All language subtitles for The.Strange.History.Of.Dont.Ask.Dont.Tell.2011.1080p.WEBRip.x264.AAC5.1-[YTS.MX]

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Emily:
THE MILITARY WOULD BE ALTERED
IF WE WEREN'T A PART OF IT.

WE PLAY A BIG ROLE.

FIRST OFF, YOU HAVE NO IDEA
HOW MANY OF US THERE ARE.

THERE'S NO REAL COUNT,
SO THERE'S ONLY ESTIMATES,

BUT IT'S A VERY LARGE NUMBER.

Chris:
ARMY, NAVY, AIR FORCE,
MARINES.

WE COME IN; WE DO OUR JOB;
LET'S GO HOME.

YOU KNOW, MISSION FIRST;
ANYTHING ELSE SECOND.

Brandon:
WE'RE ALL FIGHTING
FOR THE SAME THING.

Emily:
THERE ARE WAY MORE OF US
THAN THEY THINK.

AND WE'RE WORKING
RIGHT WITH THEM.

WE'RE EVERYWHERE.

Rachel Maddow:
FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1993,

DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL
WILL BE DEBATED AT
A SENATE HEARING.

THE SENATE ARMED SERVICES
COMMITTEE WILL HEAR TESTIMONY

FROM DEFENSE SECRETARY
BOB GATES

AND THE CHAIRMAN
OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF,
ADMIRAL MIKE MULLEN.

Carl Levin:
THE COMMITTEE IS NOW
GOING TO RECEIVE TESTIMONY

ADDRESSING THE DON'T ASK,
DON'T TELL POLICY

ON GAYS IN THE MILITARY.

MR. CHAIRMAN, SPEAKING
FOR MYSELF, AND MYSELF ONLY,

IT IS MY PERSONAL BELIEF

THAT ALLOWING GAYS AND LESBIANS
TO SERVE OPENLY WOULD BE--

- ( static )
- NO--

Chris:
I'M A NAVAL PETTY OFFICER,
FIRST CLASS.

I DO RADIO COMMUNICATION
FOR THE ARMED FORCES.

Matthew:
I'VE BEEN FLYING HELICOPTERS
FOR ABOUT 12 YEARS NOW.

I'M GOING ON DEPLOYMENTS AGAIN
TO THE MIDDLE EAST.

Josh:
I'M AN E6,

OR WHAT THE NAVY CALLS
A FIRST CLASS PETTY OFFICER.

Mike:
AM I PATRIOTIC?

YES. ( laughs )

THAT'S AN EASY ANSWER.

Emily:
I LOVE MY COUNTRY.

AND I WANT TO FIGHT
TO SERVE, TO PROTECT,
TO DEFEND IT, YOU KNOW?

EVEN IF IT'S NOT GOING
TO DO THE SAME THING FOR ME.

Chris:
I'VE HAD SEVEN FRIENDS
DISCHARGED UNDER THE POLICY.

ONE WAS A CULINARY SPECIALIST,
THIRD CLASS--

CS3 IN THE NAVY.

THIS GUY HAD MADE THE NAVY
HIS LIFE, JUST AS I HAVE.

AND WHEN HE
WAS FACING DISCHARGE,

HE WENT DOWN
TO THE GUN RANGE,

RENTED A GUN
AND TURNED THE GUN
ON HIMSELF.

THAT WAS THE LOSS
OF A GREAT SAILOR

AND AN AWESOME FRIEND.

ONE OF THE MOST
CRITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS

TO THE AMERICAN
REVOLUTIONARY WAR

WAS MADE BY
A GAY PRUSSIAN CAPTAIN
NAMED CAPTAIN VON STEUBEN.

VON STEUBEN
WROTE A TRAINING MANUAL

ABOUT DISCIPLINE AND ORDER
IN THE U.S. MILITARY

THAT GEORGE WASHINGTON SAID
WAS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL

TO THE SUCCESS
IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.

Aaron Belkin:
THE MILITARY HAD SPENT
A BILLION DOLLARS

ON PSYCHOLOGICAL CASUALTIES
OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR.

AND AS THE COUNTRY MOBILIZED
FOR THE SECOND WORLD WAR,

MILITARY LEADERS
WERE LOOKING FOR A WAY

TO AVOID
SOME OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL
AND MEDICAL COSTS.

AND SO, IN THEIR MINDS,

BECAUSE HOMOSEXUALITY
WAS A SIGN OF EFFEMINACY
AND WEAKNESS,

THEY SHOULD KEEP GAY SOLDIERS
OUT OF THE MILITARY.

