Military Equality Alliance - BLOG

July 30, 2006

MEA Takes Norfolk, Virginia by Storm
with July 29 Town Hall Meeting

--Extensive local media coverage puts two members of Congress on
the spot about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

by Lara Ballard

On Saturday, July 29, MEA hosted a town hall meeting featuring
four openly gay and lesbian military veterans in downtown Norfolk,
Virginia. There has been extensive local media coverage of this
event (see "MEA In The News" on the press section of this
website), but since I was the moderator of the event I wanted to
provide you all with a more detailed description of it from my own
perspective.

Our objectives for this event were rather limited, because we knew
that Norfolk is a conservative, military town and that many gays
and lesbians in the local community were disinclined to engage in
gay activism or even be open about their sexual orientation.
Their fears are somewhat justified, as Virginia has no protections
against discrimination or even housing based on sexual
orientation, and Norfolk sits at the back doorstep of Pat
Robertson's rightwing "Christian" empire. I thought we'd
hopefully garner support among the local gay and lesbian
community, maybe get 20 people to turn out, hopefully get some
local mainstream media attention.

My expectations for the event changed dramatically when my father,
who lives in Portsmouth, Virginia, contacted me on July 27 to say
that he had stepped out on his front porch to get the morning
paper and was surprised to see my name mentioned on the front
page. I had been interviewed by the Virginian-Pilot two days
previously, as had one of our panelists, CPO Vivien Viloria, USN
(Ret.), but neither of us had expected to make front page news. I
hoped this was not too overwhelming for Vivien, who had made clear
to me that coming out publicly was going to be a huge step for
her. Within hours, however, Vivien was reporting to me that she
was receiving a number of e-mails and phone calls from friends and
colleagues, all of them positive. She eventually started to hear
from former shipmates as well.

Our four selected panelists were all longtime Virginia residents,
which was an intentional decision on our parts in order to
underscore that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is an issue that affects
the people of Virginia. Vivien Viloria and Roxie Hoven were both
from the local Norfolk area. Our other two panelists, CAPT Robert
M. ("Mike") Rankin, USN (Ret.) and COL Thomas F. Field, USA
(Ret.), were from northern Virginia. Mike and Tom were a bit more
seasoned at conducting events of this nature and made clear their
intention to speak at the panel in their military uniforms, which
I believe only added to the media interest.

Once the Virginian-Pilot put us on the front page, the rest of the
local media realized they had a major event on their hands. Our
venue coordinators started expressing concern to me that the venue
might not be able to hold all the attendees. By 2:00 p.m., the
scheduled start time, we had about 60 attendees squeezed into the
conference room, news vans up and down the street of this
relatively quiet neighborhood, cameras of every local TV news
station trained on the panelists, a smattering of print
journalists scattered throughout the room, and of course, two
obligatory protestors across the street from us, holding up two
large banners with Biblical references on them. I later saw a
Fox News van out of the corner of my eye, but learned that the Fox
journalists had spent most of their time talking to the
protestors. Go figure.

I introduced the panelists, explained what MEA was, explained why
we wanted to see the passage of the Military Readiness enhancement
Act, and told the audience why several
members of the Virginia U.S. Congressional delegation, because of
their committee assignments, were in a unique position to assist
with its enactment. I specifically mentioned Congresswoman Thelma
Drake, Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis, and Senator
John Warner.

Mike Rankin was the first panelist, the cameras immediately
training on his spotless white Navy uniform, the audience quickly
charmed by his affable manner and Arkansas drawl. He got a few
laughs but soon had members of the audience choking back tears as
he told a story about a gay servicemember trying to commit suicide
by walking into a minefield at Guantanamo Bay after being told by
a military chaplain that he would be going to hell for his
homosexual desires. I've heard Mike's stories several times but
will always gladly hear them again. He is a natural storyteller.

Vivien, our second panelist, set a very different tone, as she
made clear to the audience that her coming out publicly had been
an enormous step for her. She thanked everyone who had sent her
words of encouragement, including former shipmates who had written
to her to express not only their support, but their disappointment
that she had not come out to them sooner. Vivien's
professionalism, dedication to the Navy and toughness
came through loud and clear even as it became evident how her
experiences in the Navy, including the harassment she had endured,
had exacted an enormous emotional toll.

Roxie Hoven spoke next, and quickly had the audience spellbound by
describing several outrageous interrogations and government
surveillance she had undergone during the late 1980s and early
1990s by Naval investigative agents who had threatened to search
her home, claimed that they had videotaped her engaged in sexual
acts, and threatened to share these "sex tapes" with her parents
and national news media if she did not voluntarily disclose her
sexual orientation. The audience seemed genuinely shocked that
such a thing could even have occurred in this country, but here
was a real-life military veteran giving a detailed first-person
narrative about something that sounded like a George Orwell
novel.

