Washington, D.C. – Former Naval Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason Knight, a linguist who served openly during two enlistments in the Navy, will join Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) in working for repeal of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” ban on lesbian, gay and bisexual personnel, the organization announced last week. Knight’s story has captured widespread media attention in recent weeks after he initially told about his experience, of serving openly during a 10-month deployment to Kuwait, to the military newspaper Stars & Stripes. He will join SLDN as an exclusive member of the group’s national speakers’ bureau, will be featured in the SLDN national ad campaign, and will kick-off his work with the organization during a June 5 visit to Washington, D.C., to meet with Congressional staff and SLDN supporters.

“We are enormously proud to have a passionate advocate like Jason joining us in our outreach, education and media campaigns,” said Steve Ralls, director of communications for SLDN. “Jason’s experience obliterates the notion that lesbian and gay Americans cannot serve openly while making a positive impact on our armed forces. We look forward to working with Jason to continue telling his story. He is a powerful advocate for repeal whose story shows just how absurd and unnecessary this law really is.”

Knight kicked off his work with SLDN this week in Washington where he spoke with Congressional staffers during the afternoon of June 5 and was the keynote speaker at an SLDN reception at the National Women’s Democratic Club.

He will also begin appearing in SLDN’s “Lift the Ban” national advertising campaign, which features servicemembers and veterans affected by the law. Knight will also travel throughout the year, as part of SLDN’s national speakers’ bureau.