EDGE Chicago

Florida played host last week to "Voices of Honor: A Generation Under ’Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’" a national tour in support of the repeal of the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy which has prevented LGBT people from serving openly since 1993.

The Human Rights Campaign and Servicemembers United, a national organization of LGBT troops, veterans and allies, co-sponsored the tour. The groups hosted three events in the Sunshine State: a viewing of the documentary "Ask Not" followed by question-and-answer session in Orlando and two public town-hall discussions, one in English in St. Petersburg and another in Spanish in Miami.

HRC president Joe Solmonese and former Marine Staff Sgt. Eric Alva were among those who spoke in the three cities. Some straight veterans also shared their experiences serving alongside gay and lesbian troops.

Jarrod Chlapowski, a former U.S. Army Korean linguist who opted to not re-enlist because of DADT, also spoke on the panels in Orlando and St. Petersburg. He said he was pleased with the turnout. And he added it built from the success of the tour’s previous stops in other states.

"I’d say it was definitely a great turnout," Chlapowski said as he estimated 140 people came to the Orlando documentary screening and pointed to what he described as strong numbers at the other events. "We’re activating these groups of citizens and setting up a basic infrastructure that we’ll be able to call upon when we need them to fight, when we get closer to pushing legislation through."

Chlapowski is now an assistant director for Servicemembers United, an organization whose mission includes "engaging in education and advocacy on issues affecting gay and lesbian troops and veterans," in addition to "representing the voice of Iraq/Afghanistan-era gay and lesbian troops and veterans." Since the organization’s inception in 2005, they have actively fought the DADT policy through educational events and visibility campaigns.

Pennsylvania Congressman Patrick Murphy, the first Iraq War veteran to serve on Capitol Hill, has taken the lead role in overturning DADT with his lead sponsorship of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act. The bill has 172 co-sponsors to date and the president has publicly stated that, if passed, he would sign the legislation into law.

Chlapowski said support for the bill has slowed recently, as many legislators appear to be waiting for the results of the Pentagon’s internal review of the policy launched earlier this summer. He added he feels the tour remains part of a larger effort to keep the issue on the public’s mind, to educate Americans about the policy’s effects and to encourage to urge their elected officials to support the bill’s repeal.

"[DADT] is something that we can show effects the military. Its repeal will improve national security," Chlapowski told EDGE. "We need to take the arguments about unit cohesion and morale back from the opposition and own them, showing that this really is what we need to be doing now."

Public opinion on DADT has revealed strong support for its repeal. A Washington Post poll in July 2008 found 75 percent of Americans favor allowing openly gay soldiers to serve in the military. Israel, the United Kingdom and more than 20 other countries currently allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in their armed forces.

As for military personnel themselves, the numbers are cloudier. A 2006 Zogby International poll found 73 percent of military members surveyed "felt comfortable in the presence of gay and lesbian personnel," while only 26 percent were "in favor of gays and lesbians serving in the military." Thirty-seven percent either had no preference or were unsure.