Finally, Tom Field rounded out the discussion with an overview of
the "big picture"—the impact that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is
having on military readiness at a time in our history when
national security, patriotism and preparedness for combat should
be foremost on the minds of Americans, and sexual orientation a
non-issue. Commissioned as an Army officer in 1954, he offered
the perspective of someone who had served in the military in the
middle of the McCarthy-led crusade against alleged "Communists" in
the State Department (which later became a witch hunt against
homosexuals throughout the federal government), and noted that the
Navy had concluded, as early as 1957 with the issuance of the
Crittenden Report, that homosexuals posed no risk to national
security.

We then opened up the floor to questions, anticipating (in light
of the media coverage and the protestors) that there could be hard
questions, only to find that our audience was entirely supportive
of us and only had questions about how they could help. An
extensive discussion followed about how to reach out to straight
Americans about this issue, and about the nuances of dealing with
Congresswoman Thelma Drake. It was clear that some of the best and
brightest among the local gay and lesbian community had turned out
for the event, including Equality Virginia board members, former
candidates for political office, and a variety of people who had
had personal experiences with and
strong opinions about Congresswoman Thelma Drake. An elderly
heterosexual man struggled to his feet, thanked the panelists for
their service to the country, and said that he wanted to apologize
on behalf of the country for the way that some of the panelists
had been treated. He added that he intended to go home that night
and send a strongly-worded letter to Senator Warner. Tom Field
stated his opinion that Thelma Drake was a fair-minded individual
and would listen to her constituents.

The moment the event ended all five of us were deluged with well
wishers and members of the media seeking handshakes, facts and
figures, and one-on-one interviews. I gave a couple of interviews
myself and collected more business cards than I could keep track
of. One member of the media asked me, "Are you happy about this
event?" I said, "Very much so; my one disappointment is that the
people who apparently disagree with us about
this policy wouldn't show up and debate the issues with us in
person."

But truthfully, I can't say I was disappointed about much of
anything, especially my new friend Vivien.
At the beginning of the event, Vivien was still expressing some
concerns about being photographed by the media. By the time I
left, I couldn't even say good-bye to her, because she was on
camera giving a TV interview.

I couldn't be happier about the press coverage, and you'll notice
that in virtually every article, Thelma Drake and Jo Ann Davis are
mentioned by name. These sorts of event, conducted in a member's
backyard, makes it virtually impossible for them to avoid making a
comment. That's why we like these sorts of events.

All in all, a more than auspicious start to MEA's activities in
Virginia! Stay tuned for what happens next.

Gay veterans speak out against policy

By HATTIE BROWN GARROW, The Virginian-Pilot
© July 30, 2006
http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=108387&ran=197297

NORFOLK - Roxie Hoven considers herself a patriot, a preserver of freedom who was willing to work - and die - for her country. All the while, she felt oppressed.

During her nine years in the Navy, Hoven hid the fact that she is a lesbian. She made no hint of her sexual orientation but, she said, she endured harassment that eventually led her to leave the Navy. The military interviewed her co-workers and friends, interrogated her three times and threatened to search her home, she said.

Hoven was honorably discharged in 1995 after nine years of service.

No one else should experience that, Hoven told more than 50 people Saturday during a two-hour town hall meeting at the Fred Heutte Center. She and three other gay veterans from Virginia spoke out against the military's 13-year-old "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

Retired Army Col. Thomas Field, retired Navy Chief Petty Officer Vivien Vilora and retired Navy Capt. Robert Rankin also were members of the panel.

The forum was sponsored by Military Equality Alliance, a national organization seeking the repeal of the policy.

The policy prohibits gay or lesbian service members from revealing their sexual orientation or having same-sex sexual contact.

To prevent harassment, the military is not supposed to question service members about their sexual orientation.

President Clinton enacted the policy shortly after taking office, saying it would make the military more inclusive. Congressional debate led to the compromise that is now " don't ask, don't tell."

Last year, Rep. Martin Meehan, D-Mass., introduced a bill that would replace the policy with one prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Critics of allowing gay men and lesbians to openly serve in the military say it would, among other things, hurt units' morale, reduce individual privacy and possibly cause security risks.

The panelists disagreed. "I think we can all agree ' don't ask, don't tell' is a failed experiment, and it needs to end now," said forum moderator Lara Ballard, co-chair of the alliance's board of directors.

The ban on openly gay and lesbian service members is hurting military preparedness and national security, Field said.

