Originally introduced during the 109th Congress, a bill calling for the repeal of the U.S. Military's “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” policy is to be reintroduced by Congressman Marty Meehan (D-MA). Meehan (seen third from left in the 2005 photo below) will reintroduce the legislation at a press conference this morning. When first introduced, the bill was supported by more than 120 members of Congress but the reversal failed.
In November, Meehan announced he would reintroduce the bill, saying “We will have hearings, and then we can have an honest dialogue with members of Congress. I believe, and have always believed, that once people see the facts, it will become clear that this is a policy that actually hurts national security and hurts the military.”
At this morning's press conference, according to the Servicemen's Legal Defense Network, Meehan will be joined by C. Dixon Osburn, executive director of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), as well as by BG Evelyn “Pat” Foote, USA (Ret.), a member of SLDN's honorary board, and SLDN client and Former Marine Sergeant Brian Fricke, an openly gay veteran of the war in Iraq.
Also, According to SLDN, “Another participant will be an Iraq war veteran from Texas who lost his right leg in combat and will be coming out of the closet publicly at the press conference in his support for the repeal of the law.”
