Service women storm Capitol Hill for the Truth and Justice Summit

On the first day of the event, attendees participated in a variety of workshops including topics such as Working with Trauma Survivors; Sexual Violence and Criminal Justice: Myths vs. Facts; Telling Your Story; and Navigating the Military Sexual Trauma (MST) Claims Process. The second day of the conference was an advocacy day for participants to lobby for change and share their stories with members of Congress.

The event took place in the shadow of a slew of discouraging and disturbing developments. Just this year a Lieutenant General in the Air Force was at the center of a national controversy when he reinstated an officer with a stroke of a pen after that officer had been convicted by jury of aggravated sexual assault and sentenced to a year in military prison. In May, an officer in the Air Force who led the Air Force sexual assault prevention program was arrested on suspicion of drunkenly grabbing a woman near the Pentagon. The following day, the DoD Sexual Assault and Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO) reported that sexual assaults and related offenses had increased in the military by an estimated 35 percent between 2011 and 2012.

But the summit also took place in the wake of unprecedented progress for women in the military. The last National Defense Authorization Act included a key provision that allows service women to access abortion services in military facilities in event of rape or incest; before, military health providers were required by law to turn them away. In 2013, the Senate Armed Services Committee held its first ever hearing on military sexual assault. And of course, earlier this year, then Defense Secretary Leon Panetta lifted the ban on women serving in ground combat positions. SWAN’s work was critical in achieving each of these milestones.

The event also served as an opportunity to recognize members of Congress for their work to eliminate sex discrimination and sexual violence in the military. Senator. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) were among those honored, and Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) delivered the keynote address.

Actress Jennifer Beals, who many OutServe-SLDN supporters may recognize as “Bette” from the television series, The L Word, or “Alex” from the movie, Flashdance, headlined the event. Beals said her decision to join the movement to end military sexual violence was influenced by her role in Lauren, a YouTube web series where she plays a U.S. Army Major who struggles to bring justice to a survivor of military sexual assault in her unit. “I’ve learned that the military and the Department of Veterans Affairs has a lot of work to do to make sure that sexual violence in the ranks ends and that survivors get the resources and benefits they need to move forward,” she reflected. Beals is also a known ally to the LGBT community, having received the “Ally for Equality” award at last year’s Human Rights Campaign national dinner.

Though the summit boasted major headliners and participants celebrated the most recent victories in Congress and at the Pentagon, the tone was far from triumphant. Overwhelmingly, the service members, veterans, and supporters left with renewed passion and an even stronger commitment to ending the inequality that continues to plague women who serve in uniform.

And rightfully so; the DoD has disclosed that over 3,300 sexual assaults were reported in 2012 alone, though they estimate the actual number of incidents of unwanted sexual contact to be closer to 26,000 due to under reporting. According to SWAN, these statistics highlight a culture of victim blaming that strongly discourages survivors of sexual assault from reporting these crimes and a severe distrust of the military criminal justice system, which systematically fails to bring perpetrators to justice.

The first step to fixing this broken process, SWAN contends, is taking it outside the chain of command. Unlike the civilian criminal justice system, commanders—who are undoubtedly and perhaps understandably biased—are able to exercise undue influence over criminal proceedings. As a result, criminals walk free. This not only damages the military’s reputation of maintaining high standards of conduct, but it also sends a clear message to young recruits that sexual assault is a crime that will frequently go unpunished.

In May, Senator Gillibrand introduced the Military Justice Improvement Act of 2013 with a bipartisan group of lawmakers. If passed into law, the bill would revise to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) to require independent military prosecutors, not commanders, handle these cases from beginning to end. The purpose of the bill is clear. To prevent sexual assault, there must be punishment for those who commit sexual assault. To bring justice to survivors of sexual assault, there must be punishment for those who commit sexual assault.

Katie Miller serves as the Chair of the Government Affairs Committee on the OS-SLDN Board of Directors.

Nelson Mandela said once, in order to feed a nation, first you have to feed and educate its children.

