The military’s ban on openly gay servicemembers will be officially relegated to the history books later this month — an occasion the Philadelphia LGBT and ally community will celebrate.
The community is invited to the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Repeal Celebration Happy Hour from 5-7 p.m. Sept. 20 at Tabu, 200 S. 12th St.
Former Pennsylvania Congressman Patrick Murphy will headline the event, organized by Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, Equality Pennsylvania and Chatterblast Media.
Murphy, an Iraq War veteran, was the lead sponsor of the bill that repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
Murphy lost his Congressional seat a month before the bill received final Congressional approval, after he’d taken over the proposed measure in summer 2009, and said the fight was more challenging than he originally envisioned.
“It was a lot tougher than I thought it would be,” he said. “Even though most Americans and most folks in Washington knew it was right to overturn the policy, there were people who were intimidated by the far-right wing, and the easiest thing to do — in Washington, in Harrisburg or in life — is nothing. But we couldn’t let that happen.”
Congress approved Murphy’s bill late last year, thanks to a bipartisan effort that, Equality PA executive director Ted Martin said, proved “once again that our civil rights are not a Democrat or a Republican issue. We look forward to this same bipartisanship in ending more dark chapters in Pennsylvania and U.S. history.”
After this summer’s training of all military branches, the repeal was certified by President Obama and military heads, leading to the Sept. 20 lifting.
“The repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ is an important milestone along the journey to achieving LGBT equality in America’s military,” said Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of SLDN. “September 20 will be a historic day for our servicemembers and, indeed, our nation. Through the events taking place across the country, we will pay tribute to their service and sacrifice as we look forward to this new era of military service — an era that honors the contributions of all qualified Americans who wish to serve.”
While the policy’s last day is within sight, that doesn’t mean the path to open service will be obstacle-free, Murphy said.
“Wherever there’s hatred and bigotry, there are going to be challenges, and that’s why it’s important for folks to continue to fight to make sure we are continuing to make this a more perfect union,” he said.
For Murphy, however, Sept. 20 will mark a large step toward that goal.
“I’ll be with my family celebrating a great day in American history,” he said. “It’ll be a true civil-rights moment where people finally openly serve their country in uniform.”
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].