For the first time in history, San Diego gay veterans spoke out against the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy to the San Diego County United Veterans Council (SDUVC). The Jan. 27 meeting was the SDUVC’s largest ever in attendance.

“I think the fact that the council docketed time for the presentation shows that we truly are on a track that one day will lead to full equality for all of our men and women in uniform,” said Michael Magee of San Diego’s Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.

Retired Army Colonel Stewart Bornhoft and former Marine Sergeant Bob Lehman made the presentation detailing the high costs of firing gays and lesbians from the military, both in terms of taxpayer dollars and national security. The presentation also noted that 55 Arabic translators have been fired for being gay or lesbian since 9/11, and that the United States and Turkey are the only two original members of NATO to ban gays and lesbians from service.

“Our purpose was to educate mainstream veterans about the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy,” Lehman noted. “Hopefully, we’ve changed some minds so that in the future these veterans and their organizations will help us end this discriminatory policy.”

The SDUVC represents more than 165 local veterans’ organizations, 300,000 veterans and 128,000 active-duty servicemembers. San Diego’s chapter of American Veterans for Equal Rights is a member of this organization.

“They had the facts, the military bearing and even-handed approach that disarmed and charmed this potentially unfriendly audience,” said Ben Dillingham of the San Diego Veterans Advisory Board. “They established credibility as brothers-in-arms and in return were extended the courtesy of a fair hearing of the message.”

- Press release