People generally don’t travel to Africa for its history or architecture; it’s for the wildlife. So, with the South African government bogged down in socioeconomic problems, lacking the political will and resources to protect the country’s wildlife, many in the private-sector travel industry have stepped up to ensure the country’s greatest asset is protected.

“At Rhino Africa, we believe that tourism to Africa doesn’t need to leave a dirty carbon footprint, but rather, if done correctly, it can help uplift communities, conserve wildlife and alleviate poverty,” said Rhino Africa’s marketing manager, Ross Bowers. “We believe passionately in giving back to the communities, landscapes and wildlife that make Africa such an incredible tourist destination.”

With the company’s namesake endangered, Rhino Africa works extensively to save the rhino from extinction and to put an end to poaching in Africa. The horns of a rhino are worth more than gold. Catchy signs reading “Just let me be horny in peace” held by supporters plastered South Africa’s Parliament grounds for World Rhino Day Sept. 22 to bring light to the poaching problem. The country has 381 fewer rhinos this year than last. To put that in perspective, 50 years ago, more than 750,000 rhinos resided in Africa. Today, less than 20,000 white rhino and less than 5,000 black rhino remain.

“The demise of the wildlife has been phenomenal,” said David Ryan, founder of Rhino Africa.

The company is also heavily involved in supporting rural communities with an end goal of getting those communities to help protect wildlife.

“With the legacy of apartheid, rural communities on the fringes of private land don’t see the benefit of you going to stay at a five-star luxury lodge, which is why we are particular about which lodge we’ll sell,” said Ryan. “I make sure they all have a strong social responsibility and community-based commitment. The people who live on the fringes of these reserves have to see a benefit, or they’re not going to see a reason to protect it.”

Staying at Chitwa Chitwa, we took advantage of visiting the rural town of Dixie on the outskirts of Sabi Sand, which receives support from The Chitwa Trust, a charity for patrons to funnel support through. In Dixie, we witnessed extreme poverty. The day care, Wisani, was filled with 50  children, all under 4 years old, all orphaned from AIDS or parents forced to leave to find work. The squalor struck at our hearts, inspiring those in the tour group to pledge help.

Two of the many charities Rhino Africa supports are the Wildlife Act Fund, www.wildlifeactfund.com, and The Good Work Foundation,  www.goodworkfoundation.org.

The Wildlife Act Fund focuses on research and development, doing work with rhinos and wild dogs. “We’ve worked with NASA to track  [animals], and we provide free endangered species monitoring on private land, ensuring endangered species are protected through volunteers,” said Ryan.

The Good Work Foundation does all the people stuff, he said. They have a day care orphanage in Khayelitsha and work other capital development projects.

“There’s a nice balance between people and wildlife,” said Ryan. “The reality is for wildlife to survive, people have to look after them. So you have to educate and train the youth coming through. Nelson Mandela said once, in order to feed a nation, first you have to feed and educate its children.”

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“LGBT Service Members and the Armed Forces One Year After ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’” was one of many legal panels related to diversity presented at the American Bar Association annual meeting in Chicago Aug. 3.

This panel highlighted two legal issues related to DADT repeal in particular. Despite the fact gays and lesbians can now serve openly; there is no explicit prohibition on discrimination based on sexual orientation. Additionally, transgender service members cannot serve openly despite repeal of DADT based on Department of Defense regulations.

Nondiscrimination

According to speakers, military service members who experience sexual orientation discrimination or harassment have to depend on their chain of command for recourse. Their only other option is to file a complaint with the inspector general, a role the IG does not have traditionally.

Panelists included attorneys, judges, law professors, military personnel and former congressman Patrick J. Murphy, who authored the bill repealing DADT. The group discussed the remaining need for an executive order or DoD directive that would allow for open transgender service in the military.

Presidents of the past have used their executive power to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. President Bill Clinton did this in 1998 with an executive order prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation in the federal civilian workplace, and President Barack Obama issued a memorandum extending federal benefits to same-sex domestic partners of federal civilian employees in 2010. Yet for uniformed service members, there is no explicit directive protecting them from discrimination or harassment based on sexual orientation.

