The Right To Serve

[Mia14]

The website for Soulforce's newest campaign against discrimination, the Right to Serve, is up and running at www.righttoserve.org (http://www.righttoserve.org).

I will be co-organizing Philadelphia.

If you want to get involved, there are links for city organizers. You can also find contact information there for Jake or Haven if you'd like to start one in your city. Don't be overwhelmed by the idea of it, they'll give you lots of support.

If you'd rather not directly participate, you can always donate to help the cause via the website. If you want to make a bigger donation, you can set up a community fundraiser, organize a social gathering, or even just ask some friends or family members to contribute.

Please feel free to send me a private message or an e-mail if you need any information. The other city organizers are also very friendly, so please don't hesitate to let them know if you're interested.

[Mia14]

Thank you, Jaime, for creating the Right to Serve website!! It's amazing what a wonderful job you did, especially since we know you've been very busy with other things lately (congrats again on the gorgeous ring!).

Jaime, you're great. :love: Without you, what would we do?

[Britt.]

I suppose I could donate. My opinions regarding the military will prevent me from ever enlisting, or attempting to, but I don't believe those who want to enlist should be exluded on the basis of who they love, or might love.

It's been a little confusing for me. I think "don't ask. don't tell" is an invalid policy, but at the same time, I think our miliatary policy is not much more valid. So I want to help in some fashion, but don't care much for being told I can write a check, which I'm not opposed to. I want to offer my support, but telling me to just "write a check," & ending it there seems a bit cold, & almost insulting.

This isn't directed at anyone in particular. I'd say so if that were the case. Just an impression I've picked up from some emails. There has to be something between enlisting, & writing a check. That stuff in between increases the chances that I'll write a check.

It's just the whole, "you can't really help, but your bank card can" thing. Annoys me. Supreme.

[sbonser04]

Mia,

I hope everything goes well for you and others participating. i wish i could be there, but work won't permit it. Good luck.

Sarah

[ruthkelso]

Hi.

Many of us LGBT veterans would like to support those younger folks who are attempting to enlist.

What is the scenario as the prospective enlistee enters the recruiting center? Do they go alone? Do they have someone with them? Is this all done on the same day? Do you have a date or dates set?

I was inducted in Philly toward the end of the war in Vietnam, but after my discharge (honorable I say proudly) I made my home in California. I live now in San Jose, CA, but I might be able to get to Philly if there is going to be a specific day on which this will be done.

How can I be helpful?

[tdogg]

Hey Britt, Mia did mention maybe organizing a fundraiser or social gathering (not sure what you would do at that). Maybe those are ideas you would work with. I get what you mean about 'writing a check', it gets tiring writing checks to everyone. But those are some other ideas where you don't necesarily have to fork over the cash right away. Maybe sending letters or postcards to participants to encourgage and support them? Might be hard to contact military organizations on their behalf, since one could be prone to send the letter stating an opinion of what the military does in general as opposed to this particular area? All out of ideas at the moment.

but Mia and all, I applaud what you are doing. This is supposed to be a 'free' country (although we all know it isn't entirely free) and if a person wants to enlist they should have the right to serve free and devoid of prejudices and negativity towards who they are, no matter who they are. Way to go!!! I will definitely check out the website

[Vanessa White]

I haven't visited the website yet, but have discussed this with Mia in person. For persons that want to offer support directly at the event without attempting to enlist, what they are asking is for persons to be at the recruitment centers to "sit in", and basically take over the center with our numbers, until we disrupt the doings of the recruitment center, and they have to have us removed. I really considered such an action in Phila, but gotta take my kid to camp all week, so no go for me. Maybe next one.....

[Britt.]

Good ideas actually. I'll have to look at the site to see which events are close enough to Tulsa for me to attend, but sit ins are certainly something to consider.

Letters might be hard to work out, but I'm sure it's possible. It's just kind of awkward having a relatively negative view of general military/foreign policy, & also blatantly having a problem w/ their discriminatory enlistment policies. I don't know exactly why. Written out like this, it seems really logical. I guess, let people who want to help you do it, & clean up your act while you're at it. Maybe you guys can help clean them up eventually.

NM. I think I just got rid of the awkwardness in my own chaotic little way.

[Jennifer5]

just watched this ......http://cbs3.com/topstories/local_story_213152612.html ....

[ruthkelso]

thanx for posting this article, Jennifer.

During the Vietnam war, many jobs formerly closed to women were opened up to women because the Air Force needed more "bodies" to fill quotas.

Maybe this is the perfect time for this Right to Serve campaign considering the current shortfalls in recruiting and knowing that starting up a draft again would be a disaster politically.

It's great to see the media pick up some of our action.

[Vanessa White]

Mia, Shane and Jarrett: I am so proud of the three of you. Rock on! The coverage was a start, and it seemed to be handled well in the story. Good luck with the sit ins (wish i could be there, but will be thinking of all of you):love: :love: :love:

[Pamela Disel]

Britt,
I hope you've checked out the Right to Serve website. I'm organizing Oklahoma City and am the spokesperson for Norman. Michael Cich is organizing Tulsa. Here's the thing: we need you (& 5 of your friends) in all 3 cities! :) Sit in with me! Let's do it. You know as well as I do that Oklahomans need to see our strong community in a united fashion. Contact me at pam.disel@righttoserve.org. We're holding community meetings and our enlistment date for Okc is August 23rd with Tulsa following on the 24th. Our sit-ins will follow shortly. I hope to hear from you soon (this means tomorrow) and I won't ask you for a check...yet. ;)

Much love,

Pamela Disel

[Vanessa White]

Hey all: I did speak with Mia late last night. Phillie went okay, although the police were a little hostile on the first day. They had many more demonstrators with them on the second day, and some arrests were made. Very little media coverage though, which she was disappointed in. She is coming home from Phila today, and sounds like it was a great experience for her. She said that by yesterday afternoon, some police officers seemed to have a greater understanding of how oppressive "Don't ask, don't tell" really is, and encouraged some of them to join the police force instead! She sounds up and energized. I am so proud, just like a true mama!!! :lol: :lol: :love: :love: :love: :love:

[Britt.]

Pamela,

I just emailed you. I know it's a day off from what you said, but I haven't had much time to look at the forums lately.