For immediate Release:

Contact: Andre J Molette, Andre@jordanrustin.org

Mobile: (424) 235-4572

JRC is Disappointed by the Senates’ Decision to Delay the Vote on ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’”

Los Angeles- Last week the United States Senate decided to delay the vote on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT). This vote would allow lesbian and gay men to openly serve in the U.S. military. The House of Represenatives had already voted in favor of the 2011 Defense Authorization Bill, which included a repeal of DADT. When the Senate took up the bill, the Democratic led chamber could not muster the 60 votes necessary for the bill to advance for full consideration on the Senate floor. The call to vote on the bill was 56-43, which fell short of the 60 votes required to bring the bill to the Senate Floor.

Ron Buckmire Ph. D, Board President and Co-Founder of the Barbara Jordan/ Bayard Rustin coalition said, “The delay of DADT sends a message to our fellow black brothers and sisters in the military that they are not welcomed to the table as they are. They must fight for freedom without being free to be themselves. We look forward to a day when our military will be as free and diverse as our country.”

Earlier this month in Riverside, CA U.S. District Judge Virginia A. Phillip presiding over a case brought by the Log Cabin Republicans ruled DADT to be unconstitutional and reversed the policy. Judge Phillip stated that the policy violated the 1^st Amendment rights and due process of gay and lesbians. Moreover, the judge stated that the policy banning gays and lesbians did not interfere with military readiness and that DADT had a “direct and deleterious effect’’ on the military.

Another federal judge overturned another DADT case. This case was filed by Maj. Margaret Witt with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union in Washington State. Witt was discharged under DADT when her commanders found out that she was in a relationship with a woman. U.S. District Judge Ronald Leighton overturned her discharge decision, stating that Maj Witt be reinstated.

Andre J Molette, Community Organizer for the Barbara Jordan/ Bayard Rustin Coalition said, “Now is a good time to talk to our families and neighbors about how being gay and lesbian has no effect on a person’s desire or fitness to serve our county..”

JRC (www.jordanrustin.org) exists to empower same-gender loving, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals and families in the Greater Los Angeles area, to promote equal marriage rights and to advocate for fair treatment of everyone without regard to race, sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.