Briefly, panelists approached the topic of spousal benefits and the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which prevents DoD and the Department of Veterans Affairs from extending some of the same support and benefits to all service members due to the definitions of “spouse.” Legislation has been introduced to change the definition of spouse in the U.S. Code.

“I know there’s more work to be done,” Murphy said, explaining that President Obama also supports changes surrounding DOMA. Murphy said that in the upcoming election President Obama needs the support of the LGBT community and argued that the president has continually supported the LGBT community.

Transgender Service

Professor Jackie Gardina explained to the audience there is actually “no ‘T’ in LGBT in the military.” Because open transgender service is not allowed, the group discussed various disparities in applying rules in similar medical situations. For example, a person who has had a mastectomy because of something like cancer may get a medical waiver, but a female-to-male transgender person who has had such a procedure as part of transitioning will not be awarded a similar waiver.

Denise Brogan-Kator, a veteran and executive director at Equality Michigan, explained that transgender service is not disqualifying based on law, but on service regulations that determine medical, physical and other barriers to service.

Brogan-Kator talked about real world examples of transgender service in the military. She said DoD needs to be educated, with hope that the future may rest on an executive order. “It’s risky—both to the president and to the policy changes, which can be reversed, just as easily,” she said. The better route is “probably to obtain the buy-in of the military leadership, and that will take a lot of time and a lot of education.”

Currently, mental grounds for rejection from military service include “current or history of psychosexual conditions, including but not limited to transsexualism.” Another DoD regulation provides that physical grounds for rejection would include “history of major abnormalities or defects of the genitalia, such as change of sex.”
In offering a way forward for open transgender service in the United States, Brogan-Kator pointed to modern medical models for evaluating transgender people, such as the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.

Open transgender service in the military is allowed in at least 10 other countries today including Great Britan, Canada, Australia, and Israel.

Rice met with SWAN’s Executive Director Anu Bhagwati and Policy Director Greg Jacob Monday, to discuss SWAN’s recommendations.

Air Force leadership has struggled with the issue of sexual assault in the ranks for a number of years. In 2003, the Air Force Academy faced public scrutiny for ignoring reports of sexual assault and harassment of cadets. In a study commissioned by a working group of General Counsel of the U.S. Air Force, it was revealed that 12 percent of women who graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2003 reported that they were victims of rape or attempted rape while at the Academy, while 70 percent alleged they had been the victims of sexual harassment. A 2010 survey conducted by Gallup revealed that 1 in 5 women and 1 in 20 men had experienced sexual assault while serving in the Air Force. Most recently in an ongoing investigation at Lackland Air Force Base, the site of Air Force Basic Military Training, investigators discovered that at least 38 trainees have been sexually assaulted and 15 instructors have been identified as perpetrators.

“We were pleased that Gen. Rice made the effort to reach out to us to improve Air Force Basic Military Training as the investigation at Lackland continues,” said Anu Bhagwati, Executive Director of Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN) and former Marine Corps captain.

In the meeting, SWAN made several recommendations to Gen. Rice, foremost being that the Air Force punish perpetrators of sexual assault and hold commanders and senior enlisted leaders accountable, including leaders who were stationed at Lackland when earlier assaults were occurring unabated. SWAN also stressed the need for the Air Force to guarantee trainees every opportunity to report any allegations of misconduct, harassment or assault in a confidential manner and with full protection against retaliation or retribution.

“We also pointed out that in order to create a real change in the culture at Lackland, substantial increases in the numbers of women MTIs and women officers are needed to teach trainees that good leadership is not a function of gender. This will realistically prepare them for their service once they leave basic training,” Bhagwati said.

SWAN also recommended an increase in the total number of MTIs assigned to each class of trainees and more emphasis on accountability and punishment of perpetrators in Air Force sexual assault prevention training.

