When I heard the news yesterday, I couldn’t believe my ears.
Rep. Ike Skelton, a Democrat from my home state of Missouri and the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said he was against the repeal of "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" because he is worried it would force parents to explain homosexuality to their children and would open up a national discussion. "What do mommies and daddies say to their 7-year-old child?" Mr. Skelton asked reporters at a news media breakfast. [1]
It would be bad enough if Ike Skelton were just pretending that DADT still makes sense. But based on his comments yesterday, Skelton wants to pretend that LGBT people don’t even exist!
From anyone, these comments are uneducated and unfortunate; from a U.S. Congressmen, those kind of statements are simply unacceptable. That’s why we’re calling on Skelton to offer a full public apology to the LGBT people in his district, and across the country. Join us in demanding a public apology!
http://www.getequal.org/missouri.php
Sadly, Ike Skelton has a history of actively working against our civil rights. He was one of the original authors of the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" legislation 17 years ago. [2] And it’s long been clear that the law needs to end. In fact, a 2010 poll found that 60% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans believe that being gay or lesbian "has no bearing on a service member’s ability to perform their duties" and 73% say it is "personally acceptable to them if gay and lesbian people were allowed to serve openly in the military." [3]
That’s why I’m asking you to sign this petition to call on Rep. Skelton to apologize for his remarks. Democrats and Republicans alike need to understand that our community is everywhere, and it is not okay to continue with this type of political homophobia.
I hope you’ll join me in signing this petition. Help us hold Rep. Skelton (D-MO) accountable by demanding that he represent the full diversity of his community and of communities across the country.
Sign the petition here! http://www.getequal.org/missouri.php
Get out, get active, GetEQUAL!