BECAUSE IF GAYS
ENTERED THE MILITARY,

THEY WOULD BECOME BAD SOLDIERS,
PSYCHOLOGICAL CAUSALITIES,

AND BECOME A BURDEN
FOR THE ARMED FORCES.

THEY WERE FOCUSED
ON THE STEREOTYPE,

AND THAT'S WHAT
DROVE THE POLITICS.

THEY DIDN'T APPRECIATE THAT,
FOR THE MOST PART,

GAYS AND LESBIANS
IN THE MILITARY

ARE INDISTINGUISHABLE
FROM THEIR STRAIGHT
COUNTERPARTS.

Nathaniel Frank:
IRONICALLY, WORLD WAR II
WAS THE MOMENT

THAT THE MILITARY
BECAME ZEALOUS

IN ITS ANTI-GAY
SENTIMENT,

AND AT THE SAME TIME,
THAT GAY IDENTITY
BEGAN TO EMERGE.

PART OF THE REASON WAS THAT,
FOR THE FIRST TIME
IN MANY CASES,

MEN WHO ENJOYED
THE COMPANY OF OTHER MEN

FOUND THEMSELVES TOGETHER.

Gore Vidal:
THERE WERE 13 MILLION OF US
TAKEN AWAY FROM HOME.

AND THEN SAME SEXUALITY
FLOURISHED.

I WENT IN THE ARMY AT 17

AND ENDED UP IN THE PACIFIC
FOR THREE YEARS.

AND NOBODY QUESTIONED IT.

YES, THE AUTHORITIES DID;

OFFICERS WHO
HAD NOT GONE OVERSEAS
WERE VERY STRICT.

PEOPLE WOULD SAY,
"HAVE YOU HEARD WHAT'S
GOING ON DOWN IN TARAWA?"

"YES, I'VE HEARD," YOU KNOW?
"SHOCKING, ISN'T IT?"

Reporter:
THE CELEBRATION WENT ON
FOR THE END

OF THE GREATEST WAR
IN HISTORY.

Belkin:
AFTER THE WAR, THE MILITARY
WAS TRYING TO DOWNSIZE.

AND ONE OF THEIR STRATEGIES
WAS TO GET RID OF PEOPLE

WITH SOMETHING CALLED
BLUE DISCHARGES.

IN OTHER WORDS,
A DISCHARGE FOR BEING CRAZY.

A LARGE NUMBER OF GAYS
RECEIVED THESE DISCHARGES

AND THEY WERE PUT ON SHIPS
AND SIMPLY DUMPED AT PORTS

SUCH AS SAN FRANCISCO.

THE EMERGENCE
OF GAY IDENTITIES IN CITIES

IS DIRECTLY ATTRIBUTABLE
TO OUR MILITARY.

IN WORLD WAR II,
AFTER PEOPLE LEFT THE SERVICE,

GAY COMMUNITIES
GAINED ENORMOUS STRENGTH.

AND IN FACT,
THE VERY HEART OF THE CASTRO
IN SAN FRANCISCO,

AND OF THE VILLAGE
IN NEW YORK

IS BECAUSE OF VETERANS
WHO POPULATED THE CITY
AT THE TIME.

( crowd chanting )
WHAT DO WE WANT?
GAY RIGHTS!

WHEN DO WE WANT THEM? NOW!

WHAT DO WE WANT?
GAY RIGHTS!

WHEN DO WE WANT THEM?
NOW!

WHAT DO WE WANT?
GAY RIGHTS!

WHEN DO WE WANT THEM?
NOW!

Lawrence Korb:
WE KNEW THERE WERE GAYS

WHEN I WAS IN THE SERVICE
IN THE '60s. WE KNEW.

BUT OUR THING WAS,
OUR LIVES ARE DEPENDENT HERE,

YOU KNOW? WE CAN'T BE WORRIED
ABOUT THESE SMALL THINGS,
YOU KNOW?

WHAT DOES HE DO
IN HIS PRIVATE LIFE?

I DON'T CARE.
ALL I WANT TO KNOW IS
CAN THIS GUY FLY THE PLANE?

AND SO WHAT HAPPENED
WAS SOME PEOPLE WERE THROWN OUT
FOR BEING GAY;

SOME PEOPLE WERE KEPT IN.
IT WAS REALLY UP TO
THE COMMANDER.

WELL, ONE YOUNG MAN
WHO GOT THROWN OUT

SAID, "WELL, WAIT A SECOND.
THEY KEPT THIS OTHER GUY IN."
SO HE WENT TO COURT.

