Activists to Protest at Skelton's Office

GetEqual and Missouri gay rights activists plan to protest Thursday morning outside the district office of Rep. Ike Skelton in Jefferson City, Mo. The chairman of the House Armed Services committee has refused to apologize for comments last week that repealing "don't ask, don't tell" would force parents to engage their children in a "national discussion around homosexuality."

According to a news release, groups including GetEqual, Show Me No Hate, and others will deliver more than 3,000 petitions to demand that the conservative Democratic apologize and get on board with repeal efforts while they protest outside his office. They also will read a letter to Skelton from a gay Missouri soldier serving in Iraq and facing discharge under "don't ask, don't tell."

The protest is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. CST.

Activists launched their campaign urging Skelton to apologize over the weekend. Last week, he attended a media breakfast where he asked, "What do mommies and daddies say to their 7-year-old child?" regarding the conversation to repeal the policy.