by william e. kelly headlines A-LISTS BUT HANGING BY A THREAD Even though the U.S. House and U.S. Senate voted and the President has signed the


legislation to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT), service members still cannot come out. DADT will remain the law for the near term. For more information read the Ser- vicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) website: SLDN.org/StillAtRisk. Aubrey Sarvis, Army veteran and executive director for SLDN urges lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender service members with questions to call THE FREE SLDN HOTLINE to speak with a staff attorney: 202-328-3244 x100. As of this writing, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender service members should remain “cautiously closeted.” Though most believe its days are clearly numbered, DADT remains on life support. After its 17-year reign of terror, DADT appears to be nearing its end, and words are inadequate to describe the joy and renewed “hope” this “change” will bring to me, my husband and millions of men and women around the world. As veterans who happen to be gay, we have spent 32 years at each other’s side. The demise of DADT stands to honor the millions of patriotic men and women who for generations have defended and secured cherished democratic freedoms and liberties which their government and fellow Americans have denied them, their loved ones and their families. The dismantling of any barrier to the civil protections and rights ensconced in the


U.S. Constitution for all its citizens is reason enough to celebrate. Once DADT is pulled off life support, its burial warrants a 21-`gun salute as tribute to all our military men and women, citizens and our democratic process. This will indeed be time to pay tribute to countless unsung past and present heroes whose tireless efforts will give us that day of justice. As charged by our founding fathers, they dared to dream of and shape a more perfect union. Awaiting the death of DADT, there is a mix of joy and sad awareness since there are still other civil injustices to address. It is a sickening experience to add up the countless dollars, decades of talent, energy and resources spent securing privileges, protections


D.A.D.T. IS NOT DEAD


WARNING: SERVICE MEMBERS MAY STILL BE DISCHARGED EVEN AFTER A SUCCESSFUL SENATE VOTE AND PRESIDENTIAL BILL SIGNING; SERVICE MEMBERS REMAIN VULNERABLE.


and rights already enshrined in our beloved Constitution for all citizens. That it was necessary to squander those resources while so many lives huddled under a thin blan- ket of hope for relief from so many other unmet human needs is unconscionable. Yet the promises denied are obvious to those who have known the tyranny of majorities past and present which couldn’t be ignored: Native American Indians, women, African Americans, Asians, Irish, Japanese, Italians, etc. Make no mistake, our richly diverse society of dissimilar cultures is a road littered with the hazards of ignorance, fear and ruinous potholes of hate and prejudice. We are a nation formed and descended of im- migrants. We embody diverse strengths, weaknesses, wisdom and ignorance, and ex- treme differences from which centuries of experience were spawned. We are a myriad of hybrid beliefs and values that continue to evolve. Yet our common needs stand to remind us that while we are a community bound by a sense of common purpose, our inherent differences are the continually evolving glue that leads us in our mutual pursuit of the more perfect union.


“The demise of DADT stands to honor the mil- lions of patriotic men and women who for gen- erations have defended and secured cherished democratic freedoms and liberties.”


The journey to understanding, tolerance and acceptance of natural, yes, NATURAL human differences is endless. The fears that fuel such injustices are inexhaustible. His- tory underscores that we fear and seek to change, isolate or destroy anything outside our realm of experience and reality, and all too often are willing to accept it as justification for mistreatment of those different from us. Aware that we citizens—and the government we employ—are equally imperfect, the founding fathers provided us with the means to recognize and correct our errors and this remains the key to this young nation’s survival. Like our founding fathers, know your limitations as


photography by patsy lynch


a human. When you next encounter lives unlike your own, remember that each of those we meet, like us, faces a very personal and unique journey. None of us is qualified to judge others until we have walked a mile in their shoes. The life each person experiences, the signposts that guide us and the degree to which each of us is equipped and able to make the best choices is singular. There are no two lives exactly alike. We can’t fit into anyone’s shoes but our own. I have spent most of my life trying to cram my feet into other people’s moccasins or theirs into mine. At 63, I find my shoes to be a perfect fit and hope you find the pair that best fits you. Now raise your glass to toast all that is right with the world and roll up your sleeves to help fix what is not.


JANUARY 2011 | RAGE monthly 13


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