HRC & Servicemembers United Launch "Voices of Honor" Tour to Repeal DADT

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and Servicemembers United announced today a national "Voices of Honor" Tour to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA), a former West Point professor and Iraq War vet, is the lead sponsor of legislation to repeal the unpopular policy that bars LGBT people from serving openly in the United States armed services.

Murphy said, in part:

"Our president, President Barack Obama, has stated that If Congress can get a bill to his desk repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell, he will sign it into law. It is now our job, and my job specifically, to quarterback this through the Congress of the United States to do just that. I can not tell you today how long it's gonna take. All I can tell ya is that paratroopers don't quit, and paratroopers get the job done. To remove  honorable, talented and committed Americans from serving in our military is contrary to the values that our military holds dear."

Video of Murphy's speech after the jump.

"Voices of Honor" will make stops in Philadelphia; Trenton; Virginia Beach; Phoenix; Kansas City, MO; Orlando and Tampa and will feature former Marine Staff Sgt. Eric Alva, the first American soldier injured in Iraq, among others. CNN points out that some of those involved were chosen because they're straight, as outreach to other straight soldiers.

Congress Holds Hearings on 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

Reports are filtering out about today's hearings before the House Armed Services subcommittee on Military Personnel on the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

Three former servicemembers testified for the Democrats — Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Eric Alva, retired naval intelligence officer Capt. Joan Darrah, and retired Army Maj. Gen. Vance Coleman. Coleman is straight, Alva and Darrah gay. Elaine Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness, one of two witnesses brought by the Republicans (the other was retired Army Sgt. Maj. Brian Jones) seemed to cause the greatest stir. Below, a clip of Donnelly being questioned by Rep. Patrick Murphy. Donnelly was grilled, chastised, and lambasted, according to The Hill.

Clips of testimony from Subcommittee Chairwoman Susan Davis, Alva, and Darrah,
AFTER THE JUMP...

The Washington Blade reports: "Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Penn.), a former Army private, said he was “insulted” that Donnelly did not believe that service members were 'less professional' than other workers and could not handle gays among their ranks. He disputed the notion that letting gays serve openly would encourage sexual misconduct in the military. 'We're talking about orientation and not misconduct here,' he said...Donnelly recommended that recruiters ask enlistees about their sexual orientation when they enter service so that they can be removed if they are gay. Donnelly maintained that nothing in the law prevents recruiters from asking questions about sexual orientation. Donnelly said straight service members would be exposed to harassment if gay service members were allowed to serve openly. She frequently cited a 1974 incident in a letter she says she received from Cynthia Yost, a former Army medical corpsman. Yost said a group of black lesbians sexually assaulted her, but she didn't report the incident to keep her record clean."

Chris Johnson at the Human Rights Campaign who liveblogged the event, describes the scene during Donnelly's testimony:

"Elaine Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness is speaking. There is an audible burst of laughter when Donnelly throws in a 'San Francisco left' phrase just for dramatic effect. Another guffaw from the crowd when Donnelly expresses her concern over gay men sharing a 'cramped submarine' with other soldiers....There is on older lady in the room who just turned around to the room brimming with youngsters and issued the warning, 'Show respect while she speaks!' The room keeps laughing at Donnelly's outrageous statements. The older woman is obviously losing this fight. 'They're just disrespectful people!' she hisses."

Incidentally, some are questioning Donnelly's qualifications to testify. That's a shocker.

Eric Alva wrote a piece for the Huffington Post in conjunction with his testimony.

And in related news, Idaho Senator Larry Craig told CNS News that he supported the policy: "Current policy has served us well. I think we ought to sustain it. I see no evidence that it should be repealed." And why wouldn't he? It's worked perfectly well for Craig and his wife.

Clips of testimony from Subcommittee Chairwoman Susan Davis, Alva, and Darrah,
AFTER THE JUMP...

Towleroad Guide to the Tube: #99

ERIC ALVA: The recently out Iraq war veteran talks to Paula Zahn.

SENATOR CHRIS DODD: The Presidential hopeful calls for the end of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".

IMPLOSION: The Las Vegas Stardust Hotel is now just dust.

JOHN EDWARDS: Talks about General Peter Pace on The Situation Room.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here!

First Marine Wounded in Iraq Comes Out of the ClosetCalls for Repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

Staff Sgt. Eric Alva, who was the first Marine seriously wounded in the war with Iraq, will come out of the closet today, standing by Rep. Marty Meehan, D-Mass and a bipartisan congressional group at 2pm as they introduce legislation calling for the repeal of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

Alva lost his leg serving for the United States, ABC News has his story:

"Alva...was a decorated staff sergeant who had served in Somalia and Japan. As troops began to push into Iraq, on March 21, 2003, Alva was leading 11 Marines among 75 or so sailors and Marines in a 50- to 55-vehicle convoy on its way from the desert in Kuwait to Basra, Iraq. It was a logistical convoy moving through the desert at night, lights out, night-vision goggles on. The sand was so kicked up it was nearly impossible for Alva to even keep track of the vehicle in front of him. At one of three stops along the way, Alva, who hadn't eaten for a full day, was heating up an MRE when he went to get something out of his Humvee. 'I took maybe a step or two,' Alva said, 'and that is when the explosion went off.' It was a land mine."

Alva was visited at Bethesda Naval Hospital by President George W. Bush, first lady Laura Bush, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Donald Rumsfeld, and Michael Jordan.

None of them knew he was gay.

Although he kept it a secret from his commanding officers over the years, Alva says plenty of soldiers knew he was gay and it was never a problem:

"I told tons of people. A lot of my friends, my buddies, my closest Marines, people I had served in combat with. Straight guys, married, with children and everything, three of them which I have become their sons' godfather now. Everybody was just respectful and was just like ordinary. 'That's it? That's your big news?' Being on the front lines and serving with the people who even actually knew that I was gay, you know, that was never a factor. We were there to do a job. We were [there] to do a mission. I don't think people would have a hard time with it because they know that the person right next to them is going to be there to protect them, in our terms, 'have their back.'"

It's long past time for this policy to go. Thank you, Eric Alva, for coming out.

'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Revisited [abc news]
Video [abc news]

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Rep. Marty Meehan (D-MA) to Reintroduce Legislation Calling for the Repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" [tr]