I'm pleased to announce that  fellow OUT 100 honoree for 2009, Dan Choi, and Rep. Joe Sestak, who seeks to unseat U.S. Senator Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania, will pay a visit to our little political coffeehouse next Monday at 8PM ET.  

Dan is excited to stop by the Blend to chat with readers about his endorsement of the Congressman for the U.S. Senate race in PA:

Lieutenant Dan Choi, who has become the leading voice for ending the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, made his way to Pennsylvania to support the Senate candidacy of Joe Sestak, who graduated second in his class from the U.S. Naval Academy. After graduating from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and fighting in the Iraq War, Choi has become one of thousands of service members discharged from the military based on sexual preferences. Since then, Choi has traveled the country, speaking out in support of true equality for LGBT Americans, especially those who have shown the courage to defend our national security.

“I am so grateful to have Lieutenant Choi’s support,” Joe said. “He has become the leading voice for ending the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Having seen their dedication, their allegiance, and their sacrifices, how can I — or anyone — not say that these men and women deserve the right to be respected as equal members of the Armed Forces and our society, regardless of their sexual orientation. We must act now so that we can stop turning our back on so many who have served so honorably.”

Sestak previously co-sponsored the Military Enhancement Readiness Act, which would lift the ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military. I will have more on these two fine men during the weekend and on Monday.