Reporter:
IT WAS IN 1975

WHEN AIR FORCE TECH SERGEANT
LEONARD MATLOVICH

DECIDED TO CHALLENGE
THE POLICY

WHICH PROHIBITS HOMOSEXUALS
FROM SERVING IN THE MILITARY.

HE TOLD HIS COMMANDING OFFICER
THAT HE WAS GAY.

THE 12-YEAR VETERAN WHO SERVED
TWO TOURS IN VIETNAM

AND WHO EARNED A BRONZE STAR
AND A PURPLE HEART

WENT BEFORE
A REVIEW BOARD

WHICH GAVE HIM
A GENERAL DISCHARGE.

Belkin:
MATLOVICH WAS THE FIRST
TO COME ALONG

WEARING THE UNIFORM
AND TAKE THE MILITARY TO COURT

AND SAY, "I'M GAY;

I'M A MEMBER
OF THIS ORGANIZATION;

I WANT TO BE
TREATED WITH DIGNITY
LIKE MY STRAIGHT COUNTERPARTS."

Leonard Matlovich:
A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE
COME UP TO ME AND SAID,

"REALLY, RIGHT NOW
I CAN'T GO PUBLIC OR I CAN'T
EVEN TELL MY PARENTS.

BUT YOU'VE GIVEN ME CONFIDENCE
THAT-- TO KEEP ON FIGHTING."

THE 1970s
WAS THE BIRTH

OF THE MODERN
GAY-RIGHTS MOVEMENT.

AND SO
WHEN LEONARD MATLOVICH,

WHO HAD BEEN ON MAGAZINE COVERS
AS A WAR HERO,

CHALLENGED THE POLICY
IN THE MILITARY,

IT BEGAN
A NATIONAL DISCUSSION.

GAY RIGHTS!
WHEN DO WE WANT THEM? NOW!

WHAT DO WE WANT? GAY RIGHTS!
WHEN DO WE WANT THEM? NOW!

Steinman:
WITHOUT ANY KIND OF CONTACT
TO REAL GAY PEOPLE,

IT'S VERY EASY TO SEE
A POPULAR MUSIC GROUP

MAKING A NICE TUNE
ABOUT THE NAVY.

BECAUSE THE REALITY
OF WHAT IT'S LIKE

TO BE A GAY OR LESBIAN
SERVICE MEMBER

IS ABSENT
IN THE LEADERSHIP.

FINALLY, I GUESS SOMEBODY
WISED THEM UP AND SAID,

"YOU KNOW, THIS IS A GROUP
THAT'S, YOU KNOW--

MMM-- YOU KNOW,
IS POPULAR IN THE GAY WORLD
AND SOME OF THEM ARE GAY."

AND SO OF COURSE
THEY IMMEDIATELY STOPPED IT.

Chaplain:
WE HAVE GATHERED
TO HONOR OUR FALLEN--

THOSE WHO SERVED AND DIED

TO DEFEND OUR NATION
AND OUR FREEDOMS,

EVEN IF THOSE FREEDOMS
WERE NOT ALWAYS GRANTED
TO THEM AND TO US.

SOME LIKE LEONARD MATLOVICH
WERE FAMOUS,

THE GLORY OF THEIR TIMES.

OTHERS, PERHAPS MOST,

WERE KNOWN ONLY TO THOSE
WHO LOVED THEM.

WE HONOR THEM ALL.

Man:
"WHEN I WAS IN THE MILITARY,

THEY GAVE ME A MEDAL
FOR KILLING TWO MEN

AND A DISCHARGE
FOR LOVING ONE."

Nathaniel Frank:
RIGHT AFTER THE MATLOVICH CASE,

YOU BEGAN TO HAVE THIS CLUSTER
OF COURT CASES

IN THE FEDERAL COURTS
WHERE SERVICE MEMBERS SAID,

"THERE'S NO BASIS FOR THIS.

THIS IS A VIOLATION
OF CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS."

Margarethe Cammermeyer:
I WAS DISCHARGED
WHEN I WAS HONEST

IN A TOP-SECRET
SECURITY CLEARANCE

AND SAID
THAT I WAS A LESBIAN.

IT REALLY DIDN'T MAKE SENSE

THAT I WAS GOING
TO BE DANGEROUS TO THE MILITARY

AFTER SERVING IN VIETNAM
AND EARNING A BRONZE STAR.

NOBODY KNEW WHAT IT MEANT
TO BE GAY.

THERE WAS STILL THE STIGMA
OF YOU'RE MENTALLY ILL

OR A PREDATOR

OR ALL SORTS
OF MISINFORMATION.

