I am so excited to be on the ground in Massachusetts right now, putting everything that I have into making sure that the Senate hears our voice when it comes to repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
Already I have been hard at work, this time with student at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. It goes without saying that college students are more familiar with email and twitter than faxes and letters. However, I recently joined students here who got together to hand-write letters to Senator Scott Brown urging him to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
One student had this to say:
“Senator Brown,
As a student at Brandeis University, an institution founded upon and permeated by social justice, I urge you to vote to repeal the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law. I recognize the many valuable and indispensable members of the Armed Forces are gay, lesbian and bisexual. Forcing these service people to conceal a significant facet of their identity for fear of their job security is unfair and negates the ideals of justice supported by my university and my country. The majority of your constituents share my opinion, and I sincerely hope that you will honor them and the military personnel who have been affected by this law.”
This is just the first of several upcoming events here in Massachusetts to help mobilize local advocates to push the Senate to repeal this outdated law. This coming Tuesday, students and veterans will be discussing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” at Wheaton College. One of these veterans will be Travis Hengen, who met with Senator Brown’s office earlier this year to urge him to support repeal.
I hope that you will consider joining us for this event. Keep visiting HRC Back Story in the coming weeks to hear about all of my work here on the ground.
What: Discussion with veterans on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
Where: Wheaton College
26 East Main Street
Norton, MA 02766
Mary Lyon Hall
When: Tuesday, November 16th at 7 pm
