Washington, D.C. — On the eve of the 120th day since President Obama signed legislation allowing for repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT), Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) today unveiled a digital clock on its website, marking the time passed since the signing and renewing its call on the U.S. military to accelerate the timeline for training the armed forces on repeal. The clock will tick until certification takes place as specified in the law. Users may download the clock for placement on their own sites, including Facebook.
"While the clock ticks, America's LGB service members remain under 'Don't Ask' investigations. Training the armed forces on repeal is not complicated, and the Services should accelerate and complete this process in the second quarter of this year," said Army Veteran and SLDN Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis.
The legislation, signed on December 22, 2010, requires the Pentagon to prepare the necessary policies and regulations before the President, Secretary of Defense, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs can certify that the military is ready for repeal, which will go into effect 60 days following the date of certification.
"Despite testimony this month from the service chiefs that training is creating no problems in the field, the Army has signaled that it might not finish training until as late as August, which would delay certification until at least October," Sarvis continued. "That is a protracted and unnecessarily long time for training that can and should be accelerated starting today. We hope this clock will remind military leaders and others that while we wait, the lives of service members and their families are being adversely affected and anti-repeal forces continue to mount their campaign to repeal the repeal of 'Don't Ask.'"
Sarvis reiterated that repeal of DADT is only a first step toward full equality for LGBT service members.
"Ending 'Don't Ask' discrimination does not mean the job is finished," Sarvis said. "We still have much more work ahead of us after DADT is repealed. As the President has made clear, we must also implement anti-harassment policies and protocols while ensuring a smooth transition toward open service for all military personnel."
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STILL AT RISK: Despite the President signing the bill authorizing repeal of DADT, it is still unsafe for service members to come out until 60 days after certification by President Obama, Secretary Gates, and Admiral Mullen. Warning to service members: www.SLDN.org/StillAtRisk
SLDN FREE HOTLINE: Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender service members with questions are urged to contact the SLDN hotline to speak with a staff attorney: 202-328-3244 x100.
ABOUT SLDN: Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) was established in 1993 when "Don't Ask" originally passed. In addition to working on repeal, SLDN offers free, confidential legal services to those impacted by the discriminatory law. Last year the organization received its 10,000th call for assistance to its legal hotline.