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Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Congressman Hastings Asks and Tells!


An Effort to End "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
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On June 22, 2009, Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-Miramar) and 76 Members of Congress sent a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to stop the practice of discharging members of the U.S. military for being gay. This letter comes at a time when a majority of Americans favor allowing gay and lesbian service members to serve openly.
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"Approximately two service members are lost to this misguided, unjust, and flat-out discriminatory policy every day. At a time when we are engaged in two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, our lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender service members offer mission-critical skills that enhance our military's competence and readiness and ensure our national security. It is my sincere hope that President Obama, together with Congress, will take swift and meaningful action on the dishonorable and debilitating law that is Don't Ask, Don't Tell," said Hastings.
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Below is the Honor Roll of U.S. Congressmen and Congresswomen who signed Hasting's Letter to the President.
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Check the list carefully, is your Congressional Representative on the list? If so, email him/(her) and thank him, if not, email him and ask him why he didn't sign the letter.
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Congressional Reps from the following states added their names to the letter:
Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, Nevada, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
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That's 28 states, although not every Rep. from those states signed the Letter. Even more sadly, that means that 22 states had NO signers of the Letter. Not one. There are currently 441 U.S. Representatives in Congress, and only 77 signed the Letter, which leaves 364 who did not. Shameful!
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In addition to the above listed states, Congressional Representatives from the District of Columbia, Marianas Islands and Virgin Islands also signed the letter. Only one Republican signed the Letter. You're not still one of those Log Cabin types who think the Republicans like gay people, are you?
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Homophobia is an ugly thing, people, and if we don't ask and expect our own Congressional Representatives to help us end it, then we're all in a lot of trouble. Go to www.House.Gov to find your Representative!
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Honor Roll of Congressional Representatives who signed Hasting's Letter:
Ed Pastor (D-AZ)
Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ)
Anna Eshoo (D-CA)
Bob Filner (D-CA)
Fortney "Pete" Stark (D-CA)
Jane Harman (D-CA)
Lois Capps (D-CA)
Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)
Barbara Lee (D-CA)
Brad Sherman (D-CA)
Grace Napolitano (D-CA)
Mike Honda (D-CA)
Linda Sánchez (D-CA)
Diane Watson (D-CA)
Laura Richardson (D-CA)
Doris Matsui (D-CA)
Jared Polis (D-CO)
Diana DeGette (D-CO)
John Larson (D-CT)
Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL)
Robert Wexler (D-FL)
Alan Grayson (D-FL)
Debbie Wasserman Schulz (D-FL)
Kathy Castor (D-FL)
Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI)
Mike Quigley (D-IL)
Phil Hare (D-IL)
Luis Gutierrez (D-IL)
Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)
André Carson (D-IN)
Donna F. Edwards (D-MD)
Barney Frank (D-MA)
Edward J. Markey (D-MA)
James McGovern (D-MA)
Bill Delahunt (D-MA)
Niki Tsongas (D-MA)
Michael Capuano (D-MA)
Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-MI)
John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI)
Betty McCollum (D-MN)
Keith Ellison (D-MN)
Bennie Thompson (D-MS)
Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO)
William Lacy Clay (D-MO)
Gregorio Sablan (D-MP)
Yvette Clarke (D-NY)
Tim Bishop (D-NY)
Joseph Crowley (D-NY)
Gary Ackerman (D-NY)
Louise Slaughter (D-NY)
José Serrano (D-NY)
Anthony Weiner (D-NY)
Eliot Engel (D-NY)
Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)
Nydia Velázquez (D-NY)
Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)
Shelley Berkley (D-NV)
Melvin Watt (D-NC)
Rush Holt (D-NJ)
Marcia L. Fudge (D-OH)
Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)
David Wu (D-OR)
Chaka Fattah (D-PA)
Joe Sestak (D-PA)
James Langevin (D-RI)
James Clyburn (D-SC)
Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX)
Lloyd Doggett (D-TX)
Robert "Bobby" Scott (D-VA)
James Moran (D-VA)
Donna M. Christensen (D-VI)
Peter Welch (D-VT)
Jim McDermott (D-WA)
Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
Gwen Moore (D-WI)

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