“As we continue to address this issue, we will reach out to those who may have an interest in understanding the situation we are dealing with at Basic Military Training and who may have some insight that can be helpful for us in doing what’s best for our Airmen,” said Gen. Rice. “The meeting was very helpful and we appreciate SWAN’s leaders for taking the time to discuss the situation at Air Force Basic Military Training with us.”

SWAN is a national civil rights organization founded and led by women veterans. SWAN’s vision is to transform military culture by securing equal opportunity and the freedom to serve in uniform without threat of harassment, discrimination, intimidation or assault. SWAN also seeks to reform veterans’ services on a national scale to guarantee equal access to quality health care, benefits and resources for women veterans and their families. You can follow Service Women’s Action Network on Twitter at http://twitter.com/servicewomen, or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/servicewomen.

By Chaplain (Col) Paul W. Dodd, LPC
Co-Chair, The Forum on the Military Chaplaincy

Chaplain Lt. Jason Gregory reads Bible verses on the weather deck aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Daniel Barker

Chaplain Ron Crews, head of the right-wing religious group misnamed Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty­ (CARL) dismissed the blessings of same-sex covenants at Fort Polk and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, and the pride and patriotism of uniformed, well-behaved troops marching in San Diego’s Pride Parade as “social experiments.”

That has been the hateful mantra of social conservatives for years, but it is no less insulting to those whom such rhetoric marginalizes. These events are really about honor and integrity. To suggest otherwise does a grave injustice to the courage and commitment of America’s service members, and flies in the face of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and historic American values.

Allowing Americans to do their jobs and live their lives without getting fired for being gay isn’t a social experiment – it’s considered by the vast majority of Americans to be a civil right. Our military leaders acknowledged “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” as an unacceptable violation of our core values, and its repeal has made our military stronger.

The harsh and insensitive rhetoric being recycled by Crews and CARL trivializes the lives and families of America’s service members, and tramples on their First Amendment rights. Crews professes loudly to pursue “a nation where all chaplains…freely exercise their God given and constitutionally protected religious liberties…” Yet, he and his elite alliance of retired chaplains and denominational endorsers have lobbied relentlessly to violate “free exercise” by restricting the ministries of chaplains whose religious beliefs aren’t anti-gay enough for them.

They seek to silence progressive voices of faith while demanding special privileges and legal protection to preach, teach and counsel their own brand of religious extremism and homophobic rhetoric. Last week, an unprecedented gag order on religious liberty was attached to the 2013 Defense Appropriations Bill in the form of an amendment which would prevent military chaplains from blessing same-sex relationships, and would make all military chapels off-limits for certain religious rituals and ceremonies.  Such a law would hamstring chaplains and service members whose beliefs affirm the civil rights of all Americans, and would forbid same-sex blessings even in states where marriage equality is legal and authorized. Clearly, this toxic piece of legislation is another desperate attempt by theological supremacists to deny the constitutional rights of actively serving members of the armed forces, and impose their extremist beliefs on our troops.

Duly endorsed and commissioned military chaplains from Crews’ own conservative denomination and his CARL constituents are free to practice religion according to the dictates of their faith.  But, it is an affront to the historic and inviolable principles of collegiality and pluralism in the military chaplaincy to circumvent the “constitutionally protected religious liberties” of chaplains to speak and worship as they see fit.  In short, you can’t claim religious liberty then deny it to others. The Forum on the Military Chaplaincy will continue to work to secure the free exercise of religion for all of America’s troops so they can worship openly, freely and without intimidation from Ron Crews, CARL, or anyone else who seeks a privileged status for themselves at the expense of others.

By Liza Swart

The Service Women’s Action Network held Truth and Justice: The 2012 Summit on Military Sexual Violence, May 8, in Washington, D.C.

SWAN sees itself as a civil rights organization, and continues to research and advocate on LGBT-specific issues, with a focus on issues of sexual violence.  Their vision is to make the military a safe workplace and to see the end of sexual violence in the military, resulting in a more connected and equal environment for LGBT members.

