Protesters Stake Out McCain's Office on DADT

DADT JOHN MCCAIN X390 (GETTY) | ADVOCATE.COM

Five protesters affiliated with GetEqual are demonstrating at Sen. John McCain's office to urge him to support repeal of "don't ask, don't tell."

The organization is asking people to contact McCain's office to voice their support for ending the ban on gay and lesbian service members serving openly.

Shortly following President Barack Obama's State of the Union address in January, in which he announced he wanted to repeal the ban, McCain issued his own statement, calling repeal a "mistake."

‹‹Previous Article in Category | Next Article in Category››

Reader Comments

Back to top Post a Comment Report Abuse
Name: Kathryn Jim
Date posted: 4/27/2010 3:49:40 AM
Hometown: Flagstaff

Comment:
I am very proud of my dear Friends of H.E.R.O today in Phoenix. It takes great courage for a group of individuals to stand and take ownership of their rights of freedom of speech. Jimmy, Lee, Luisa and Meg....WE are proud of you planting the seed of acceptance and understanding in assuring our rights as LGBT community are heard! WE in Arizona applauded your efforts, your example, your passion in assuring our LGBT men and women who SERVE our country are recognized as equals in every way possible. LOVE YOU GUYS!!!
Back to top Post a Comment Report Abuse
Name: jimmy Gruender
Date posted: 4/27/2010 1:09:38 AM
Hometown: phoenix

Comment:
Discharged Gay Vet Arrested at Sen. McCain’s Office Today After Refusing To Leave First Class Petty Officer Lonnie Allen Howard-Stidham and four activists were there to demand the Sen. support repeal of DADT PHOENIX, AZ -- Earlier today First Class Petty Officer Lonnie Allen Howard-Stidham was arrested along with four HERO (Human & Equal Rights Organizers) activists--Meg Sneed, Jimmy Gruender, Luisa Valdez and Lee Walters--after refusing to leave Sen. John McCain’s Phoenix office. They were there to demand that Senator McCain stand behind his 2006 promise that he would listen to the advice of Military Commanders on when to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. When denied a meeting with Sen. McCain to discuss the repeal Officer Howard-Stidham and his friends refused to leave. All five were arrested and then cited and released on their own recognizance. Howard-Stidham served his country proudly for seven years before he was discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell on June 18, 2007. In a letter to Sen. McCain (full text below) he stated, “Since the very beginning of my Coast Guard career our core values of Honor, Respect and Devotion to Duty have been driven into my very being—if given the opportunity I would reenlist in a heartbeat.” “We stand in solidarity with First Class Petty Officer Howard-Stidham and his friends who were arrested for the cause,” said Robin McGehee, co-founder of GetEQUAL, a new lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activist organization. “Over the course of the last couple of weeks GetEQUAL has been contacted by grassroots activists across the country looking for resources and logistical support for local actions. We have encouraged everyone to hold their local organizations and elected officials accountable and plan to do more in the states in the months to come.” There is a rally scheduled for tonight at 5:00pm outside Senator John McCain's Phoenix office at 5353 North 16th Street, Suite 105.
Back to top Post a Comment Report Abuse
Name: mike
Date posted: 4/26/2010 10:39:23 PM
Hometown: cincinnati

Comment:
McCain is a sad. His mind is gone. He changes like the weather. Mostly, it depends on election time. Why isn't Lieberman persuading McCain to repeal DADT? He gave the nomination speech for him. Lieberman is supposed to be introducing the bill. I haven't read a thing about what he has done. It must have been another political ploy. They are a fine duo.
Back to top Post a Comment Report Abuse
Name: Davya
Date posted: 4/26/2010 10:22:04 PM
Hometown: Wynnewood, PA

Comment:
Its about time we pressured politicians that are actually, gee idk, against our rights- as opposed to those who, lets say, clearly supported our rights from day one and who we've bitched to for a year now.
Back to top Post a Comment Report Abuse
Name: Mark
Date posted: 4/26/2010 4:20:36 PM
Hometown: Wappingers Falls

Comment:
Bravo! There should be 500. This hypocrite accepts our tax dollars for his salary and family benefits but refuses to follow the US Constitution's call for equality for ALL. We must demand that our representatives stop wasting our tax dollars, weakening our military, and spitting on the US Constitution and attach full repeal of DADT to the military budget NOW before more Republicans/Nazis/Tea Partiers/corrupt hypocrites/ancient sickos take over Congress after November and is the unconstiutional law of the land forever.
Back to top Post a Comment Report Abuse
Name: MarkM
Date posted: 4/26/2010 4:02:21 PM
Hometown: Oakland

Comment:
They should have simulated a POW type holding situation and let him freak out for a while. The best thing McCain can do for his country is to get out of the way.
Back to top Post a Comment Report Abuse
Name: Latisha McDaniel
Date posted: 4/26/2010 3:40:50 PM
Hometown: Dallas

Comment:
@Advocate...This protest was organized by Equality Across America...not GetEqual
Back to top Post a Comment Report Abuse
Name: ichabod
Date posted: 4/26/2010 3:34:36 PM
Hometown: NYC