AND SO YOU FELT
VERY VERY ISOLATED AND ALONE.

GOVERNOR CLINTON,
I'M COLONEL CAMMERMEYER.

I WAS DISCHARGED
FROM THE MILITARY SIX WEEKS AGO

BECAUSE I TOLD
THE DEFENSE INVESTIGATOR
THAT I WAS A LESBIAN.

Cammermeyer:
WHEN CANDIDATE CLINTON
RAN FOR THE PRESIDENCY,

I ASKED IF HE WOULD OVERTURN
THE BAN ON GAYS SERVING
IN THE MILITARY.

I'M WONDERING IF YOU
WOULD CONSIDER DOING THAT
IN 1993

WHEN YOU BECOME PRESIDENT?

- YES.
- ( applause )

THIS WOMAN SERVED HER COUNTRY
FOR MORE THAN TWO DECADES

WITH GREAT DISTINCTION

AND SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN
PROHIBITED FROM DOING SO.

I, WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON...

BILL CLINTON AS A CANDIDATE
SAID THAT HE WOULD DO IT

LIKE PRESIDENT TRUMAN
HAD DESEGREGATED THE MILITARY--

WITH THE STROKE OF A PEN,
AN EXECUTIVE ORDER.

Belkin:
HE FACED A COALITION
OF OPPONENTS

THAT NO PRESIDENT WOULD HAVE
BEEN ABLE TO SURMOUNT.

IT'S NOTHING TO DO
WITH GAY VERSUS NON-GAY.

IT HAS TO DO WITH WHAT'S BEST
FOR THE DEFENSE OF THIS COUNTRY.

Belkin:
THE MILITARY
DIDN'T RESPECT HIM.

HE WAS SEEN AS A HIPPIE,
AN ANTI-WAR PROTESTOR,
A POT SMOKER.

AND HE WAS
SUCCESSFULLY DEPICTED
AS BEING ANTI-MILITARY.

WE SHOULD LEAVE THE BAN
ON GAYS ON ACTIVE DUTY--

SERVICE WITH THE MILITARY
IN PLACE.

I DO NOT BELIEVE
THAT WE CAN ALLOW POLITICS

TO DESTROY THE GREATEST ARMY
THAT THE WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN.

Harry Smith:
PRESIDENT CLINTON HAS SAID
HE WILL STICK TO HIS PROPOSAL

TO LIFT THE BAN,

ALTHOUGH ALL FIVE MILITARY
SERVICE CHIEFS SUPPORT IT.

HE UNDERESTIMATED
THE FIERCENESS

OF THE RESISTANCE OF PEOPLE
IN THE MILITARY,

OF SOCIAL CONSERVATIVES
AND OF THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT.

AND ALL OF THESE FORCES
GOT TOGETHER VERY QUICKLY.

AND HE HAD A FIGHT
ON HIS HANDS.

I PLEDGED LAST FALL IN A DEBATE
ON THE FLOOR OF THE SENATE

TO HAVE THOROUGH HEARINGS
ON THIS SUBJECT

IN THE ARMED SERVICES
COMMITTEE THIS YEAR.

WE INTEND TO HAVE HEARINGS
ON IT.

THE COMMITTEE
WILL COME TO ORDER.

SENATOR SAM NUNN SPEARHEADED
OPPOSITION IN THE CONGRESS.

Sam Nunn:
UNDER CURRENT REGULATIONS,

GAY MEN AND LESBIANS
ARE NOT PERMITTED TO SERVE

IN THE ARMED FORCES
OF THE UNITED STATES.

John Warner:
WE ARE ABOUT TO LOOK
AT A POLICY

WHICH WOULD COMPEL
THE U.S. MILITARY

TO ACCEPT OPENLY
AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE EXISTENCE

OF A CLASS OF PEOPLE
WHOSE LIFESTYLE

IS FOUND BY MANY AMERICANS
TO BE UNACCEPTABLE.

PART OF ME WANTS TO GO DOWN
TO THE RECRUITING STATION

AND SAY, "DON'T JOIN."
YOU KNOW, "YOU'RE NOT ENLISTING
IN THE MILITARY;

YOU'RE SENTENCING
YOURSELF TO FOUR YEARS
IN A GAY BATHHOUSE."

OPEN HOMOSEXUALITY
IN UNITS

IS NOT JUST THE ACCEPTANCE
OF BENIGN CHARACTERISTICS

SUCH AS COLOR, OR RACE,
OR BACKGROUND.

