STONEWALL DEMOCRATS of Western New York

PO Box 857, Buffalo, NY 14205 Website:

www.SDWNY.org

OFFICERS November 16, 2010

Bryan Ball
President Hon. Kirsten Gillbrand
478 Russell Senate Office Building
Kitty Lambert Washington, D.C. 20510
Vice President
Community Outreach
Dear Senator Gillbrand,
Bruce Kogan
Vice President
Party Outreach
I write concerning the freedom of our country’s military. As you know,
the military’s policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) threatens, harms and
Ronald Groth devastates the lives of women and men who serve our military. With this policy,
Treasurer our government continues to unjustly discriminate against our best who seek to
Thomas Peglowski serve and protect our nation. These great Americans are often faced with
Secretary unimaginable dilemmas that place career, identity and family separately from one
another. Never should this happen, and each day that passes when a soldier is
forced to keep silent or risk the end of his or her career is an American tragedy.

I thank you for the work and advocacy you have done to keep this
desperately urgent issue discussed in the Senate and on the national stage. Your
recognition of heroes such as Lieutenant Dan Choi is commendable.
Unfortunately, this Congress has seen many set backs in the effort to repeal this
bigoted policy. I respectfully ask that you do all you can to continue to see this
repeal through to a reality. I fully support the Human Rights Campaign’s “Repeal
DADT Now” Campaign, and wholeheartedly endorse action being taken to bring
the Defense Authorization bill to the floor before this current Congress ends.

Again, I know you are well aware of the facts. The soldier who cannot
receive an honest letter or phone call from the one they love. The partner who
remains at home, in silence. The career pointlessly ended because of accusations
over a soldier’s personal life. The personal stories from men and women across
our nation’s borders and history, which tell of lives ruined and compromised in
the name of this policy. Western New York has a great number of lives directly
affected by this policy, men and women who have had personal freedom and
security threatened by this true threat to our national security. I support and
strongly urge your continued advocacy to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and see
the Defense Authorization bill brought to the floor before this current Congress
ends. Repealing this policy is the only way to honor the memory and make right
the lives of the countless members of our military who have been unjustly harmed
by this ugly policy. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Bryan Glenn Ball
President