Final Post

It was suggested to me last night that I should "butt out." I am not a military person and therefore should not be involved! WTF? Why do we have to fight with each other? Isn't the idea to end DADT and to end all hate?

It was actually suggested that I was doing this blog just to get close to a certain military person who was being kicked out under DADT - NOT TRUE FOLKS! That could not be farther from the truth. I write this because I believe in justice for ALL.

I was told to mind my own business. That "people like me" did more to hurt the cause than to help! Well I don't believe that for a second and I will always vote for the fair candidates and I will continue to march and speak out and write letters and do whatever I can. I will however discontinue this blog. I certainly don't want to contribute to anything that will not be a positive venue for change. Even though I will not write here any more, I will

NEVER GIVE UP!

fundraiser tonight

Hope you can be with us tonight in San Francisco for the Forward March fundraiser! Bring your friends too.

Death: the great equalizer

We should be treated equally in LIFE

Give me one good reason

Give me one good reson why Dan Choi cannot serve.

How about Steven Funk.

How about Victor Fehrenbach.

How about any of the others who have been kicked out do to DADT - why can they not serve?

Come on, give me one good reason - not a tired excuse, but a good reason.

Of course, you cannot.

THERE IS NO GOOD REASON!

Forward March

It's not just a command - it's also a fundraiser! If you are in Northern California, come and be with us this coming Wednesday the 19th - TRIGGER 2344 Market Street, San Francisco. This is another way you can help!

Let's raise some money and send a message that gays and lesbians have the right to serve in our military!

Join Guest of Honor Lt. Dan Choi, Supervisor David Campos and Military Veterans Joseph Rocha, Brandon Clark and John Forrett, Commander of Alexander Hamilton Post 448, the only Congressionally recognized LGBT American Legion Post in the United States.

Hosted by the fabulous Donna Sachet!

Complimentary wine, champagne and appetizers. Raffle, DJ and much more.

Reception from 6:00pm to 7:30. Program begins at 7:30pm.

Tickets: $20.00

Tickets will be available at the door or purchase in advance at either Gold's Gym location, Center Studio at Sanchez/16th Street or Mr S Leather. Hope to see you!

Hey if you are far away, consider doing a fundraiser where you are and helping out that way.

Wearing the "colors"

Notice the shirts that Dan and I are wearing? (This is from the SF Pride parade back in June). Today I wore my shirt to a prayer service for Marriage Equality and got a lot of comments. Rememeber when I mentioned things that anyone can do? That is another one. Wear your "colors" proudly! Be who you are! These shirts made by Dan's sister Grace are available for anyone to wear and help identify the cause.

Be visible - DON'T HIDE!

It's about justice!

We should all have the same opportunities. DADT does not allow that. It needs to be repealed!

It's about justice!

Where it began

By saying three words to you today - "I am gay" - those three words are in violation of Title 10 of the U.S. code. It’s a code that is polluted by the people who want us to lie… it’s an immoral code that goes against every single thing that we were taught at West Point with our honor code.

A month and a half after Lt. Daniel Choi said those words on The Rachel Maddow Show, he received a letter formally kicking him out of the Army National Guard. Lt. Choi is a West Point grad, an Iraq war vet and Arabic translator, but none of that mattered to the Don't Ask Don't Tell folks in the Defense Department. My question is this: how many more people are we going to kick out of the military because of this ridiculous policy?


this is from my first blog entry on DADT back on May 18th, almost three months ago - I have since met Dan Choi and I have heard about and seen more and more cases and as I write about this every day here, I have grown more and more convinced that DADT must be repealed - NOW!

Don't restrict based on sexual orientation

All who volunteer and are fit physically should be able to serve!

Don't restrict based on sexual orientation!

Give love a chance

Give love a chance -

after all, that's what it's all about.

We WANT to serve! Let us!

You have seen this picture before - LET US SERVE OPENLY. That's the deal folks! DADT is wrong. We should not have to hide or to lie! We WANT to serve! Let us!

How many reasons are good ones to discriminate?

We will not hide - We will not be silent!

I have no intention of ever being silent

I have no intention of hiding


Nobody should ever have to!

