The efforts in Congress to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell are very much alive. There is legislation in the House which would reach this goal and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has called for hearings that she believes will take place some time this fall, perhaps as early as this month or at some point next month.
Last night, Senator Gillibrand appeared on the Rachel Maddow show to discuss the efforts to repeal DADT.
If you notice, Maddow highlights how there are many leaders (most notably Congressman Patrick Murphy, an Iraq War veteran who has championed this cause) in the House. But you will notice there aren't a whole lot of senators mentioned other than Gillibrand. That's why it is great to see Gillibrand get recognized for her efforts.
Gillibrand also has a petition you can sign at RepealDontAskDontTell.com so you can add your name to the list of those who want a repeal of this discriminatory policy. The idea is to gather supporters in advance of the hearing so that Congress knows (especially those in the Senate) that this is important. A repeal of DADT is needed and it should be done by the end of this year.
In a post a few days ago, Gillibrand made it clear that the time is now for a repeal of DADT.
From her post:
Since 1994, almost 13,000 gay servicemen and women have been discharged from the military based not on their performance but on their sexual orientation. In 2009 alone, we've had more than 400 of our brave men and women leave the military under Don't Ask Don't Tell. This is simply unacceptable. It is time to repeal this outdated and immoral policy once and for all and end the ban on gays and lesbians serving openly and honestly in our armed forces.
To that end, I've secured the commitment from Senator Carl Levin, Chair of the Armed Services Committee, to hold the first hearing on the policy since it began 16 years ago. Chairman Levin expects to hold the hearing soon and it's my hope that it will be instrumental in demonstrating the level of support that exists for repeal not only throughout the country -- where polls consistently indicate that solid majorities oppose the policy -- but within the military itself.
I'm happy to see that, as the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing approaches, there are signs of momentum building toward repeal.
On September 24, Majority Leader Harry Reid sent letters to the president and Secretary Gates reiterating his support for repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell and requesting their recommendations to Congress on the policy. I agree with Senator Reid. I know the president opposes DADT, and I am confident he and his administration will work to engage Congressional and military leaders in this debate.
The best part is how Gillibrand closes the post. She mentioned the recent remarks from National Security Adviser James Jones who said that a repeal of DADT would come "at the right time." Gillibrand believes that the time is now for a repeal. I think that sentiment is shared with many of us in the progressive community who believe that DADT shouldn't have happened to begin with and shouldn't remain on the books past this year.
