Last night I posted about the Maine rally Lady Gaga is attending today for DADT repeal.
The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network has seen a huge increase to visitors of its website since Lady Gaga began her "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" advocacy at the VMAs, Kerry Eleveld reports:
SLDN has seen its website numbers skyrocket since Lady Gaga took soldiers discharged under the discriminatory policy as escorts to the Video Music Awards last Sunday.
During the week before the VMAs (September 5–11), for instance, SLDN.org had 6,904 visitors with 15,101 page views, according to Thomas. But in the week following her VMA appearance (September 12–18), the site had 211,940 visitors with 360,145 page views. Overall, it represented a 91.93% in new visitors to the site.
[SLDN's Trevor] Thomas said Lady Gaga made the 'last-minute decision”' to attend Monday’s rally on Saturday evening after speaking with SLDN’s staff and executive director Aubrey Sarvis. The move required some logistical rejiggering since she is currently touring to promote her newly released album, The Remix. The pop star, known for her outlandish and ever-changing costuming, was in North Carolina where she performed in Charlotte and had a show Sunday evening in Raleigh. 'This is a big commitment,' Thomas said of the impromptu detour to Maine. 'She is on tour and her team has been enormously supportive throughout this process and very responsive.'"
If you have not called your Senator now is the time to do so.
In related news, Outserve released an open letter to Senators Snowe and Collins:
We are the active duty gay, lesbian, and bisexual soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen, and members of the Coast Guard who are currently serving. We are writing you today to ask for your help.
Your vote on Tuesday will determine whether or not the new generation of military personnel will continue to be subjugated to the past generation’s law of discrimination and hate. Months ago, the Armed Services Committee chose to stand up for what is right and vote the National Defense Authorization Act out of committee and now you have a chance to allow this vote to proceed
While people play politics with our lives, we will be the ones that directly suffer. Over the past 17 years under the policy the military has witnessed the dismissal of over 14,000 troops qualified to serve their country. The military continues to dismiss the most critical soldiers that is directly putting our lives at risk on the battlefield. Military members have killed themselves over this policy. Failure to vote for cloture next Tuesday makes future lives, careers and crimes on your hands.
On Tuesday there will be thousands of us in the military watching your vote, gay and straight. This vote is not about anything else except the fact there are people that want to continue to keep soldiers subject to a law they no longer wish to be held to. We are the gay and lesbian soldiers now currently serving and we know exactly how our brothers and sisters and arms will treat us. We ask you to please do the right thing and stand with us currently serving and vote for cloture.
Signed,
The OutServe Network
The Maine rally is set to kick off at 4 pm today in Portland.
