ASK NOT screening on Capitol Hill
The contentious debate on ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ has lately seen surprising maneuvers from all sides in Washington, and ASK NOT has been right in the thick of it.
Two weeks ago, our groundbreaking and deeply personal PBS film illuminating the remarkable history, implementation and real stories behind the policy was screened on Capitol Hill to a bi-partisan group of Congressional members including Sen. Al Franken D-MN and Rep. Patrick Murphy D-PA. Three subjects from the film — Jacob Reitan (Founder of the “Right to Serve Campaignâ€), Alex Nicholson (Executive Director, Servicemembers United), and Jarrod Chlapowski (Military Consultant, Human Rights Campaign) — as well as filmmaker Johnny Symons, were present for the event.
Meanwhile, despite his previous statements to the contrary, a letter from Defense Secretary Robert Gates was leaked stating that Congressional action changing the policy at this time ”would send a very damaging message to our men and women in uniform...” The letter triggered a flurry of conflicting responses from advocacy groups, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and ultimately, the White House. Now, it looks as though an issue that had the potential to be resolved this year may remain part of our military policy until 2013 or longer.
