Press

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Inga Sarda-Sorensen
Director of Communications
(Office) 646.358.1463
(Cell) 202.641.5592
isorensen@theTaskForce.org

Jess Levin
Media Matters for America
(202) 772-8162
jlevin@mediamatters.org

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 – Today, after Media Matters for America released a comprehensive review of the false and dubious claims media conservatives have pushed in their efforts to prevent a repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) law, a coalition of leading organizations and activists joined together to issue an open letter to the news media demanding that reports on DADT remain accurate and fair.

Media Matters’ President Eric Burns joins AMERICAblog’s John Aravosis, Courage Campaign’s Rick Jacobs, GLAAD’s Jarrett T. Barrios, Human Rights Campaign’s Joe Solmonese, Knights Out’s Becky Kanis, National Center for Lesbian Rights’ Kate Kendell, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s Rea Carey, National Security Network’s Heather Hurlburt, Servicemembers United’s Alex Nicholson, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network’s Aubrey Sarvis, Truman National Security Project’s Rachel Kleinfeld, VoteVets’ Jon Soltz, and Lt. Dan Choi, US Army Infantry Officer and Arabic Linguist in signing on to the following letter:

Interested Parties:

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) has announced he will be the chief sponsor of legislation to repeal the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law. The proposed repeal signifies a crucial step forward in the long-overdue process of allowing gay men and lesbians to serve honestly and proudly in the United States armed services.

Since its inception, the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law has resulted in the firing of at least 13,500 servicemembers and has reportedly cost the military an estimated $555.2 million. Allowing gay men and lesbians to serve openly has proven successful for many of our closest allies and enjoys broad support in the United States among the public and top military leaders alike, including Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen, and former Joint Chiefs Chairmen Colin Powell and John Shalikashvili.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell proponents too often paint a distorted picture of what a repeal would mean. Today, Media Matters for America released a comprehensive review detailing how opinion pages and cable news talk shows have been flooded with falsehoods and anti-gay rhetoric to support the dubious argument that Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is working.

Claims that repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell would adversely affect unit cohesion, retention, or the HIV rate among servicemembers are not based in reality. Similarly, the anti-gay rhetoric permeating many of these arguments only serves to cheapen the national discussion on this important issue.

Because news outlets continue to repeat these outrageous claims, a coalition of organizations is banding together to combat misinformation about the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law. As Congress moves forward on this legislation, we will be vigilant in ensuring that news reports are accurate and fair. The public deserves an honest debate -- not one marred by blatant falsehoods and anti-gay attacks.

Signed,

AMERICAblog
John Aravosis, Editor

Lt. Dan Choi
US Army Infantry Officer and Arabic Linguist, West Point Graduate, Openly Gay and still serving

Courage Campaign
Rick Jacobs, Founder & Chairman

Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)
Jarrett T. Barrios, President

Human Rights Campaign
Joe Solmonese, President

Knights Out: West Point LGBT Grads
Becky Kanis, Chair

Media Matters for America
Eric Burns, President

National Center For Lesbian Rights
Kate Kendell, Executive Director

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Rea Carey, Executive Director

National Security Network
Heather Hurlburt, Executive Director

Servicemembers Legal Defense Network
Aubrey Sarvis, Executive Director

Servicemembers United
Alexander Nicholson, Executive Director

Truman National Security Project
Rachel Kleinfeld, CEO & President

VoteVets
Jon Soltz, Co-Founder & Chairman

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The mission of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is to build the grassroots power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. We do this by training activists, equipping state and local organizations with the skills needed to organize broad-based campaigns to defeat anti-LGBT referenda and advance pro-LGBT legislation, and building the organizational capacity of our movement. Our Policy Institute, the movement’s premier think tank, provides research and policy analysis to support the struggle for complete equality and to counter right-wing lies. As part of a broader social justice movement, we work to create a nation that respects the diversity of human expression and identity and creates opportunity for all. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., we also have offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis and Cambridge.