Dear Terrence,
This has been a whirlwind week!
Thanks so much to those who contributed to this week's actions by donating what you could to make them happen. Many of you stepped up when we asked for help, and we appreciate it. This week, we've gone from the jailhouse to the White House -- and we're not planning to stop until "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is part of our nation's history books!
As a lead-up to the White House action, we started the day by paying tribute to our history at the gravesite of Sgt. Leonard Matlovich -- the first gay soldier to publicly come out on a national scale -- and then we moved from past to present as we proceeded to Senator Harry Reid's office to try and get some answers about the status of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal and the promise to return Lt. Dan Choi's West Point ring.
From there, we headed to the White House -- intent on making sure that the Commander in Chief heard our message to repeal DADT this year. We wanted to share a short video with you that will give you a sense of what our action at the White House looked and felt like on Monday:
The folks arrested at the White House fence were charged with failure to obey lawful order -- which carries with it an obligation to return to DC on December 15 for a hearing. And we're raising money now in preparation for those expenses.
We have been thrilled with the movement we've seen on the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" this week, and we're hopeful that the road to repeal will continue to look promising. We're thrilled that the President did end up stepping into the debate this week, and we look forward to seeing him and Senate Majority Leader continue to press forward with repeal by avoiding filibuster, securing a successful Senate vote, avoiding a veto, and certifying repeal in the Spring.
As any member of the military would recognize, we won't stop fighting until our mission is complete.
We hope that our work over the past seven months, as well as our actions this week, have played some small part in moving the ball forward -- and we hope that you'll help us continue to knock on the door of justice.
It can cost anywhere from $100-$500 per person if we end up having to enter a plea, and it'll likely cost $200-$300 for most folks to be able to return to DC in December for the trial. So we need to raise about $7,150 in order to pay the legal and travel fees for everyone who participated in this action.
Thank you so much for your ongoing support and your ongoing ferocity!
Get Out! Get Active! GetEQUAL!
Robin McGehee, Director
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