IT INVOLVES MATTERS OF PRIVACY,
HUMAN SEXUALITY,

THAT IN OUR JUDGMENT IF ALLOWED
TO EXIST IN THE FORCE

WOULD AFFECT THE COHESION
AND WELLBEING OF THE FORCE.

ONE OF THE ANALOGIES WE MADE
WAS THE DISCRIMINATION,

BASED ON RACE.

HE SPECIFICALLY SAID, "OH, NO,
THEY ARE VERY DIFFERENT.

RACE IS A BENIGN CONDITION."

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MADE US--
A MALIGN CONDITION.

IT GAVE COVER TO PEOPLE
WHO WERE ABLE TO THEN SAY,

"THIS ISN'T
LIKE RACIAL INTEGRATION,
AND COLIN POWELL SAYS SO."

THAT WOULD END
THE CONVERSATION.

Dan Coats:
DO ALL OF YOU AGREE WITH THAT?

THAT SKIN COLOR IS A BENIGN,

NON-BEHAVIORAL
CHARACTERISTIC

AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION
IS BEHAVIORAL?

- DR. MARLOWE?
- I WOULD AGREE, SIR.

- DR. HENDERSON?
- GENERALLY, I AGREE
WITH THAT, YES.

DR. KORB?

I THINK THE RESEARCH SHOWS

THAT PEOPLE BASICALLY
ARE BORN WITH THIS

RATHER THAN BEING
A LEARNED BEHAVIOR.

Lawrence Korb:
A LOT OF REPUBLICANS
WERE QUITE ANNOYED

BECAUSE I HAD
A MILITARY BACKGROUND

AND I HAD WORKED
FOR PRESIDENT REAGAN
IN THE PENTAGON,

AND HERE I WAS SUPPORTING
PRESIDENT CLINTON.

SO I WENT UP TO TESTIFY.

AND USUALLY A HEARING
LASTS AN HOUR OR TWO.
THIS LASTED FIVE HOURS.

AND THE OTHER PEOPLE
WHO WERE UP THERE

WERE SAYING THINGS THAT
JUST MADE NO SENSE AT ALL

AND WEREN'T
SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN.

IT WAS VERY TRAUMATIC.

THE SAME ATTRACTIONS
OR TENSIONS THAT EXIST

BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE
EXIST BETWEEN TWO HOMOSEXUALS,

OR TWO OR MORE,
IF THEY HAVE AN ATTRACTION.

WELL, I THINK THERE'S
A BODY OF EVIDENCE

THAT SHOWS
THAT NOT EVERY GAY MAN

IS ATTRACTED
TO EVERY OTHER MAN.

HOW DO YOU VIEW THAT
HAVING LOOKED AT THE MILITARY
OVER THE YEARS?

Charlie Moskos:
I DISAGREE WITH THAT STATEMENT

PRECISELY BECAUSE
THERE ARE HOMOEROTIC TENDENCIES
IN ALL MALE GROUPS.

Nathaniel Frank:
CHARLIE MOSKOS CLAIMED
THAT HE WAS THE ARCHITECT

OF DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL.

HE IS KNOWN
AS HAVING COINED THE PHRASE,
"DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL."

THIS IS EXACTLY WHY THE BAN--
I THINK I WOULD TURN THAT AROUND

AND SAY EXACTLY
WHY A STIFF BAN, YOU KNOW,
WOULD HAVE TO BE IN PLACE,

BECAUSE ONCE THESE HOMOEROTIC
TENDENCIES ARE OUT--

THE CAT'S OUT OF THE BAG,

THEN YOU HAVE ALL KINDS
OF NEGATIVE EFFECTS
ON UNIT COHESION.

- UNIT COHESION.
- UNIT COHESION.

- UNIT COHESION.
- UNIT COHESION.

- UNIT COHESION.
- UNIT COHESION.

- UNIT COHESION.
- UNIT COHESION.

Belkin:
THEY HAD TO COME UP WITH
A REASON THAT SOUNDED RATIONAL,

AND SO THEY CAME UP WITH
THIS IDEA OF THE UNIT COHESION

TO JUSTIFY THEIR HOMOPHOBIA.

THEY CAME UP WITH SOMETHING
THAT SOUNDED REASONABLE--

THE IDEA THAT
THERE WAS SO MUCH DISLIKE

OR EVEN OUTRIGHT HATRED,
THAT THE MERE KNOWLEDGE

OF THE PRESENCE
OF A GAY PERSON IN A UNIT

WOULD DEGRADE UNIT COHESION
AND IMPAIR COMBAT READINESS.