“This was the first mass globalization for sexual assault survivors on Capitol Hill,” said Katy Otto, SWAN spokesperson. “This is significant because there have been a lot of stories in the press, especially about sexual assault in the military, but those stories have not included LGBT survivors. The summit provided opportunities to get those voices out to the media.”

SWAN sees a direct correlation between sexual harassment and sexual violence, LGBT harassment and discrimination.

“I think there’s a lot of interconnectedness there,” said Otto.

Some recent changes to DoD policy do improve the sexual assault initiation and reporting practices.  The Directive-Type Memorandum (DTM) 11-063, issued 27 Dec. 2011, expedited base transfer for those service members who file unrestricted reports of sexual assaults.  Additionally, those unrestricted reports are now retained for 50 years, under DTM 11-062.  Restricted reports will be retained for five years.

The changes have been made largely to combat the culture of silence surrounding the issue, said Otto.

For those unfamiliar with restricted and unrestricted reporting, or for those who may have somehow missed the last few rounds of mandated training, a here’s a summary:

According to DoDI 6495.02 (June 23, 2006) “…[C]onfidential reporting is restricted reporting that allows a Service member… to report or disclose to specified officials that he or she has been the victim of a sexual assault.  This reporting option gives the member access to medical care, counseling, and victim advocacy, without requiring those specific officials to automatically report the matter to law enforcement or initiate an official investigation.  The restricted reporting option is only available to those sexual assault victims who are Service members; however, it may not be an option if the sexual assault occurs outside of the military installation or the victim first reports to a civilian facility and/or a civilian authority.  This will vary by state, territory, and/or overseas local agreements.”

Additionally, unrestricted reporting options are available, which diminishes the confidentiality requirement insofar as law enforcement are notified and the incident moves forward into an official investigation.

In 2011, 753 restricted and 2,439 unrestricted reports were filed, according to the DoD’s Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military. One hundred reports that began restricted were later converted to unrestricted.

The recent changes to policy, though welcomed, are seen as an ongoing process by SWAN, which has key changes they are currently working toward.  For example, in the security clearance form, question 21 asks for a disclosure of counseling.  Combat-related trauma counts as an exemption, and SWAN wants the same courtesy extended for sexual assault survivors.

“We would also like there to be the availability to access civil tort claims for those who feel justice wasn’t served to them in the military,” said Otto.  “We think that will really have the effect of changing the culture.  If there are real consequences people can see, if the military can feel financial consequences, it will be a better deterrent.  It will change the culture.”

SWAN is also pushing for greater access to Veterans Affairs (VA) services, specifically involving claims against the VA and sexual assault, and statistics on how many of those claims move forward into an investigation.

“We want a more responsive VA,” said Otto, “and a VA with more sexual violence counselors. As we are seeing more and more women veterans, we need a VA that provides the services that they need.”

In addition to the summit, SWAN was part of a larger coalition to the April 26 filing of an amicus curiae, or “friend of the court” brief in the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.

Cardona v. Shinseki, Vet. App. No. 11-3803, was initiated by veteran Carmen J. Cardona.  After Cardona legally married her wife in Connecticut, an application for spousal increase in her veterans’ disability benefits was denied.

“The Cardona case challenges the VA’s denial of benefits to a veteran on the basis of her sexual orientation,” said Rachel Natelson, SWAN legal advisor.  “The amicus brief focuses on the legislative history of the relevant statutes at issue. It seeks to highlight that the statutes were enacted to promote equality and inclusiveness in benefits distribution, and were never intended to deny benefits to gay and lesbian veterans.”

SWAN sees community connection as key to building momentum on the issues of LGBT benefits and sexual assault, as well as other core focus areas, such as reproductive rights and the combat exclusion policy.  For those interested in the vital work this organization champions every day, and in becoming a part of the connection in the SWAN community,
servicewomen.org is a hub of news, information, and resources.

