Within the next 24 hours, I’ll be participating – as your representative – in two Washington rituals that are unfortunately not common enough for our LGBT community: the enrollment of a law, and then the signing of it.
Tomorrow morning, the enrolled bill will be under the pen of President Obama, as he keeps a major promise to our community with the repeal of DADT.
I don’t have to tell you what a roller-coaster getting repeal to the President’s desk has been. You likely heard my frustration in the many statements and calls to action that NSD sent out over the last year. Believe me, we spent many hours brainstorming ways to say “Call your Senators, NOW!” With a bill like this, one that entangles the equality of our community and some of the most conservative elements of our nation – the military – the road was never straight (no pun intended) and clearly defined. Not to mention, the road blocks that an incredibly obstructionist GOP kept throwing in our path. What has been beautiful to watch has been the unexpected support of the Secretary of Defense and much of the top military brass, as well as the comments by enlisted soldiers who keep giving a collective “whatever, who cares as long as we all get our job done?”
What’s been a little disheartening since then has been watching some in our community try to place the credit on one person or organization, or to say that those being given credit shouldn’t be taking any. As someone who represented our Stonewall family in many meetings about repeal, I can tell you that there’s a lot of credit to go around, especially the many brave soldiers and veterans who gave the issue a human face, even when those currently serving couldn’t reveal their identities.
I can say that I am very thankful for the work of all of you who collectively signed petitions, wrote emails and letters to the editor in papers both hometown and national, and made tens of thousands of phone calls to elected officials at critical turns in the road. You inspired us and kept us going.
As I said in our statement about repeal on Saturday, I would be ungracious if I didn’t also acknowledge the work of Republicans who peeled off a handful their folks and gave them an opening to support repeal over the rest of their wrongheaded party, especially the shockingly backwards Sen. John McCain, who had the gall to suggest on the Senate floor that allowing soldiers to serve openly would result in lost limbs and deaths. I would hope that Republican supporters of repeal would also be as gracious regarding Speaker Pelosi, who delivered her promised “army of supporters” to quickly pass the standalone measure a second time in the House; Chairman Levin, who shepherded the measure through committee and, of course, Majority Leader Reid who simply would not give up on repeal. Hats off to Sen. Lieberman and Sen. Collins, as well.
You should also know that the White House staff was strongly committed to repeal. We will never know the many, many late-night hours and behind-the-scenes work that got the bill to the President’s desk. To be frank, I think we were all frustrated at times with the pace of repeal, but points along the way gave us hope, especially the Pentagon study which gave many lawmakers on both sides of the aisle the opening to support repeal. The President delivered big for our community. There is no way on this Earth that a Republican President would have done the same for us, or a GOP-led House or Senate for that matter.
Finally, I’ve saved the last big thank you for someone I consider the epitome of the word “hero,” as well as someone I am honored to call a friend: Rep. Patrick Murphy. You would think that someone with Patrick’s background – a son of working class parents, West Point graduate and professor, the first Iraq Vet to serve in Congress, a married father with children from north of Philadelphia – would not be the greatest champion for DADT repeal, but that’s precisely what he has been. He did so at great cost to his short-term political future. As he said, though, if he lost his election because of DADT, it was OK because it was the right thing to do. The big reason for his heartbreaking loss to his Log Cabin-endorsed opponent (which is simply baffling to me, no matter what convoluted reasons the LCR give) was likely the economy and not DADT, but his heartfelt and authentic support of our community is nothing short of true leadership.
We will be there for Patrick in whatever race he decides to run next.
I’ll look forward to seeing Rep. Murphy, Leader Reid, Speaker Pelosi (as well as our out Members of Congress, Barney Frank, Tammy Baldwin and Jared Polis, who each spoke passionately for repeal) and all of the other great supporters later this afternoon, and again tomorrow when President Obama signs the repeal of the only Federal law that mandated that Americans be fired from their jobs for being open about their sexual orientation. It closes a chapter on discrimination against our people that is as old as our military.
I’m humbled to represent NSD at these historic events. We’ll keep working to make sure that there are many more. Someday, there will be fewer and fewer as the great work that you’ve all be doing for so long comes to a conclusion in our full equality.
Yours in the fight,
Michael Mitchell
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