The Servicemember’s Legal Defense Network is hosting a benefit on Saturday, March 20, from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at a private home in Point Loma. Keynote speakers will be Reichen Lehmkuhl, from the television program “The Amazing Race”, and Alan Steinman, a retired rear admiral who recently came out. The benefit marks the 10-year anniversary of SLDN locally.

SLDN is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC that combats military discrimination based on the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and other forms of prejudice. They involve themselves in policy issues and lobbying, and provide support and legal advice for military personnel who have been harassed, discriminated against and discharged because of their sexual orientation.

Lehmkuhl, half of the male couple that won “The Amazing Race”, a CBS reality show where 12 teams of two compete in a global race, was also a cadet at the Air Force Academy and has spoken out a number of times against the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

“He is an excellent speaker,” said SLDN board member Anna Curren. “Very dedicated to SLDN. He finally left the Air Force because he couldn’t stand the hypocrisy anymore. Trying to pretend to be straight, it just got to him. It’s not safe to be out.”

The “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy was signed into law by Bill Clinton on Nov. 30, 1993. Clinton, who approved the law with the intention of ultimately allowing GLBT Americans to serve openly in the military, made no further progress on the issue during his presidency and since the policy went into effect, nearly 10,000 military personnel have been discharged based on their sexual orientation.

Curren pointed out that the policy is the only federally legislated gay and lesbian discrimination: “There are rights we don’t have, but that is the one that actually discriminates against us.”

Steinman, a retired M.D. and U.S. Coast Guard rear admiral, was one of three retired military personnel who came out nationally in December of last year. Steinman, and Brigadier Generals Keith Kerr and Virgil Richard spoke out against the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on CNN, and called for it to be dropped. All three serve on SLDN’s honorary board.

In his keynote address, Steinman will talk about the gay and lesbian servicemembers he supervised, as well as his own coming-out and what effect that had.

Lehmkuhl will discuss what it is like to be a gay man in the military, and what servicemembers have to put up with when trying to cope with “don’t ask, don’t tell”.

“To some extent, it’s kind of dangerous,” Curren said. “In some settings, the commanding officers are very accepting, but in others it’s a very homophobic thing.”

Nationally, SLDN is preparing for Lobby Day, May 23-25, in Washington, DC. Dixon Osborne, the organization’s CEO, in conjunction with American Veterans for Equal Rights, created Lobby Day a few years ago as a day to visit Capitol Hill and speak to Congressional and Senate aids about military discrimination.

“One of our staunchest supporters in the Senate is Ted Kennedy,” Curren said. “He works very closely with SLDN on a consistent basis to help any way he can.”

The organization is also swamped with people phoning in for advice and help on the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy – 5,400 calls since inception.

“After Lawrence v. Texas passed, SLDN got a big boost, because not only gay and lesbian servicemembers are discharged under ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’, it’s anybody who engaged in sodomy,” Curren said. “There have been heterosexual people discharged who had been squealed on by ex-wives.”

Curren said Lawrence v. Texas presented an opportunity to go to the federal Court of Appeals, the highest military court, and present a brief petitioning on behalf of a servicemember who was discharged under the policy. “If they get rid of that sodomy clause, then it is really just going to blow the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ into a big issue again,” she said. That decision will be made by the end of the current legislative session, which will be later in the spring.

Saturday’s benefit is SLDN’s only regular fundraiser taking place in San Diego. Despite San Diego’s large military presence, there are no plans to open an office in the area.

Interested parties can call (619) 239-4180 for more information about the benefit.