It’s been an incredibly busy week in Maine, with HRC staff on the ground working with our partners and allies across the state to make sure that Senators Collins and Snowe vote to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
In the spirit of sixties-era college student activism, HRC met this week with the University of Southern Maine’s student organization, the Queer Straight Alliance. Located in Gorham, Maine, students were more than eager to contact their Senators about repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” I was pleased to meet such an enthusiastic and large group of students who are active on their campus and in their community. They all signed the petition and phoned their Senators. They wrote letters describing how discrimination is never okay and urged the repeal of this heinous, un-American law. In fact, as some of Americas’ brightest and most committed young activists, many signed up to volunteer for HRC’s collaborative phone banks, hosted in coordination with Organizing for America and Equality Maine.
Last night was our most successful phone bank yet in Portland. With eleven volunteers we made over 400 calls, many of which resulted in constituents all over Maine leaving voicemails for Senators Snowe and Collins. And we successfully kept the ball rolling by garnering more volunteers for our next phone bank in Portland. Please join us this week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 5:30pm to 8:30pm at the Equality Maine headquarters; 550 Forest Avenue, Suite 101, Portland, ME 04101.
The Pentagon report is in, and its conclusions are unequivocal: This discriminatory law has to go. Please join us in telling your Senators to do the right thing.
Even if you have already called, emailed or visited your Senators about repealing DADT, please do it again. We are so close to victory. We are in a state of emergency now and we need all hands on deck. Contact your friends, your family, and your neighbors and ask them to call their Senators and urge them to vote for repeal. To call your Senators at (202) 224-3121 and urge your Senators to support the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” If you’d like to volunteer with us in Maine, please contact Jessica Osborn at Jessica.osborn@hrc.org.