Photo credit: Samuel Morse

While the era of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) has ended, LGBT service members may still find themselves at the center of policy debates as various groups continue to fight for full equality. The Magazine’s Repeal Watch section has previously highlighted organizations such as the Palm Center and Knight’s Out, and as a continuing feature, OutServe Magazine is touching base with key names on both sides of the DADT debate to see how its demise has affected groups’ legislative advocacy and educational missions. (*Editor’s note: The anti-repeal organizations contacted refused interviews for this article.) In future issues, this section will continue to feature those organizations such as Freedom to Marry and USNA Out that have had key roles in the movement for LGB equality.

As the interviews for this post-repeal issue commenced, it became clear that while gays and lesbians can serve openly within the military, they have not yet escaped the limelight. LGB service members will remain central to two key issues to the greater fight for LGBT equality: the quest to seek marriage equality, and nondiscrimination based on sexual orientation.

What follows are the results of interviews with various organizations regarding how their mission and focus were affected by the end of DADT. No organization is packing up their shop and claiming mission complete. Rather, they all seem to be sticking to their stated vision, and leveraging their diverse strengths to further LGBT issues.

SLDN

“The core of our programs will remain legal programs,” said Aubrey Sarvis, SLDN executive director who is following the repeal’s implementation.

Sarvis said he doesn’t expect issues, but wants his watchdog organization to provide oversight to the Department of Defense (DoD) on the process.

Yet with gays now being able to serve openly, Sarvis said the focus of SLDN’s legal advocacy and cases may change. Within the legislation that ended DADT, Congress removed the clause regarding nondiscrimination from the original draft. “We will continue to advocate that the President issue an executive order prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity,” he said.

According to SLDN, their first priority is to ensure protection from discrimination under the new law, protection which effectively doesn’t exist. Service members who feel they have been victims of discrimination based on their orientation only have two choices: file a complaint with the inspector general, or report the incident to their commander.

SLDN wants those in uniform to have access to independent reporting chains through the equal opportunity (EO) office, just as their civilian counterparts do. This would require the updating of EO processes and procedures to include LGB personnel.

Some gays and lesbians balk at this idea for fear of being designated as a protected class of people within the organization. One justification for the repeal of DADT was, in fact, a desire for fair and equal treatment — no better, no worse. Unfortunately, DoD training for the repeal of DADT specifically indicated that sexual orientation was not covered under the existing EO umbrella, thus limiting the recourse for LGB service members who experience discrimination.

Secondly, SLDN will be an active advocate for parity of benefits between gay and straight troops. Sarvis cited the need to both repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), as well as make changes to Title 10 U.S. Code to update the language defining the word spouse, as many DoD benefits are based on recognition of dependents.

“That definition needs to be changed as it didn’t envision a spouse of the same gender, requiring Congressional action.”

Provisions in the Defense of Marriage Act and other laws prohibit DoD from extending certain benefits, such as housing and transportation allowances, to same-sex partners, said Pentagon spokesman George Little.

“But a same-sex partner can be designated a beneficiary, for example, for life insurance. The department continues to examine benefits to determine any that may be changed to allow the service member the discretion to designate persons of their choosing as beneficiaries,” said Little.

However, in a letter to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta in August, SLDN proposed 10 modifications Sarvis says DOMA wouldn’t prohibit but would be allowed if the department edited its regulations. Their list includes providing access for same-sex partners to the following:

-Military family housing
-Commissaries and exchanges
-Morale, welfare, and recreation resources
-Family programs such as marriage and family counseling
-Legal aid such as the writing of wills for same sex spouses
-Issuance of military ID cards
-Joint duty assignments
-Exemption from hostile fire zones for dual military families
-Command-sponsored dependent status and space-available travel access for overseas assignments
-Spousal privilege in courts martial, preventing same-sex partners from having to testify against each other.

These issues are governed by policy, not statute, and the Pentagon has the authority to change policy, thus affording married gay couples the same rights as heterosexual couples.

In the interim, SLDN sees their core legal service focusing more on correcting records. They will assist those discharged under DADT and under prior laws to correct their discharge paperwork. On the legal front, they are also involved in lawsuits for people seeking reinstatement or the opportunity to rejoin in a different capacity.

