The ban has been lifted and the
Youtube video of a United States Marine
passionately kissing his boyfriend upon
returning from deployment has spread around the
world without the Pentagon collapsing. "Mission
Accomplished?" Hardly. Ending DADT is a huge
success, but there is still much work to be done
before LGBT service members and vets can defend
our nation in full equality. Transgender
Americans still cannot serve. And gay, lesbian,
and bisexual service members cannot get benefits
for their partners and families, benefits which
make up a huge percentage of an overall
compensation to which they have no access. The
fight for equality is not over, and AVER will
continue the effort to allow trans patriots the
right to serve in the military and ensure that
LGB service members are not considered equal
just because they can no longer be fired for
being who they are.
The very last people who should discriminate
against others are those few and proud people
who have sworn an oath to defend the United
States Constitution. That solemn oath of
enlistment is a sacred promise to defend all the
constitution, and nothing but the constitution.
The constitution is clear that no state will
issue a law that denies equality to American
citizens. AVER must continue to push the
defenders of liberty to honor their oath.
Inequality is un-American. Period. Are we
willing to sit back now with the victory of
repeal and allow America to be threatened by
individuals who put their personal beliefs
before their loyalty to our nation? They may
have that option. We do not. We swore an oath.
AVER should be on the cutting edge of the fight
for LGBT Americans to marry. Why? Because we
swore an oath to defend the words that are our
liberty. And those words are clear. Equality
cannot be redefined to mean anything other than
the same rights as everyone else. When will
America have equality? When every citizen has
the same equal rights as every other citizen.
That is not the reality in our nation now, and those
individuals who wish to raise discrimination to
a proud virtue are dangerous enemies of America
and an offense to our liberty. They dishonor
their oath to defend the constitution, whether
on the battlefield or the Capitol Hill, and they
dishonor the sacrifices of every Soldier,
Sailor, Marine, Airman, or Coast Guardsman who
has ever given his or her life in the defense of
those words which are clear to anyone who cares
to understand what they say.
The fight is not over. There is still much work
to do. We are tired and many of us would like
to take a well deserved and much needed leave.
I know. I need it as much as anyone. But we
must not stop now. We're not just holding the
line anymore, we're on the offensive. And we
need everyone with us, just as we did when we
began this long and painful push for freedom.
Please stay in the fight. What we fight for is
not just the right of LGB and T Americans to
serve in the military. Nor is it just for the
right of same gender couples to access the equal
rights and protections of marriage. It is about
the very clear, honorable, and sacred words that
make America, America. Our enemies will never
yield the field. They will simply fall back
behind the bulwark of one issue after another
until they find the next one which no group is
willing to fight. And they will simply bide
their time until they can charge back out again
under a new and more acceptable banner. But the
words of the constitution will still be the
same, and those words will always be worth
defending. Please continue to honor your oath.
Continue to defend those words that define
America, those words which clearly say that in
the United States of America, equality will only
be defined, can only be defined, by equal rights
for every American.