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MAY 5,1997
GAY, LESBIAN & BISEXUAL VETERANS OF AMERICA & NEW ENGLAND GL&B VETERANS INC. MEET WITH PENTAGON OFFICIALS For the first time in US History, on May 5, 1997, I --along with gay
veterans James Darby, then National President of GLBVA; Marine Corps Cpl.
Edward Clayton, VP, Public Affairs; Mel Tips, Treasurer, and Terry Tobias of
the Veterans Advisory Council met face to face inside the Pentagon with Mr.
Frederick Pang, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management Policy,
and with his aide Colonel David Schreier, Principal Director and Deputy
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Personnel Policy to discuss our
collective dissatisfaction with the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue"
policy. |
During the meeting, which lasted over an hour, GLBVA officers presented a
slate of five issues to Assistant Secretary Pang and Colonel Schreier. While
expressing general dissatisfaction with the current DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL,
DON'T PURSUE policy, we pointed out that homosexual & bisexual related
discharges had increased dramatically under the DA/DT policy to an all-time
high in 1996 when 850 servicemembers were discharged due to their actual or
perceived sexual orientation. We also called for an "independent military
review board:" be established to investigate reported or suspected
violations of the DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL, DON'T PURSUE policy, and to hold
base commanders responsible for violations which occur within their commands.
Additionally, GLBVA and New the England GL&B Veterans called for:
• the repeal of Article 125 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice,
pointing out that this article commonly known as "the sodomy clause", is
disproportionately used against gay and bisexual servicemembers
• the end to efforts by the military to seek recoupment of expenses for
training from servicemembers who are discharged for being gay, lesbian or
bisexual
• improvements in the treatment of veterans with HIV and AIDS at Veterans
Administration hospitals; and
• the upgrading of ALL less-than-honorable discharges to the status of
"honorable" in all cases and in all wars where servicemembers were separated
solely on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation.
In response, Assistant Secretary Pang acknowledged that the Pentagon was
aware that there were severe problems with the implementation of the current
policy and that they were studying the problem. Secretary Pang stated his
objection to the establishment of an independent military review board,
saying he felt it was too early to undertake such an elaborate action but
would rather wait to see the results of a review which was currently
underway within the Pentagon.
Pang did tell the group that preliminary data from that study seems to
reveal that the highest rate of discharges under the current policy appeared
to be among servicemembers who were in their first term of enlistment and
stationed at a training command. He said that the study should be completed
in about four to six months and assured the group that GLBVA would receive a
copy of the report and afforded the opportunity to return to the Pentagon to
discuss the study and offer suggestions on the improvement of the
implementation of this policy.
SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT MEETS WITH GAY & BISEXUAL VETERANS
L TO R Cliff Arnesen, Jim Darby, John Belseth, Edward Clayton, Richard Socarides, Special, Assistant to the President, Patrick Bova & Johnscott MacWilliams and Mel Tips |
Two days later on May 7, 1997, officers and members of GLBVA and the
New England GL&B Veterans, held another historic meeting inside the
Old Executive Office Building in Washington, DC, with Mr. Richard
Socarides, Gay Liaision and White House Special Assistant and Senior
Advisor for President Bill Clinton. Once again, we presented the
same set of issues to Mr. Socarides as we'd discussed with Mr. Pang and Colonel Schreier at the Pentagon. In turn,
Mr. Socrates voiced his strong support for our struggle to lift the ban, and
assured us that we would have continued future access to his office to
discuss the inhumane "Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue" policy. |