Lastly, and what is viewed as longer-reaching goal, Sarvis said SLDN will advocate for transgender military service, making service based on qualification, not gender identity.

Servicemembers United (SU)

Alex Nicholson, Servicemembers United founder, is focused where it has been most effective—defense personnel policies and issues impacting the LGBT military community. He stressed that though SU supports the repeal of DOMA, SU’s efforts are more localized.

“The multi-issue LGBT organizations with much bigger budgets are better suited to lead [the DOMA] issue, although Servicemembers United will certainly be supportive in any way it can,” he said.

Some of the more attainable items Nicholson cited were increasing the range of service member-designated benefits, and securing DoD support for gay military partners and families such as those listed in the SLDN letter to DoD.

Nicholson also said his group will continue working to end carry-over practices from DADT such as recoupment of benefits in DADT discharge cases, as well as fighting what he called thinly-veiled, work-around discharges. Such discharges are the result of situations a nondiscrimination policy could address, discharges for non-LGB related infractions that are less enforced in the general military population.

Log Cabin Republicans (LCR)

The biggest effect the demise of DADT had on the leadership of the Log Cabin Republicans was the wake-up call that while service members can no longer be fired due to their sexual orientation, many of their police officer, firemen and school teacher members who are not protected under a national employment nondiscrimination act can be, according to R. Clarke Cooper, LCR executive director.

“Law enforcement officers, for example, in many jurisdictions don’t have protection,” Cooper said. “When DADT repeal passed, the Log Cabin Republicans were pinged by their membership saying it ain’t over. We can get fired tomorrow. It’s un-American, unfair.”

Working an LGBT agenda with Republicans can be tenuous; however, this issue has an economic aspect at a time when jobs top the political discourse. “There are members of Congress who say nobody should be denied earning an income,” he said. The first attempt at legislation on this issue came in 2007, but failed.

As for such a policy for the military, Cooper, who is also an Army Reserve officer, has a more pragmatic opinion regarding the immediate need of a nondiscrimination policy than SLDN, saying those running military equal opportunity programs should presume the definition of nondiscrimination already includes gays. (*Editor’s note: DoD Tier 1-3 repeal training clearly stated that sexual orientation was not covered under the umbrella of Equal Opportunity, thus DoD would need to adjust their position on EO prior to service members presuming to be protected from discrimination based on current EO policy.)

“Does it need to be memorialized? Yes, but it’s not as hot an issue to tackle as others,” he said, describing instead LCR’s active education campaign to end DOMA in 2012.

LCR is partnering with Freedom to Marry and even some who helped author DOMA to lobby its repeal. They are actively targeting fellow conservatives to create allies in an educational campaign, and using the military as a prime example of how DOMA is detrimental to the nation.

“DOMA will eventually be killed through efforts in the DoD as it isn’t sustainable from a personnel standpoint,” he said. “There will be a stratified system for delivery of benefits. DoD is going to be the biggest change agent for DOMA.”

From Cooper’s experience in his own unit, he has heard questions about travel orders and visas upon changing stations, as well as questions on how to provide benefits to legitimate dependents. One example he gave is the legally married lesbian couple who seeks child care on base, but with a child who is not the natural born dependent of the military member. “Such a situation shouldn’t be a problem, but it will be,” he said.

OutServe

OutServe’s overall educational agenda has changed little with DADT’s downfall. “OutServe will continue it’s primary focus to ensure successful implementation of repeal, and that everyone is able to do their jobs successfully, no matter their orientation,” said Jonathan Hopkins, OutServe spokesperson. “As we move forward, we will help identify any problems that develop post-repeal and assist in rectifying them in an orderly way. This is one way we will continue to help improve our military.”

OutServe is organized as a 501(c)3, not a lobbying organization. In that light, Hopkins said the group can still educate on the impact DOMA has on LGBT troops. “A family is a family. Military families of all types serve the nation just the same. Through information and education, our nation can make smart and informed decisions, based upon equality, which is ultimately better for our country.”