Nathaniel Frank:
SEVERAL OF THESE OFFICERS
SUBSEQUENTLY TOLD ME

AFTER THEY RETIRED
THAT IT WAS SOMETHING

THAT THEY BASICALLY
DREAMED UP

WHEN THEY FOUND
THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER
EXPLANATION FOR THE BAN.

I NEVER RAISED THAT
AS AN ARGUMENT--

THAT UNIT COHESION
IS THE MAJOR THING.

IT'S A QUESTION
OF PRIVACY RIGHTS.

IF ONE WANTS TO HAVE
OPEN GAYS AND STRAIGHTS
SHOWERING TOGETHER,

THEN YOU SHOULD SAY,
WHY NOT HAVE MEN AND WOMEN
DO THE SAME THING?

WHY NOT MAKE THE ARGUMENT
THAT LET'S HAVE PEOPLE

WHO ARE MENTALLY DEFICIENT
COME INTO THE ARMY?

WHY NOT HAVE OVERWEIGHT PEOPLE?
WHY DO WE HAVE THESE RULES

ABOUT YOU CAN'T
HAVE EXCESSIVE TATTOOS?

Barney Frank:
I HAD ACTUALLY RAISED THE ISSUE
OF BAN ON GAYS IN THE MILITARY

WITH COLIN POWELL
AND DICK CHENEY,

AND THEY BOTH ADMITTED
THAT THE ONLY REASON TO HAVE IT

WAS THAT OTHER PEOPLE
WERE PREJUDICED.

I MEAN, THEY SAID THERE
IS NO SECURITY-CLEARANCE ISSUE;

THERE IS NO-- THE GAYS
AND LESBIANS ARE PERFECTLY GOOD
MILITARY PEOPLE.

THE MILITARY'S OWN RESEARCH
ALREADY SHOWED

THAT GAYS
WOULD NOT POSE A PROBLEM.

THE RAND CORPORATION DID
A MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR STUDY

DURING THE 1993 DEBATES.

AND THE RAND CORPORATION,
WE HAVE TO REMEMBER,

IS A THINK TANK THAT WAS CREATED
BY THE AIR FORCE.

RAND FOUND THAT ALLOWING GAYS
AND LESBIANS TO SERVE OPENLY

WOULD CAUSE NO PROBLEM
FOR READINESS OR MORALE

OR UNIT COHESION
OR ANY OTHER ASPECT
OF MILITARY PERFORMANCE.

THE QUESTION OF GAYS
IN THE MILITARY HAS BEEN
STUDIED TO DEATH.

WORD HAD CIRCULATED
THAT THERE WAS A REPORT

THAT THE MILITARY WAS TRYING
TO PREVENT FROM BEING PUBLISHED.

AND ONE DAY A COPY
OF THE REPORT JUST SHOWED UP.

AND IT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY
LEAKED TO THE PRESS.

THEY SAID, "THE POLICY
OF KEEPING GAYS OUT DOESN'T
MAKE ANY SENSE."

AND SO THE PENTAGON
TRIED TO BURY THAT STUDY.

AND THE NAVY DID A STUDY
IN 1957 THAT SAID
THE SAME THING.

Belkin:
THE CRITTENDEN REPORT
IS THE FIRST KNOWN STUDY

ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION
IN THE ARMED FORCES.

AND THE CRITTENDEN COMMITTEE
CONCLUDED

THAT GAYS AND LESBIANS
POSED NO SECURITY THREAT,

WERE NOT A RISK,

AND COULD SERVE AS EFFECTIVELY
AS STRAIGHT PEOPLE.

Nathaniel Frank:
THERE HAS NEVER BEEN
ANY RESEARCH

SHOWING THAT GAYS
UNDERMINE UNIT COHESION

OR MILITARY EFFECTIVENESS.

BUT THE MILITARY
HAS AN IGNOBLE HISTORY

OF BURYING THE RESULTS
OF THOSE STUDIES

WHEN THEY COME UP
WITH A CONCLUSION THAT'S AT ODDS

WITH THE HISTORICAL
ANTI-GAY SENTIMENT
IN THE MILITARY.

I COME HERE BEFORE YOU,
UM, A PROUD AMERICAN.

AND I WOULD CONTINUE
TO BE SERVING IN THE MILITARY

IF I HADN'T TOLD THE TRUTH.

Cammermeyer:
THERE WAS A WALL
THAT YOU COULD SEE GOING UP.

IT WAS ALMOST
LIKE YOU WERE REVEALING

THAT YOU HAD
A CONTAGIOUS DISEASE.

