Servicemembers United Adds Active Duty Voices, Ethnic Diversity to DADT Hearing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
03/18/2010

Contact:
Eric Kennedy: (202) 349-1125 or ekennedy@servicemembersunited.org
Alex Nicholson: (202) 349-1126 or anicholson@servicemembersuntied.org


WASHINGTON - Servicemembers United, the nation's largest organization of gay and lesbian troops and veterans and their allies, announced today that it has used its submission of written testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee to add two more important categories of voices to the hearing record - active duty troops and racial and ethnic minorities.

"Today's hearing is yet another historic step forward on the path to repealing the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' law, and Servicemembers United is proud to add the voices of a diverse group of anonymous active duty troops who are serving under the burden of this law as we speak, including in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Alexander Nicholson, Executive Director of Servicemembers United. "These testimonials are intensely moving, and they illuminate why this law can and should be repealed immediately."

Servicemembers United's submission, including the testimonials of more than twenty anonymous active duty troops, can be found at www.servicemembersunited.org/testimony. Servicemembers United will continue to collect anonymous testimonials from active duty troops on how the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' law impacts their lives, their families, and their service for use as the debate over repealing this law moves forward.

For more information about Servicemembers United, please visit www.servicemembersunited.org. For the latest information polling, statistics, studies, and other archival and reference information related to the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' issue, please visit www.dadtarchive.org.