Human Rights Campaign

As a large, multi-issue organization, HRC, like the Log Cabin Republicans, is identifying examples from the military that will affect their work. In terms of broader policy, HRC believes bumps in the road come with any large scale political change such as the end of DADT.

“There will be elements of DADT repeal that we need to be watchful of,” said HRC spokesman Michael Cole-Schwartz. “We need to ensure people are not discriminated against, claims of harassment are pursued appropriately, and service members have access to channels in order to deal with such problems in the same way their straight colleagues do, as well.”

Like other organizations, HRC thinks an explicit nondiscrimination policy covering sexual orientation would clarify and ensure the military’s desire for nondiscrimination of any kind.

While the group has no wholesale change in their outlook with this victory, HRC thinks there is still work to be done.

“Think about it in light of the hate crimes law passed a couple years ago,” Cole-Schwartz said. “While a huge victory, there are still things we as an organization do, such as working closely with the Department of Justice and publishing a guide for how states work with the law. While a different issue, it is illustrative of how there is still a lot of work to do on implementation and ensuring that the spirit of the law is followed. I think it’ll be the same as DADT repeal. While the statute is wiped off the books, there is plenty for advocates to do with regard to the day-to-day lives of the people we represent.”

Organizations like the Military Acceptance Project (MAP) seek to prevent this type of discrimination against service members. Founded by a group of clinical social workers with various military affiliations, this new nonprofit has a unique and simple mission–to promote the acceptance of all service members, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender, race/ethnicity or faith. “The repeal of DADT is fantastic, but it’s just the start,” says Military Acceptance Project Executive Director and Naval Academy graduate, Kristen Kavanaugh. “Policy change is one thing, cultural change is another. Our goal is to support and educate service members and military leadership in creating a culture that values the uniqueness of every service member.”

In order to meet this challenging goal, the Military Acceptance Project is developing a variety of direct-support programs to meet the needs of service members and their families, as well as training and educational programs that target cultural change within the military.

Hangouts (Virtual and On-the-Ground)

Connecting service members, veterans, and their families to one another for support is key to first promoting self-acceptance as well as cultural change. It’s a safe space where people can speak freely about their thoughts and feelings, facilitated by trained MAP volunteers who are in the public-service professions and have military backgrounds.

Care MAP

Many service members, veterans, and their families may not be comfortable seeking counseling or support within the military or VA context–especially when they feel unaccepted for who they are. Care MAP is a network of screened mental health clinicians who provide low or no-cost counseling to service members, veterans, and their families.

Website

Originally designed with input from service members seeking more information on the DADT repeal progress, www.militaryacceptanceproject.org is evolving to include broader information, support, and resources.

Acceptance Curriculum

The Acceptance Curriculum is an interactive, dialogue-based workshop that provides a safe forum for service members to learn and talk about sexual diversity, racism, and other sensitive issues. Workshops are customized based on the audience.

This month, the Military Acceptance Project will launch virtual hangouts for service members, veterans, and their partners to talk about how to make their military social interactions as positive as possible. For example, many LGBT service members want to take their partners to the upcoming Service balls for the very first time. Talking about this very public step, and getting support both before and afterwards, can make it much easier. Other topics will include: creating a healthy work environment, preparing for deployment, post-deployment reintegration, effective communication with family members, setting expectations, and successful transition into civilian life. According to Kavanaugh, “We want hangouts to develop organically from the unique interests of the group and cover topics that are relevant in their daily lives.” If you’d like to join a virtual hangout, you can email hangout@militaryacceptanceproject.org

Since launching their website, social media presence, and outreach efforts on April 1, 2011, the Military Acceptance Project has reached nearly 10,000 people. “We’ve been truly amazed at the response we’ve gotten from service members, veterans, and their families. One of the most basic needs of every human being is acceptance and belonging. We are honored to serve those who serve our country by helping to facilitate both of those efforts.”

If you’d like to learn more or support the work of the Military Acceptance Project, visit their website at: www.militaryacceptanceproject.org