Guest post by: Adrian Matanza, Senior Regional Field Organizer, Human Rights Campaign Voices from the Campaign: Lance Garland With the momentum for marriage equality in Washington state growing, folks like Lance Garland, a native Washingtonian and Navy veteran, have been volunteering with the campaign lending their voices and helping make the case that the time [...]

At a campaign stop at a diner in New Hampshire, presidential candidate Mitt Romney made a bee-line towards a man wearing a Vietnam Veteran cap and “sidled up next to him“. Although gays have always served in the military, apparently it never occurred to Romney that a veteran might be gay and that the man [...]

…weak on the meaning of Christianity. In the t.v. ad above, which Perry released in Iowa today, he says: “I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a Christian, but you don’t need to be in the pew every Sunday to know there’s something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military [...]

Some aspects of military culture do not change overnight; the chain of command is responsible for ensuring that bigotry and harassment are not tolerated. The legacy of DADT is an ingrained hostility to gays and a lifestyle that for years was either illegal in the military or something not to be acknowledged or talked about. [...]

A couple of weeks ago there was a story in the press about a trans servicemember being discharged from the Army National Guard specifically for being transgender. From Louisville’s WPFL article, entitled Fairness Campaign Spotlights Discharge of Transgender Soldier: …Staff Sergeant Rebecca Grant was discharged from the Army National Guard after serving for over a [...]

It was nice to step away from the keyboard on Sunday after doing the instant analysis of Barack Obama’s speech at the HRC National Dinner during SiriusXM’s live coverage on Saturday. I put up the transcript once it was available, and then shut off the computer to enjoy a low-humidity, mild temp, clear Sunday here [...]

Nice to know that the right-wing fringe at this debate in Orlando has so little respect for those serving in uniform. Makes you wonder how many of those booing Steven Hill have served their country. DADT is history, people, so get over it.   Here’s the segment via Think Progress: The curious thing is that [...]

It’s an open thread! Pleeeeease feel free to chat, blogwhore, and link-share in the comment thread… So, this is what my cartoon sockpuppet Bookworm Bob have been looking at since our last This & That post. • The Advocate‘s White House Backs Social Security Admin.’s Pro-Trans Policy: In a move to help stop workplace discrimination [...]

It’s not too late to catch this HBO documentary – it first aired at midnight when DADT expired. The historical look at the legacy of gays and lesbians in the military airs again tonight at 8PM. HBO web site on the documentary.

@whitehouse The White House As of 12:01 am, the repeal of the discriminatory law known as ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ finally & formally takes effect. #DADT The Rev. Sarah Lammert, Director of Ministries and Faith Development, captured the meaning of today so perfectly with these words: Silence, chosen, deepens prayer, opens the window of the [...]