The policy prevents many qualified young people from considering enlistment and causes highly trained people to leave the military, he said.

" 'Don't ask, don't tell' requires them to serve as I did - in silence," Field said.

During the meeting, the muffled sound of some protesters could be heard from across the street. They decried the gay and lesbian lifestyle and carried signs, one of which read "PREPARE TO MEET THY GOD!"

An Alabama native, Hoven said she grew up in a patriotic family and dreamed of the day when she could wear a military uniform.

She would have likely retired from the Navy.

"It's not a special right," Hoven said.

"We just want to serve our country... without the fear of reprisal."

Reach Hattie Brown Garrow at (757) 222-5116 or hattie.brown@pilotonline.com.

Vets speak on gay policy

Homosexual ex-service members share stories in hopes of reversing the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," statute.

dailypress.com
BY STEPHANIE HEINATZ
247-7821
July 30, 2006
http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/dp-87525sy0jul30,0,6096956.story?track=rss

NORFOLK -- Robert M. Rankin stood tall and walked proudly to a small podium.

His white uniform was crisp. The gold bars on his shoulders - signifying his rank as a Navy captain - were perfectly attached.

And his smile was as bright as the ribbons decorating his chest.

When the current clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral medicine at George Washington University retired from the military in 1980, the Navy asked him for one small favor.

"When you speak to any group about a military subject, speak in uniform," Rankin said.

On Saturday, at the Fred Heutte Center in Norfolk, Rankin was among four veterans who led a discussion on the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," policy - a 12-year-old federal statute governing the gays in the armed services.

Rankin spoke about how he thought that the policy was having a negative effect on the Defense Department.

Quality men and women are being ushered out of the military because they're thought - or found - to be gay, Rankin said. Between 1994 and 2003, about 9,500 service members were discharged under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," policy.

But, Rankin said, during the Vietnam War - before the policy - he knew a young Marine who was gay, his command knew that he was gay - and he was kept in the service because, as the young troop told Rankin, "when they need you, they keep you."

Rankin also spoke of his own pain of staying in the closet, of losing his life partner to AIDS.

Organized by the recently created Military Equality Alliance, the event was meant to "educate Virginia voters on how horrible this policy is," said Lara Ballard, a Washington attorney who spent four years in the Army and moderated the discussion.

The timing had nothing to do with the coming vote in November where Virginians will consider a state amendment banning gay marriages.

But, Ballard said, it had everything to do with encouraging Virginians to petition their legislators to reverse the policy.

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell," was part of the 1994 Defense Authorization Act.

It says engaging in homosexual conduct is grounds for dismissal from the military, but commanders and recruiters can't ask about a person's sexual orientation.

Ballard said the policy forced gay, lesbian and bisexual service members to keep their sexual orientation a secret.

If they say they are gay, lesbian or bisexual - or attempt to marry someone of the same sex - the policy allows commanders to investigate them, which could lead to an administrative discharge.

Supporters of the policy say allowing openly gay, lesbian and bisexual people into the military would hurt recruiting and unit cohesiveness because heterosexual troops could feel uncomfortable working and living so closely with them.

Nearly 50 people attended the event, most of whom are either in the military or knew someone in uniform struggling with their sexual orientation.

Throughout the more than two hours of the event, two men stood outside the center, yelling that God doesn't like homosexuals.

They held up large signs asking homosexuals to decide whether they wanted to go to heaven or hell.

Rankin happens to think that God doesn't condemn homosexuals, and neither should the military.

Years ago, Rankin said, when he was still on duty, a young sailor went to him in confidence.

"He thought he might be gay," Rankin said the sailor told him.

He wasn't being teased or persecuted, but he feared that God would condemn him for being attracted to men. Rankin suggested that he go see a Navy chaplain.

The chaplain, though, confirmed the young man's worst fears.

So the sailor attempted to commit suicide by walking into a minefield in Cuba.

Sadly, Rankin said, "I guess he saw suicide as his only way out."

July 27, 2006

Group brings ''Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' fight to region

By KATE WILTROUT, The Virginian-Pilot
© July 27, 2006
Last updated: 8:07 AM

http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=108216&ran=8586&tref=po

NORFOLK - A fledgling national organization dedicated to repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
hopes to make Norfolk a hot spot of grassroots opposition to the 13-year-old military policy
on homosexuals.

The Military Equality Alliance is sponsoring a town hall meeting here Saturday that will
feature four gay veterans from Virginia. MEA was formed this month, has one paid employee
and an annual budget of $80,000, according to Jim Maloney, its San Francisco-based
executive director.