Out and proud

The other day, The Washington Post brought us again the case of Air Force Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach, a decorated 18-year veteran who has flown combat missions in F-15E fighters and other aircraft over Afghanistan, Iraq and Bosnia, and now serves as assistant director of operations for an Air Force squadron in Idaho. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Fehrenbach was specifically chosen to help protect NYC airspace.
The problem it seems is that last year a civilian reported that Fehrenbach is gay and so the Air Force began legal proceedings that will soon force him out of the service, two years before he is eligible for retirement benefits of nearly $50,000 a year! Isn't this ridiculous?

Why is it that DADT even exists? Why can't we all be who we are - openly and with pride? WHY???

Which coffin contains the GAY soldier?

Think about this for a minute.

We all bleed the same color!

When they kill us, we are just as dead!

We should be able to serve the same way!

No H8

The same day this picture was taken, many of my friends had this on their face too. NO H8.

Together we can make a difference!

Don't hide!

More about Dan

I have said here in the past that it was hearing from Dan Choi on television, that got me excited enough to say something and to change the focus of my blog to seeing an end to DADT. A lot has been written about Dan. The following is from Wikipedia (you know you are making a difference when you are written about in Wikipedia).



Daniel Choi (born 1981) is a United States Army combat veteran of the Iraq war who served as an infantry officer. He has become known for challenging America's policy regarding gays serving in its military when he came out of the closet on March 20, 2009 in an appearance the The Rachel Maddow Show.[1][2] Since the show, he has become an LGBT rights activist.

Contents [hide]
1 Education and Career
2 Gay rights activist
2.1 Challenging Don't ask, Don't tell and consequent fallout
3 Personal
4 References


Education and Career
Choi graduated from the United States Military Academy in 2003 with degrees in Arabic and environmental engineering. [3] He was one of the founding members of West Point's LGBT support group, Knights Out.

Choi served as an infantry officer in Iraq in 2006 and 2007. In June 2008, he transferred from active duty Army to the New York National Guard.


Gay rights activist

Daniel Choi at a pride rally in Bryant ParkSince coming out, 1LT Choi has spoken at numerous gay rights events, including a march in Los Angeles following the California Supreme Court's affirmation of Proposition 8. On May 27, 2009, he addressed a demonstration of gay activists outside the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where President Barack Obama was speaking at a Democratic National Committee fund raising event[4]. In addition, Choi spoke at the 2009 Pride Rally in New York City and will serve as a Grand Marshal in San Francisco's 2009 Gay Pride Parade.

On July 16, 2009 Choi was in Culver City, California to introduce the premiere of an Abe Forman-Greenwald documentary called Silent partners.[5] The documentary is the fourth episode of the In Their Boots series, with the episode focusing on the partners of LGBT soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.


Challenging Don't ask, Don't tell and consequent fallout
Following his appearance on the The Rachel Maddow Show, in which he came out of the closet, Choi received his discharge letter. In response, Choi penned an open letter to U.S. President Barack Obama and the United States Congress. [6] In the letter, Choi challenged the morality and wisdom of the Don't ask, don't tell policy, by writing that the policy is "a slap in the face to me. It is a slap in the face to my soldiers, peers and leaders who have demonstrated that an infantry unit can be professional enough to accept diversity, to accept capable leaders, to accept skilled soldiers."

Despite his appeal and a Courage Campaign petition signed by almost 162,000 people, on June 30, 2009, a panel of New York National Guard officers recommended that Choi be discharged from the military.[7] The final decision, to be made by the commander of First Army and the chief of the National Guard Bureau, is still pending.


Personal
Choi is the son of a Korean American Baptist minister.[8]

it is WRONG!

DADT

It's wrong

'nuff said

The 218 Initiative

Is your Representative a cosponsor of H.R. 1283? If not, then urge him or her to do so now! Call, visit, write a letter or send an email. We need 218 members of the House to cosponsor this legislation ending DADT.

Do you know how your representative feels? Find out and let them know how YOU feel!

What is the cost

Do you ever wonder how many people have been hurt by this stupid law? Just exactly what is the cost of hate?