IT COMES DOWN TO THIS--

PEOPLE WHO GO IN THE MILITARY--
AND I WAS PRIVILEGED TO SERVE--

WE ALL HAVE
TO GIVE UP SOMETHING.

IT WAS EXTREMELY
HUMILIATING

TO HAVE TO SIT IN FRONT
OF THESE ELDER STATESMEN,

THEIR PONTIFICATION
ABOUT ME

AND ABOUT
MY SEXUAL ORIENTATION.

WE HAVE TO GIVE UP SOME
OF OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS;

WE HAVE TO GIVE UP
A DEGREE OF PRIVACY.

IF YOU FEEL THAT INTENSELY
AND THAT PATRIOTIC

THAT YOU WANT TO SERVE,
THEN GIVE UP A LITTLE SOMETHING.

- Cammermeyer: WE HAVE, SIR.
- LET ME JUST FINISH.

I THINK I INTERRUPTED
JOHN WARNER PROBABLY 20 TIMES

IN THE COURSE OF THE TIME

THAT HE WAS TRYING TO TELL
EVERYBODY HOW BAD WE WERE.

TO DEAL WITH THIS
IN SUCH A MANNER--
LET ME JUST FINISH ONE POINT

AND THEN I'LL YIELD
THE REST OF MY TIME TO YOU.

Cammermeyer:
AND FOR HIM TO FINALLY SAY,

"COULDN'T YOU
JUST BE QUIET?"

IS IT TOO MUCH TO ASK
THAT YOU JUST SERVE HONORABLY,

QUIETLY, AND EFFICIENTLY?

AS LONG AS THE REGULATION
ISN'T THERE--

I'LL COME TO YOU
IN A MINUTE, DOCTOR.

BEAR WITH ME. GIVE IT UP.

AND I REMEMBER
I JUST KEPT MY MOUTH SHUT

BECAUSE IT WAS SO PAINFUL.

PEOPLE WERE STRUGGLING A LOT.

Joe Lieberman:
IN THE TIME IN WHICH
I WAS GROWING UP,

AN UNACCEPTABLE FORM
OF DISCRIMINATION WAS RACE

OR ETHNICITY
OR RELIGION;

NOT SEXUAL ORIENTATION.

HERE WE ARE TODAY

AND WE'VE BEGUN TO TRY
TO WORK OUR WAY THROUGH

QUESTIONS
OF DISCRIMINATION

IN REGARD
TO SEXUAL ORIENTATION.

IT WAS THE FIRST TIME
I HAD EVER ACTUALLY DEALT
WITH THIS ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL.

I WOULDN'T SAY
THAT I'M TOTALLY OPEN-MINDED,

BUT I-- I KNOW
THAT I HAVE NOT
REACHED A CONCLUSION.

Man:
SENATOR, GLAD TO
HAVE YOU ONBOARD.

Reporter:
THEY'VE ALREADY HEARD
FROM JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY ELSE,

SO TODAY THE SENATE
ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE

VISITED THE FLEET
TO GET THEIR VIEWS ON GAYS
IN THE MILITARY,

AND THEY GOT AN EARFUL.

WE'RE TIRED OF HAVING
THE MILITARY USED

AS SOME SORT OF
A SOCIAL THERMOMETER
FOR THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.

ARE YOU AFRAID
THERE WILL BE VIOLENCE?

YES, SIR, I DO.

HAVE YOU HEARD
ANYBODY SAY THAT?

A LOT OF PEOPLE, SIR.
IT'S A LOT OF TALK.
A LOT OF PEOPLE FEEL,

"HEY, IF THEY LOOK
AT ME THE WRONG WAY,
I'M GOING TO KNOCK 'EM OUT."

DISCRIMINATION
IS A DOMESTIC ENEMY.

I SWORE TO DEFEND
FUNDAMENTAL VALUES OF AMERICA.

THESE VALUES ARE IGNORED
BY THE CURRENT POLICY.

YOUR LIFESTYLE
IS NOT NORMAL.

IT'S NOT NORMAL FOR A MAN

TO WANT TO BE WITH A MAN
OR A WOMAN WITH A WOMAN.

Reporter:
EVERYWHERE HE WENT,
SAM NUNN REMINDED THE SAILORS

THAT HE MIGHT JUST TORPEDO
THE PRESIDENT'S PLANS
TO LIFT THE BAN.

SO THE PRESIDENT HAS THE RIGHT
TO ISSUE AN ORDER

AND CHANGE THE POLICY

AND ALLOW GAYS AND LESBIANS
TO SERVE OPENLY

IF HE CHOOSES TO.