Maloney said Norfolk is crucial for two reasons: It has a large military community with a sizable number of gay veterans, and U.S. Rep. Thelma Drake, who represents part of the
city, is a member of the congressional subcommittee considering a bill to repeal the ban on openly gay service members.

"It's requiring gays and lesbians in the military to lie - about where they go on the weekends, about who they're talking to," said Lara Ballard , co-chair of MEA's board and its coordinator for Virginia. "In an age of heightened security, why do you want a policy that requires service members to lie to their superiors about what they're doing?"

Ballard said the forum is unrelated to Virginia's referendum in November, when voters will consider a proposed state constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage in the state.

In 2005, Rep. Martin Meehan, a Democrat from Massachusetts, introduced the legislation requiring the military to adopt a nondiscrimination policy on sexual orientation in place of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

The current law, which was enacted in 1993 under President Clinton, requires gay and lesbian military members to keep their sexual orientation secret and prohibits same-sex sexual contact.

Drake's spokesman, Tyler Brown, said Wednesday the congresswoman does not support Meehan's bill.

"In her numerous meetings with ranking military officials, this has never been an issue that they've raised," Brown said. Nor has Drake's office heard much from constituents about the issue, he said.

The alliance hopes to change that by finding and training local residents to lobby for the bill. The organization also is targeting U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Davis , who represents Virginia's 1st Congressional District and, like Drake, sits on the House Armed Services Committee's subcommittee on military personnel. Both Drake and Davis are Republicans.

Davis' office did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

Using Census data, The Urban Institute estimated in 2004 that Hampton Roads is home to nearly 10,000 gay and lesbian veterans. The institute is a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C., that researches economic and social policy.

Vivien Viloria, a lesbian, retired last year as a chief petty officer after 22 years in the Navy. The Norfolk resident is not a member of MEA, but will be a panelist Saturday. Ballard, who left the Army as a captain after a four-year hitch in 1995, will moderate the discussion.

Viloria said in an interview that she endured verbal harassment for years, especially as a younger sailor, and said gay-bashing is still prevalent in the Navy. She said the U.S. should follow the lead of other nations - including Israel, Canada, Britain and Australia - that allow gays to serve openly.

"I think the hardest part was the fear of being found out. Towards the ends of my career, it started just wearing on me," said Viloria, who spent most of her time in Norfolk or on Norfolk-based ships. Even now, she's concerned that publicly acknowledging her sexual orientation could cause problems.

"When we retire, we retire into the fleet reserve," she said. "I thought, 'Can they still take my retirement away?" It's a slow crawl out of that military closet."

The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which tracks dismissals under the current policy, found that more than 11,000 military members were kicked out for being gay between 1994 and 2005.

The Government Accountability Office estimated last year that the cost of replacing enlisted service members dismissed under the first 10 years of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was $190.5 million. This year, a University of California commission studying the financial impact of the ban tallied the cost at nearly $364 million.

· Reach Kate Wiltrout at (757) 446-2629 or kate.wiltrout@pilotonline.com

July 20, 2006

Denny Meyer
MEA Board Member
Editor, Gay Military Times

Gay American patriots have served our country since its founding, beginning in the Continental Army, during the American Revolution. Frederick Von Steuben, Alexander Hamiliton, and John Laurens are among the first to have served with honor under General Washington at Valley Forge; while Lt. Enslin bears the sad distinction of being the first known soldier to have been dismissed due to homosexuality. We have always served this nation, in all ranks from general to private. And we still do, still in silence.

The first Gay Veterans association was formed in Los Angeles in the mid 1980s. After the enactment of the Don't Ask Don't Tell law, by Congress in the early 90s, organizations were formed to both to serve the needs of veterans who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, and to advocate for the repeal of the discriminatory law barring us from serving openly in pride. Over the next decade GLBVA (Gay Lesbian and Bisexual Veterans of America) evolved into AVER (American Veterans For Equal Rights) serving our veterans' needs and advocating to repeal the ban, SLDN (Servicemembers Legal Defense Network) was formed to assist active duty personnel being discharged under the new law and to advocate for the law's repeal, CSSMM (Center For the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military) was established to study and chronicle the effects of the ban, and TAVA (Transgender American Veterans Association) was established to support and advocate for the rights of transgender servicemembers and veterans, among others.

This year, on July 4th, Military Equality Alliance (MEA) was formed to organize voters across America to urge their elected Congressional Representatives to sign-on to the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, the Bill that would repeal the Don't Ask Don't Tell law and allow us to serve our nation openly; I urge you to explore this website to see how you can help to achieve equality in our armed forces, either by direct action as an activist organizer or through a donation to MEA.

