- LARRY SHELDON WHITT
I took an oath of office when I enlisted in the U.S. Navy; I did this even before I was issued a uniform. I, Larry Sheldon Whitt, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me.
The foreign enemies are easy to see, they are the counties that would attack our soil. The terrorist that threaten our very way of life, we are in a war on terrorism right now today in this country. The domestic enemies are more subdued, but they are very real and need to be fought with every thing we have. They are discrimination, injustice, prejudice and denying any American the right to life free and Equal. It is when some group stands to keep all Americans from having the rights to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. You have heard it said “Once a Marine, Always a Marine” the same holds true for Sailors, Airmen, and Soldiers. We do not stop being American fighting men just because we are discharged from the service at the end of our enlistment. I have been contacted by American servicemen on active duty who cannot speak up for fear of being discharged. I have told them to hang in there, they are fighting to keep us Free, and we are out here fighting to keep them in the service and free from discrimination.
The protest at the White House was very diverse; we had
1 Gay Army Lt. Dan Choi
1 Gay Army Capt. Jim Pietrangelo II
1Gay Navy First Class Petty Officer, Larry Sheldon Whitt
1 Transgender Navy First Class Petty Officer, Autumn Sandeen 1 Lesbian U.S. Marine Corp .Cpl. Evelyn Thomas
1 Lesbian U. S. Air Force Cadet, Cadet Mara Boyd.
We stood in solidarity with dignity and pride united for the past, present and future military who are in the GLBT community. All Americans must be made to understand this is a civil rights issue and we must take action now. We encourage all American to stand up for what is right to help gain equality for all Americans. Many people of all communities think that the Repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is a “Done Deal”, IT IS NOT!!! I call on all American’s, GLBT, straight and People of Color, to come together and take a stand to hold President Obama to his word.
Insiders have already hinted that the repeal of DADT will not, I said NOT happen in 2010.
We the GLBT community must ask ourselves if not in 2010, then When????? We must write to President Obama and tell him to put the wording in the Defense Authorization Bill to Repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Right NOW. If he does not thousands more GLBT service members will be discharged under DADT. The American people, the Government and the GLBT people will never get Equality and Dignity Restored unless it is seared into the moral conscience that there is injustice in the government. President Obama can put some teeth into this bill by adding the wording to Repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and end discrimination in the U.S. Armed Forces. He has to take the Lead on the issue. We must write him, call him and make him accountable for the promises he made. With this wording in the Defense Authorization Bill we have enough votes right now today to repeal the ban, but without those word in the Bill It will not happen there simply are not enough votes. We in the GLBT community must act now and we must keep up the fight to get this Repeal done in 2010.
I just joined GetEQUAL in demanding the immediate repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT), the policy that discriminates against lesbian and gay servicemembers. I support Lt. Dan Choi, Capt. Jim Pietrangelo, Cpl. Evelyn Thomas, and others who took action at the White House fence on April 20 to end DADT. Watch this video of the police chasing reporters away from the White House during the protest, and join us in demanding that President Obama answer our simple question: “President Obama, will you repeal DADT in this year’s Defense Authorization Bill?”
Our hopes swelled when President Obama promised at the State of the Union to end the policy, but his words mean nothing without action. And he has an opportunity to take action right now. The Defense Authorization Bill (DAB) provides funding for all military operations, and it will soon be up for renewal.
President Obama knows that the DAB provides a way to repeal DADT immediately. And he knows that repealing the policy quickly and decisively is the right thing to do for LGBT servicemembers and for all of the armed forces. But recent reports suggest that the Administration is trying to delay any law change until December or even later.
Ed note: Larry Whitt is a retired Petty Officer from the Navy. He can be reached at Dmitryr@JumponMarkslist.com.
