Dear friends,
We did it!!
I just got off the phone with Petty Officer Derek Morado, the servicemember who was facing discharge today in California despite “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” having been repealed 100 days ago.
In short, I have great news to report — by a vote of 3-0, Derek was recommended for retention. With your help, Derek gets to not only save his career, but walk prouder — without the burden of discrimination on his shoulders.
This is good news for a few reasons — it shows the power of grassroots efforts to apply pressure and the reality that, when we expose the truth and stand up for our dignity, we win. We don’t know how many other servicemembers are facing discharge, but we will not rest until all Americans — LGB and T — are free to serve their country freely, openly, honestly, and without danger of discharge.
Today was a victory, and we’re grateful to Derek for lending his story and his voice to highlight the fact that servicemembers are still facing the discharge process, even 100 days after the law was repealed. We’re also grateful to our friends at AMERICAblog Gay, who partnered with us to send Derek into the courtroom with the names of thousands of supporters who were unwilling to let this happen without pushing back.
This was a good day and I thank each of you who supported this effort. The GetEQUAL community means the world to me, and I know that, tonight, Derek will hit the pillow with a lot less stress and a lot more PRIDE because of you. Thank you!
Get Out! Get Active! GetEQUAL!
Robin McGehee, Director