MEA has also launched the webzine Gay Military Times to give a voice to the 'military rainbow community' with features, stories, and letters about patriotic gay veterans and service to our nation, interviews, events, and updates on the progress of the movement to achieve equality in our armed forces. Your stories and letters are wanted for the Gay Military Times. See the Gay Military Times at: http://www.thegaymilitarytimes.com.

July 13, 2006

Greetings from
Board Co-Chairs
John Ames and
Lara Ballard

As the co-chairs of the Board of MEA, we want to welcome you to our organization, and tell you why we’ve chosen to become involved with MEA’s fight for equality.

First, there is the issue: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Both of us are former military officers. Both of us served under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and know from firsthand experience what a disastrous social experiment it has turned out to be. Both of us care deeply about national security, about servicemembers, about honesty and integrity, about the freedom and civil rights we took an oath to defend, and about the importance to a healthy democracy of having a military that is fully representative of the populace it defends. All of these things we care about are undermined by the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” for reasons you can read about in the “About the Issue” section of this website. The U.S. military is the nation’s single largest employer, and the fact that it is not only allowed but required to discriminate against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) servicemembers is an affront to our nation’s values.

Second, we are both committed volunteer activists who were looking for a way to lend significant support to this cause. We’ve both been involved with a number of GLBT organizations, some staff-led, some all-volunteer. Both types of organizations have their strengths and their drawbacks. With staff-led organizations, you will generally see a higher level of professionalism and ability to follow through on administrative tasks—but there is not necessarily much room for volunteers to take initiative and actively shape policy. All-volunteer organizations offer greater opportunities for responsibility among volunteers—but often at the cost of professionalism. So, for a number of years we have both been looking for an organization that can more effectively blend the best qualities of both types of organizations, and we think MEA has finally hit on a winning formula. To see how MEA intends to engage volunteer activists across the country, click on “Become an Activist.”

Finally, we just can’t say enough good things about our Executive Director, Jim Maloney, and the great crew he’s recruited onto our Board and Advisory Board. We’ve known Jim since he was the Director of the Military Education Initiative and have long been impressed with his hard work, initiative, collaborative attitude, willingness to listen and learn, and his infectious positive energy. So when he told us he wanted to turn MEI into a new organization that would enable him to focus on the grassroots political activism is that is so obviously his passion, we couldn’t turn down an invitation to join him. Why we should be so lucky to have someone like Jim feel passionate enough about the issue of gays in the military to make it his “day job,” we don’t know, but the movement is very fortunate to have him.

So please, talk to us, get to know us, support us (that would be the “Membership/Contribute” section!), and join us on this collective endeavor to make “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” a distant relic of an ugly past.

Message from Executive Director Jim Maloney

Welcome to the Military Equality Alliance! We are very excited to publicly announce our efforts to organize grassroots activists to advocate directly for an end to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Our launch on July 5th is a result of months of hard work by many individuals, especially the MEA board of directors and steering committee. I would like to extend my sincere thanks for the many hours of hard work put in by these volunteers.

We could not have gotten to this point without the support and input from many other organizations. I am grateful first and foremost to Equality California, which has generously agreed to fiscally sponsor MEA while we pursue our own 501(c)(4) IRS status. Many other organizations have provided guidance and feedback, including Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN); Human Rights Campaign (HRC); Log Cabin Republicans/Liberty Education Forum; American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER); National Gay & Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF); Equality Federation; and Call to Duty Tour. We look forward to collaborating with these organizations and others as we hone our strategy and learn lessons from the work of our activists on the ground.

The introduction of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act (MREA) in the House of Representatives in March of 2005 offers an excellent opportunity to end sexual orientation-based discrimination in America’s military once and for all. This is the first bill introduced to lift the ban since Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell became law in 1993. Introduction is the first step; much work needs to be done to convince Members of Congress to support this legislation. That is why we made the decision to transform the Military Education Initiative (MEI) from an organization focused on educational outreach to the veterans community into MEA, which will take direct action to lift the ban. Veterans outreach will remain an important component of our work, but this will be combined with other strategies to advocate support from our federal legislators.

The Urban Institute estimates there are 65,000 LGBT persons serving in the military today, and one million LGBT veterans who have served our country. We hope to speak on behalf of those who must continue to serve in silence and encourage those who have served to come forward and put a human face on this tragically flawed policy. Over 11,000 patriotic Americans have already lost their jobs as a result of this law. We welcome you to join our efforts to ensure that future generations can serve our country free of the fear they will be fired because of who they are.

Thank you for supporting the Military Equality Alliance – together we CAN achieve equality in our armed forces!

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