Veterans to lobby for the repeal of ‘don’t ask, don't tell’ policy tomorrow

[babylonsister]

Veterans to lobby for the repeal of ‘don’t ask, don't tell’ policy
By Roxana Tiron - 05/10/10 07:54 PM ET


Hundreds of veterans on Tuesday will urge lawmakers this year to repeal the ban on openly gay personnel serving in the military.

The approximately 350 veterans from 44 states will lobby lawmakers as the House and Senate Armed Services committees prepare to write the 2011 national defense authorization bill.

Supporters of the repeal, both in Congress and the outside arena, are eyeing the defense authorization bill as the vehicle to carry legislation scrapping the Clinton-era law, known as “Don’t ask, don’t tell.”

In the Senate, the veterans are focusing in particular on six members of the Armed Services panel: Sens. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), Jim Webb (D-Va.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Scott Brown (R-Mass.).

The hundreds of veterans lobbying include many from the “key states” that have members on the Armed Services panel, said Michael Cole, the new-media campaign director at Human Rights Campaign, which organized the lobby day along with Servicemembers United and a broad coalition of organizations supporting the repeal.

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http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/97079-veterans-to-lobby-for-the-repeal-of-dont-ask-policy