City of Miami Supports Ending D.A.D.T.

Miami City Commission votes 4-0 for Resolution in Favor of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which would repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

Miami – The City of Miami voted unanimously, 4-0, in favor of a resolution supporting passage of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which would repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and lift the ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the U.S. military.

“Picture a person with the skills, expertise and bravery to protect an entire platoon of soldiers in the battlefield. The current rules prevent that would-be hero from sacrificing it all to protect our Democracy – simply because his or her sexual orientation,” Commissioner Joe Sanchez said. “We must change the rules, so all of our best and brightest can serve our military.”

Passed by Congress in 1993, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is a law mandating the discharge of openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual service members. Under the law, at least one individual per day on average is fired because they are gay or lesbian. Almost 13,000 service members have been discharged since 1994.

Reintroduced in 2009 by Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA), the Military Readiness Enhancement Act (MREA) which would repeal the ban, today has 164 cosponsors, with Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA) as lead sponsor. In addition to former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs under Bill Clinton, John Shalikashvili, USA (Ret.), more than 100 retired admirals and generals support repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), the national organization dedicated to ending discrimination against and harassment of military personnel affected by “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, approached SAVE Dade for assistance in their efforts to repeal the ban. SLDN is determined to show Congress and the President that the country is in favor of repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. To this end, SAVE Dade urged the Miami Commission to take up the resolution, which passed without opposition. Earlier, on July 13th,SAVE Dade also successfully urged the Miami Beach City Commission to vote on a similar resolution, also resulting in a unanimous vote.

“We are proud of the City of Miami for taking a stand against discrimination. We can’t allow prejudice to weaken our national security by excluding from service patriotic Americans who are ready to risk their lives for their country,” declared CJ Ortuno, executive director of SAVE Dade.

About SAVE
Safeguarding American Values for Everyone (SAVE) advocates for equal rights for all people regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and educates the community about human rights with an emphasis on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues. Established in 1993, SAVE accomplishes this mission through education initiatives, outreach, grassroots organizing, and advocacy. Starting with the landmark passage of Miami’s Human Rights Ordinance in 1998 to recent enactments of domestic partner benefit policies, SAVE continues to lead the fight for LGBT equality in Miami-Dade County.

Mailing Address | 4500 Biscayne Blvd. Ste. 340 | Miami, FL 33137

305-751-SAVE (7283) | 1.800.396.8709 f | www.savedade.org | savedade@savedade.org