“The stakes for repeal happening this year couldn't be higher.  A Pentagon report shows a clear majority of service members are okay serving side by side with their gay comrades. Sen. John McCain, however, rejects those findings and insists repeal language be stripped out of the defense bill.  He is bullying Democrats to continue this discrimination and give in to his outrageous demands,” said Aubrey Sarvis, Army veteran and executive director for Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.  “It is critical that repeal advocates be urging their senators to act in December to pass legislation repealing ‘Don’t Ask’ before Congress goes home for the year.”

SLDN recently issued a national action alert urging key senators to vote on the comprehensive defense spending bill that includes repeal when they return for lame duck session. 

In early September, Lady Gaga invited service members impacted by “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” backstage to hear their stories.  That same night she invited the service members to escort her to the MTV Video Music Awards on September 12 to help raise awareness.  Days later she released a video message asking repeal supporters to call the Senate.  The video has more than 2.1 million views.  On September 20, with the senators from Maine still undecided and with the Senate vote less than 24 hours away, Gaga traveled to Portland, ME, for a repeal rally flanked by service members and local students.  The message was clear: call the Senate and voice support for repeal.  SLDN confirmed more than 600,000 people visited the action website

KEY SENATORS WHO NEED TO HEAR FROM REPEAL SUPPORTERS:

--Harry Reid (D-NV);

--Susan Collins (R-ME);

--Olympia Snowe (R-ME);

--Mark Pryor (D-AR.);

--Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)

--Richard Lugar (R-IN);

--Judd Gregg (R-NH);

--Scott Brown (R-MA)

--George Voinovich (R-OH);

--Kit Bond (R-MO);

--Joe Manchin (D-WV)

--Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)

--Mark Kirk (R-IL)

--James Webb (D-VA)

Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (www.sldn.org) is a national, non-profit legal services and policy organization dedicated to ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”