DENVER, April 30, 2008  –  A reception in Denver is the first stop on a three city tour of Colorado communities organised by Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), the nation’s only non-profit legal services and policy organization dedicated to ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

The organisation’s visit is part of an initiative aimed at educating Coloradans about efforts to repeal the ban on military service by lesbian, gay and bisexual Americans.

The Denver kick-off will be followed later this week by events in Boulder and Colorado Springs.

“In order to get people involved in the movement to repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ we must go to where they live and ask for their support,” said SLDN executive director Aubrey Sarvis.

“That is what we are doing in Denver.  Change begins with the American people – it starts right here in Colorado.

“Poll after poll shows Americans favour lifting the ban, but we need the help of Coloradans turning that support into a call for action Congress cannot ignore,” he added.

According to Gary Gates at UCLA’s Williams Institute, Colorado is home to nearly 15,000 lesbian and gay military veterans, with over 7,500 residing in Denver alone.

An estimated 65,000 lesbian and gay service members serve on active duty and in the reserves of the United States armed forces.

Since 1993, more than 12,000 men and women have been dismissed under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”  The Military Readiness Enhancement Act (H.R. 1246), which would repeal the law mandating that the U.S. military fire lesbian and gay employees, currently has 142 co-sponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives, including Colorado Representatives Diana DeGette (D-Denver) and Mark Udall (D-Westminster).

“In Denver we understand that discharging qualified service members from the military is unfair and counterproductive.” said Congresswoman Diane DeGette. 

“‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ is a discriminatory policy that is costing our armed services the talent and skills of an entire class of Americans, simply because they are lesbian, gay or bisexual.

“That is why I am co-sponsoring legislation in Congress to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and allow all patriotic Americans to serve regardless of their sexual orientation,” she said.

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Posted: 30 April 2008 at 19:30 (UK time)