Human Rights Campaign Statement on Death of San Diego Area Sailor

The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, released a statement today in the death of Seaman August Provost, 29, at Camp Pendleton in San Diego, CA. According to local media reports, the Navy and Marine Corps confirmed that a sailor’s body was found on the base at about 3 a.m. Tuesday morning. A military spokesperson confirmed that there was evidence of foul play in the killing and that the case is a murder investigation. It is also understood a “person of interest” is in custody at Camp Pendleton but has not been charged with a crime. Local activists report the victim may have been targeted because of his sexual orientation.

“Our thoughts are with the Provost family at this time as authorities work to learn what happened in the early morning hours this past Tuesday,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “The Human Rights Campaign has confirmed Congresswoman Susan Davis has been in touch with officials at the base and is tracking the investigation. We know that every day members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community are targeted for simply being who they are. Furthermore, our gay or lesbian soldiers struggle with the extra burden of not serving openly and honestly based on the discriminatory policy of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ As we monitor the investigation, our community must continue to raise awareness on a law that we know hurts military readiness and national security while putting American soldiers at risk.”

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

See Human Rights Campaign Statement on Death of San Diego Area Sailor

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National ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Repeal Tour Launch Set For Wednesday

U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, Human Rights Campaign, Servicemembers United Participate on July 8

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA), a veteran of the Iraq war, the Human Rights Campaign and Servicemembers United, will announce the launch of a national tour urging the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the policy banning gay and lesbian servicemembers from serving openly, at a National Press Club Newsmakers press conference at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, July 8, in the Zenger Room, 13th floor, National Press Building, 529 14th St., N.W., Washington, D.C.

Murphy will be joined by gay, lesbian and straight veterans, including Eric Alva, the first wounded veteran in the Iraq War; Jarrod Chlapowski, a former U.S. Army Korean linguist who opted to not re-enlist because of DADT and is currently a public policy advocate at the Human Rights Campaign; and Alex Nicholson, a U.S. Army veteran fluent in Arabic discharged under DADT and current executive director of Servicemembers United.

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” — the current U.S. policy on gays in the military — is the only law in the country that forces people to be dishonest about their personal lives or be fired or possibly imprisoned, according to advocates. They call it a discriminatory policy that hurts military readiness and national security while putting American soldiers fighting overseas at risk.

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House Dems urge Obama to halt gay discharges from the military

WASHINGTON _ In the most vocal plea for the White House to take the lead in allowing gays to serve openly in the military, 76 Democratic lawmakers today urged President Obama to use his executive powers to order a halt to military discharges under the controversial “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law and work aggressively with Congress to pass new legislation to overturn what they describe as a discriminatory policy that harms national security.

“We urge you to exercise the maximum discretion legally possible in administering Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell until Congress repeals the law,” states the letter, organized by Rep. Alcee Hastings, a Democrat of California. “To this end, we ask that you direct the Armed Services not to initiate any investigation of service personnel to determine their sexual orientation, and that you instruct them to disregard third party accusations that do not allege violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.”

A recent study by the Palm Center, a public policy think tank at the University of California, Santa Barbara, argued that Obama has the authority as commander-in-chief to suspend the gay discharge process through an executive order.

See House Dems urge Obama to halt gay discharges from the military

Boston Globe

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National Gay and Lesbian Task Force applauds Census Bureau’s plan to count married same-sex couples

Task Force staffers have been meeting with officials from the White House, Census Bureau and Commerce Department to press for this policy reversal

WASHINGTON, June 20 -The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force applauds reports that the U.S. Census Bureau will count married same-sex couples in the 2010 census, reversing an earlier decision made under the Bush administration. Previously, same-sex couples only had the option of checking off ‘unmarried partner,’ which will remain an option. The Task Force has played a leading role in getting the Census Bureau to change course. Task Force staffers have been pressing for a reversal of the discriminatory policy in meetings that started in late 2008 with the Obama transition team, continuing later with officials from the White House, Census Bureau and Commerce Department.

tatement by Rea Carey, Executive Director National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

“This is a huge win for our community. Our community and allies stood up and refused to allow same-sex marriages, our

families and our children to be rendered invisible in the picture of our country provided through the census.

“After months and months of pressure through the grassroots campaign we waged and our in-person meetings with administration officials, the U.S. Census Bureau has reversed policy and will be accurately counting the thousands of same-sex couples who have worked so hard to have their love and commitment recognized.

“This gives us hope that we will also be able to get the federal government to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the data and reporting on other critical issues, including those having to do with our health, economic issues, safety and life circumstances. As a married person myself, I look forward to filling out the census form, knowing that my family will be counted accurately.

“We would like to thank Gary Gates of the Williams Institute for his years of work and for partnering with us to educate the administration on this critical issue of visibility for our community.”

The Task Force’s work leading to this victory

The Task Force has been working for months to secure a reversal of the discriminatory policy.

* Task Force staff met with Obama transition team members to educate them about this critical issue, and to provide concrete ways for them to make this change.

* Task Force staffers, including Executive Director Rea Carey and Policy Institute Director Jaime Grant, have been pressing for a policy change in meetings that started in late 2008 with the Obama transition team, continuing later with officials from the White House, Census Bureau and Commerce Department.

* In February, the Task Force Policy Institute convened 20 leading lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights organizations to meet with top census outreach officials. In this meeting, the groups collectively refused to engage in community outreach on the census until the anti-marriage policy was reversed.

* The Task Force partnered with the Williams Institute to provide officials from the White House, Census Bureau and Commerce Department with research essential to making this change.

* The Task Force undertook a major grassroots campaign to both educate the public on this issue and to apply pressure to the administration.

* The Task Force worked with key elected officials to provide them with

information so they could write letters to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and

the incoming director of the Census Bureau to advocate for change.

* The Task Force is part of a coalition of researchers and advocates

crafting a community education campaign to launch following the change of

policy.

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