If Howard Dean Can Show Up At A “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Rally, Why Can’t Joe Solmonese?

Howard Dean and Justin Elzie at DADT Rally 05-02-10

“If Howard Dean can show up at a “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” rally, why can’t Joe Solmonese?”

Justin Elzie, the first Marine to come out under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in 1993, asked me that question after he, along with several other present and former servicemembers spoke at a rally in Washington, D.C. Sunday. A rally that former Vermont Governor and former Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean showed up to and spoke at, but HRC President Joe Solmonese did not.

Howard Dean has no horse in this race. He’s not running for — or against — anything. These days, the six-term governor makes his living talking mostly about health care, not military policy. So what motivated Dean to speak? Chris Geidner at D.C.’s Metro Weekly wrote that Dean “was in the area for a Democracy for America fundraiser and supported the cause.”

At Sunday’s rally, Dean shared some of his thoughts on gays serving in the military

“If somebody is brave enough to take a bullet for the United States of America then they ought to have equal rights under the law when they come home just like everybody else does.”

“To kick talented people out of the military because they happen to be gay or lesbian makes no sense at all.”

“The fact of the matter is, the first guy who took a bullet for George W. Bush, when he sent our troops to Iraq, was…Eric Alva…Eric Alva is a gay man.”

Pity Joe Solmonese wasn’t in the area Sunday when Howard Dean was speaking to the crowd of 100 to 150. Pity Solmonese wasn’t in the area when just after Governor Dean spoke and six servicemembers once again were chained to the White House gates. (Some would say pity Solmonese was in the area the first time Choi chained himself to the White House gates.)

But the point is not that Solmonese wasn’t there. And it’s way too easy to point that out.

The point, is that there is a serious lack of leadership coming from Solmonese on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal. But Solmonese is in good company. There’s also a serious lack of leadership coming from the White House.

It seems these days that the real leadership on DADT repeal is coming from grass roots groups like GetEQUAL, and SLDN, Servicemembers United, and Queer Rising. HRC and others may very well be working behind the scenes, but until they can prove the effectiveness of their actions, the growing sentiment in the LGBTQ community is, “What have you done for me lately?”

These direct actions from grassroots groups like Servicemembers United and GetEqual, and others who are responsible for Sunday’s rally and White House protest are what’s getting attention. While the community and the greater citizenry may be divided on the wisdom of these events, the fact is that they are keeping the plight of LGBTQ Americans in the news.

At yesterday’s rally, half a dozen past and present members of our nation’s armed forces, Tanya Domi, Jarrod Chlapowski, Evelyn Thomas, Brett Edward Stout, and Robin Chaurasiya, along with rally host Justin Elzie, all spoke in favor of repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

And once more, six DADT protesters (this time, Mark Reed, Natasha Dillon, Alan Bounville, Ann Tischer, Nora Camp, and Eiona DiBona) chained themselves to the White House gates, the third time this year activists have done this to highlight the need to act urgently to repeal DADT.

Heck, Nancy Pelosi has shown more guts than President Obama on this issue. So have Carl Levin and Kirsten Gillibrand.

So, where is the Obama administration on this? Where is HRC on this? Why is it we’re seeing more bravery from members of our armed forces, Congress, and the grass roots, than from the Barack Obama or Joe Solmonese?

(image by Jamie McGonnigal.)