Fw: Judge strikes down DADT: Now Lt. Dan Choi needs your help...

(The following is an email came to me from the Courage Campaign. I thought I would share! So, here you go, the following is the entire email, minus the donation links at the bottom of the original email which I erased for this blog.)

Judge strikes down DADT: Now Lt. Dan Choi needs your help...
Bulletin from the cause: Stop Prop 8!
Posted By: Andy Kelley
To: Members in Stop Prop 8!

Judge strikes down DADT: Now Lt. Dan Choi needs your help...

Last night, federal district court Judge Virginia Phillips declared that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is unconstitutional. Following federal court rulings on Proposition 8 in August and the "Defense of Marriage Act" (DOMA) in July, Judge Phillips' decision is the third federal court ruling in as many months to find statutory limitations on the rights of LGBT Americans unconstitutional.

However, the fate of DADT is still in doubt. It's very possible that the DADT decision will be stayed, which means President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid must take the lead to finally repeal this discriminatory policy. As Lt. Dan Choi writes below, we need to push them to take action now -- before the November election.

Since 2009, the Courage Campaign has collected 491,197 signatures on behalf of Lt. Dan Choi and other LGBT service members, and delivered them to members of Congress, the U.S. Army and the Obama Administration. Now we need you to do it again -- sign here to tell Sen. Harry Reid to follow through on his promise to Lt. Choi:

Keep the Promise

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Dear Friend --

The ruling by Judge Virginia Phillips potentially striking down DADT is a huge victory for our movement. But it is not the end. Not by a long-shot.

In July, Senator Harry Reid took the stage at Netroots Nation in Las Vegas for a panel discussion. Joan McCarter, the moderator, handed him my West Point ring and told Reid that I wanted him to keep it.

At first, Sen. Reid declined, but then agreed to keep it until DADT is actually repealed. Upon his acceptance, I lept onto the stage to briefly meet Reid. Holding the ring, Reid asked me: "When we get it passed, you'll take it back, right?" I responded:

"I sure will, but I'm going to hold you accountable."

The time for accountability has come. Now Sen. Reid needs to follow the leadership of Judge Phillips and take immediate action to support the men and women serving in our nation's military.

Please help me hold Sen. Reid to his promise by asking him to bring the Defense Authorization bill to the floor for a vote the week of September 20 -- the last opportunity the Senate will have to repeal DADT before the November election. Click here now to watch the video of my brief discussion with Sen. Reid and sign my letter asking him to keep his promise to repeal DADT:

Keep the Promise

I commend Judge Virginia Phillips, Alex Nicholson and the Log Cabin Republicans for their firm stance in defense of the First Amendment and their unwavering support of our national security. Judge Phillips has forthrightly exercised her unquestionable moral authority and lived up to her mandate to defend our constitution.

Sen. Reid is not the only elected official who needs to follow the leadership of Judge Phillips. So does President Obama.

I implore President Obama and his Justice Department NOT to appeal the ruling by Judge Phillips. Like Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown did by refusing to defend Prop 8 in California, the President and the DoJ can refuse to appeal this DADT ruling. They can refuse to lift a finger and not waste any energy, statements, or money defending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in the courts.

No matter what President Obama does, we need to keep up the pressure on Sen. Reid to keep his promise to repeal DADT in the legislative branch. Please click here to sign my letter asking Sen. Reid to bring the Defense Authorization bill to the floor for a vote the week of September 20 -- the last opportunity the Senate will have to repeal DADT before the November election:

Keep the Promise

Thank you for everything you have done to help end DADT in the last few years. Our road has not been easy but our struggle continues to prove that love is still worth it.

Lt. Dan Choi

Already sign the letter? Click here to share it on Facebook and ask your friends to join you: Share "Keep the Promise" on Facebook