An advocacy group
that works on behalf of gay and lesbian soldiers has
said it will appeal a court decision dismissing a
constitutional challenge to the military's antigay
"don't ask, don't tell" policy. The Servicemembers
Legal Defense Network announced its decision to appeal
during its annual fund-raising dinner in Washington, D.C.,
on Saturday.
The SLDN suit was
filed in December 2004 on behalf of lesbian and gay
veterans of the war on terror who were discharged under the
military's gay ban. In April the U.S. district
court for the district of Massachusetts dismissed the
lawsuit, granting a motion to dismiss brought by the
federal government.
"The men and
women in SLDN's lawsuit are among the best and brightest
America has to offer," said SLDN executive director C. Dixon
Osburn. "They have diligently fought for the right to
serve our country and defend our ideals. All of us at
SLDN are enormously proud of their determination, and
we work to honor them every day."
The plaintiffs in
the lawsuit are represented by SLDN and the law firm of
Wilmer Culter Pickering Hale and Dorr. "Overturning 'don't
ask, don't tell' will be a watershed moment for
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans just
as racial integration of our armed forces was a
pivotal moment in the civil rights fight for
African-Americans," Osburn said. "When our federal
government stops discriminating, state governments,
local governments, private corporations, and the courts and
25 million veterans from every corner of America will follow
suit.... Then we will have won the battle." (The
Advocate)
