Rules for service members

RULES OF ADVOCACY FOR SERVICE MEMBERS

By Aaron Tax, Esq.

If you are a lesbian, gay, or bisexual active duty service member (or a member of the National Guard or reserves) you CAN speak out against "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT), but there are 3 precautions you must take because of DADT and DoD Regulations:

Don't act as though you represent the military when expressing your personal opinion. DoD Regulation 1344.10 (controlling political activity by military members) limits what you can say and how you can say it. You should not wear your uniform and you should not give the impression you are speaking for your unit or the military when you express your opinion on a political issue.

When you speak out, don't out yourself. Being out to anyone, anywhere, at any time can get you discharged. Therefore, do not identify yourself as LGB – or suggest that you are LGB - while writing or speaking out against DADT.

Be careful - you risk raising suspicions that you are LGB. Even if you don't out yourself or violate DoD regulations, you risk drawing attention to yourself.

As a service member pushing to repeal DADT, here's what you CAN and CANNOT do:


Rallies

- You CAN attend an "end DADT" rally as a spectator.

- You CANNOT wear your uniform to the rally.

- You CANNOT speak in front of the rally.


Letters to the Editor

- You CAN write a letter to the editor of a paper expressing your personal view calling for the repeal of DADT and sign it as a service member.

- You CANNOT send a form letter to the editor of a newspaper calling for repeal of DADT – even if the letter is drafted by SLDN. Civilians are allowed to use form letters; military members are not allowed to use form letters.


Talking to or writing to your Member of Congress

- You CAN express your personal opinion to Congress that DADT should be repealed.

- You CANNOT tell your Congressperson that you are speaking on behalf of your unit or the military when you tell him/her that DADT should be repealed.


Talking on the radio/TV or at a program/group discussion

- You CAN express your personal opinion that DADT should be repealed when interviewed by the press.

- You CANNOT tell the press that you represent the armed forces when you say that DADT should be repealed.


Petition

- You CAN sign a petition favoring repeal of DADT.

- You CANNOT claim to represent the military when signing a petition to repeal DADT.


Bumper Sticker

- You CAN put a bumper sticker on your personal car calling for repeal of DADT.

- You CANNOT put a large poster on your personal car calling for repeal of DADT.

- You CANNOT put DADT repeal bumper stickers on military vehicles.


Voting

- You CAN vote for candidates who support repeal of DADT.

- You CAN encourage other people to vote during election times.

- You CANNOT campaign for a particular candidate representing yourself as a military member.


Contributions

- You CAN contribute money to organizations working towards repealing DADT, such as a group like SLDN.


SLDN Gala or other fundraisers

- You CAN attend an SLDN dinner or similar fundraiser.

- You CANNOT sell tickets for, or otherwise actively promote, the SLDN dinner or similar fundraising events.