Jul 03, 2009  |  By: Staff & Wire Reports  | COMMENTS     

WASHINGTON — Nearly 300 people waved placards and chanted slogans calling on President Obama and Congress to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law that bars gays from serving openly in the military in a protest march in front of the White House on June 27.

The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which organized the protest, pointed to government figures showing that almost 13,000 gay, lesbian or bisexual service members have been discharged from the all four branches of the military since the law took effect in 1994.

“Our message today is the president needs to act with a sense of urgency,” said SLDN Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis.

“Commitments, rhetoric is fine, but now that has to be translated into action,” he said. “We call upon the president to send up a specific legislative proposal to the Hill to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’”

Protesters carried placards and wore buttons bearing the number 265, which they said is the estimated number of gay, lesbian or bisexual service members ousted from the military under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” since Obama became president Jan. 20.

A Department of Defense spokesperson said the Pentagon is not expected to release the actual number of gay discharges for 2009 for about a year. According to Pentagon figures, 619 service members were discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in 2008 and 627 were ousted under the statute in 2007.

President Obama has said he favors the full repeal by Congress of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law, but wants to allow the Pentagon and military leaders to prepare a detailed plan to implement the repeal before asking Congress to strike the statute.

While approaching the White House through Lafayette Park, the protesters chanted, “Hey hey, ho ho, ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ has got to go” and “What do we want? Freedom to serve. And when do we want it? We want it now.”

The entourage of chanting protesters drew the attention of dozens of tourists standing in front of the White House, with many of them snapping pictures of the protesters and viewing them through their digital cameras.

Among those participating in the protest was Jose Zuniga, a gay Army veteran who served as a combat medic and military journalist during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in Iraq.

“Throughout his presidential campaign, presidential candidate Obama inspired hope in us once more — hope that the politics of hatred, bigotry and discrimination would no longer prevail,” Zuniga said through a bull horn.

“He inspired hope in us once more that all Americans, including LGBT Americans, can expect to be treated equally under the law,” he said. “Mr. President, members of Congress, end ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ once and for all.”