Comment:
Cool! Go Get Equal! Just phoned the senator’s office and told the staff member who answered that I was calling to urge the senator to vote for repeal this year on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, and to support the addition of the repeal to the Department of Defense Authorization bill that comes up for a vote at the beginning of May. (She was very polite, by the way, and asked only for my zip code). Would’ve left a voicemail as well, but the senator’s mailbox is full. Hopefully that means a lot of folks are following Get Equal’s lead...
Back to top Post a Comment Report Abuse
Name: Tokkar
Date posted: 4/26/2010 3:26:24 PM
Hometown: The Crossroads

Comment:
That picture? Yeah...that would be a great ad spot for Fixodent. Just sayin'...
Back to top Post a Comment Report Abuse
Name: jon
Date posted: 4/26/2010 3:15:57 PM
Hometown: Marquette

Comment:
YES!!!!!!! GREAT JOB!!!! Advocate please get the man's bio up on your website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNxe9PAJ0hA

PREVIOUS 1 NEXT

Don't Miss

News Features WATCH: Son Defends Two Moms in Prop. 8 Case
Seventeen-year-old Spencer Perry is the latest of a number of young people who are standing up for their gay and lesbian parents and showing that the kids are all right, no matter what politicians might say.

Commentary Op-ed: Our Groups Need More Color in Their Rainbow

LGBT organizations need more racially diverse leaders, and there are a number of resolvable reasons why they are now lacking, argues Jimmy Nguyen.

News WATCH: Dustin Lance Black on Prop. 8, Election 2012
Dustin Lance Black, the screenwriter and founding board member for the American Foundation for Equal Rights, spoke to The Advocate after an appeals court called Prop. 8 unconstitutional.

Commentary Op-ed: Disliking Us Is No Longer a Legal Rationale

What the appeals court judges said in their ruling on Proposition 8’s constitutionality will have far-reaching consequences, and that has our opponents freaking out.

Television World’s First Openly Gay Royal Is on Fairy Tale Search for Love
India's gay Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil was burned in effigy when he surprised his countrymen and came out. Now he's going undercover to find love on a new reality show on TLC.

News Features Filmmakers Work for Marriage Equality
Instead of the typical campaign commercials advocating against antigay ballot initiatives like North Carolina's Amendment 1, Working Films is going deeper to show how these laws harm families.

Commentary Op-ed: Why We Are Fighting Meth

The executive producers for the Hollywood Rush witnessed a friend’s struggle with the drug and are trying to do something about it.

Music The Advocate Editors' Personal Madonna Moments
In honor of our March cover subject, we're sharing our own Madonna recollections, including getting nearly trampled by her fans and receiving correspondence from the lady herself.

Commentary Advice: Two Weddings, Two Sets of Gifts?
One groom-to-be asks what to do if you've already been married once before, but not "gay-married." Is it taboo to ask friends for wedding gifts again?

Television Housewives' Kyle Loves You, But Hands Off Her Mauricio
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' Kyle Richards tells us about fending off gay advances toward her husband and receiving come-ons from lesbians.

News Quinn to Christie: Stop “Playing Games” With Marriage
New York City Council speaker Christine Quinn said that Gov. Chris Christie appears to be playing a “political game” with his call for a marriage equality referendum in New Jersey.

News Prop. 8 Recordings Could Still Be Made Public ... in 2020
Court rules mandate that documents filed under seal become public 10 years after a decision in the case — unless a legal party shows “good cause” as to why they should remain out of the public’s hands.

Best of Broadway Smash: Why You Will Love It
Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, two of the producers of NBC’s new critically acclaimed musical series, explain why the backstage drama of creating a musical about Marilyn Monroe has mass appeal and why big stars like Anjelica Huston, Uma Thurman, Bernadette Peters, and Nick Jonas were eager to appear in it.

Best of Broadway The Advocate Staff Remembers: Best of Broadway
The staff of The Advocate turns back the pages of time and shares their favorite Broadway memories. We asked for yours earlier so it only seemed fair that we share, too.

Best of Broadway Sometimes a Hat Makes a Big Difference
Who has the best Easter bonnet? It's just another of the unexpected ways that Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS raises money for the cause.

News Psychedelic Queen of Pop (Art)
The March 2012 issue of The Advocate kicks off our 45th anniversary by paying homage to its birth year, 1967.

Best of Broadway Dressing Felicia: Priscilla's Costume Designer Talks Shop
Costume designer Tim Chappel shares private sketches with The Advocate of his work on The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and gives the behind-the-scenes scoop on that flip-flop dress.

Best of Broadway How Broadway Does a Flea Market
Find out why actress Kathleen Chalfant calls the annual Flea Market and Grand Auction in Times Square "the most glamorous flea market you've ever seen." It raised half a million dollars to fight HIV/AIDS.

Best of Broadway Especially for You, It All Goes Backwards on Broadway
Here's your chance to hear the best of Broadway sung with you in mind at the annual Broadway Backwards event.

Best of Broadway You Picked: Broadway's Best Moments
We asked for your most loved and loathed moments from the Broadway stage. Here are eight of our reader's favorite musical moments, plus two that were not so well received.

Travel Gayest Cities in America, 2012
It's no secret that megalopolises New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles have robust LGBT life — and we've even heard tell of little queer hoods like the Castro and P-Town. This isn't that list.

Business Best Companies List: Who Is on Your Side?
The Human Rights Campaign released its newly updated Corporate Equality Index today. Here's the complete list of companies that scored 100% for being LGBT-friendly.