In 1993, Justin Elzie was the first Marine in the nation to be discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” This week, to commemorate Veteran’s Day and the gay and lesbian soldiers wrongly discharged from military service, Elzie and GetEQUAL have launched a weeklong special project in conjunction with My Patriot’s Pride, a group honoring LGBT veterans.
The campaign aims to build support demanding that the United States Senate pass legislation repealing DADT during the upcoming “lame-duck” session of Congress.
In a rallying e-mail being distributed via social media, GetEQUAL co-founder Robin McGehee wrote to repeal supporters, stating, “Justin and I thought it would be great if organizers took action during the entire week of Veterans Day, building on the actions of My Patriot’s Pride and creating momentum across the country for DADT repeal as members of Congress return to DC for the lame-duck session. As legislators head back to Washington—the last legislative session to address DADT repeal this year—there is no better time to take our message into the states and into the streets.”
Locally, the Veteran’s Day observance honoring gay and lesbian servicemembers and protesting DADT is scheduled November 11, 5:30 p.m., at the United States Military Entrance Processing Command, 701 San Jacinto St. • getequal.org • mypatriotspride.org.
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