement Dan made at Huffington Post:
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President Obama, you are not off the hook. The compromise bill passed today puts the moral imperative squarely on your desk. Sign an executive order instituting a full non-discrimination policy throughout the military. If you do not, if you drag your feet and politicize this with your theoretical calculations as you have these past two years, you will be guilty of abetting those who loudly proclaim homophobia from their platforms and pulpits. Provide them no shelter or safe haven. Institute justice now.
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We stand on the shoulders of many who have come before us, from Air Force Technical Sergeant Leonard Matlovich to our present day heroes. We owe it to them to continue fighting. Our loudness does not distract but enhances the fight. Our direct action puts wind in the sails of lobbyists and political elites who do our bidding on the inside. We are one team with one goal: Equality in our lifetime. I do not intend to waver or retreat in pursuit of this new life purpose and mission, and neither should any American who loves justice.

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