FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 3, 2010
CONTACT: Christopher Moore, Club President
530.713.0914 | president@sacstonewall.org

Press Release: Sacramento Stonewall Applauds Admiral Mike Mullen's Support for ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

Sacramento -- The Stonewall Democratic Club of Greater Sacramento applauds the courage of Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for bravely sharing his personal feelings with Congress that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is wrong and must come to an end.

“Admiral Mullen showed true courage today,” said Sacramento Stonewall President Christopher Moore. “The Admiral could have simply deferred to the judgment of Congress or the Commander-in-Chief, but instead he chose to lead the way. He set an example for other leaders to follow, from the local level all the way up to President Obama. We must continue to demand that kind of courage and accountability on LGBT issues from our elected officials."

While addressing members of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, Admiral Mullen said, "Speaking for myself and myself only, it is my personal belief that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly would be the right thing to do.” He continued, "No matter how I look at this issue, I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens. For me personally, it comes down to integrity -- theirs as individuals and ours as an institution."

Mr. Moore continued, "I have many friends serving in the military that have expressed their personal struggles serving under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'. I can not imagine the anxiety they feel day to day worrying that their entire career could be gone in a flash simply because someone found out they're gay. This policy can't be ended soon enough."

The Stonewall Democratic Club of Greater Sacramento is one of the largest Democratic clubs in the region and is one of the largest LGBT Democratic clubs in the United States. Sacramento Stonewall works toward Democratic values for all.