THE CONGRESS HAS A RIGHT
TO OVERRIDE THAT BY LAW.

Les Aspin:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES.

AHEM.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THE POLICY I AM ANNOUNCING TODAY
IS IN MY JUDGMENT

THE RIGHT THING TO DO
AND THE BEST WAY TO DO IT

BECAUSE IT PROVIDES
A SENSIBLE BALANCE

BETWEEN THE RIGHTS
OF THE INDIVIDUAL

AND THE NEEDS
OF OUR MILITARY

TO REMAIN THE WORLD'S
#1 FIGHTING FORCE.

THIS IS A MAJOR STEP FORWARD.

ONE: SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN
WILL BE JUDGED

BASED ON THEIR CONDUCT,
NOT THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATION;

TWO: THEREFORE THE PRACTICE
NOW SIX MONTHS OLD

OF NOT ASKING
ABOUT SEXUAL ORIENTATION

IN THE ENLISTMENT PROCEDURE
WILL CONTINUE.

IT IS IN MY JUDGMENT

AN HONORABLE COMPROMISE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Lieberman:
GIVE PRESIDENT CLINTON HIS DUE.

HE WAS REALLY TRYING TO LEAD
ON THE GENERAL QUESTION

AND CHALLENGE OF GAY RIGHTS
IN 1993.

BUT DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL
FOR THE FIRST TIME

REALLY PUT INTO LAW
THE BASIC INEQUITY

WHICH WAS, IF I MAY PUT IT
THIS WAY, UNAMERICAN.

"DON'T ASK" IS A MYTH.

WE ARE ASKED
ABOUT OUR LIVES EVERY DAY.

YOU KNOW-- "WHO ARE YOU
GOING TO THE MOVIES WITH
THIS WEEKEND?

WHO CALLED YOU?
WHY AREN'T YOU MARRIED?"

THESE ARE THE DAILY QUESTIONS
THAT WE ALL GET ASKED.

Man:
WHENEVER YOU MEET
SOMEONE NEW IN THE ARMY,

YOU WANNA KNOW
IF THEY'RE MARRIED;

YOU WANNA KNOW
IF THEY HAVE KIDS;

YOU KNOW, YOU WANNA KNOW
WHERE THEY'RE FROM;

YOU WANNA KNOW ABOUT--
ABOUT THESE PEOPLE.

Matthew:
PEOPLE ASK ALL THE TIME,

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING
THIS WEEKEND?"

PEOPLE JUST WANT TO KNOW.

PEOPLE START WONDERING WHY,
AS A FIRST LIEUTENANT

OR A CAPTAIN,
ARE THEY NOT AT LEAST ENGAGED

OR AT LEAST
CONSIDERING GETTING MARRIED
AND STARTING A FAMILY?

AS THE YEARS GO ON,
IT'S GOING TO BE TOUGHER
AND TOUGHER

TO ANSWER THOSE KIND
OF QUESTIONS.

Man #2:
I'VE GOTTEN DISCIPLINED.

I'VE HAD SENIOR OFFICERS
TALK TO ME

ABOUT BEING ANTISOCIAL

BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT
TO PARTICIPATE

IN OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES.

Josh:
IF YOU CAN IMAGINE
WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE

TO HIDE A SPOUSE--
HOW DO YOU ACCOMPLISH THAT
EVERY DAY?

Woman:
EVERY HOUSE WE GO TO--
IT HAS TO HAVE A HIGH FENCE

'CAUSE I DON'T WANT
ANYBODY TO BE ABLE TO SEE
INTO OUR BACKYARD.

I WANT TO HAVE SOMEWHERE
WHERE WE CAN BE OURSELVES

OTHER THAN INSIDE OUR HOMES.

I'M CONSTANTLY AFRAID
OF OUTING HER.

IF WE RUN INTO PEOPLE IN PUBLIC
THAT SHE DOES KNOW FROM WORK,

I'LL JUST KEEP ON WALKING
LIKE I DON'T EVEN KNOW HER.

Erik:
IT ACTUALLY GOT TO THE POINT

WHERE I THOUGHT SERIOUSLY
ABOUT HURTING MYSELF.

AND I HAD REALIZED

THAT I WAS
IN A PRETTY DANGEROUS SPOT,

BECAUSE I COULDN'T
TURN TO ANYBODY.

Marcus:
MY FRIENDS AND I KIND OF SAY

THAT WE LIVE IN THIS SORT
OF CONTINUUM OF NEAR MISSES,
YOU KNOW?

THAT WE ALWAYS HAVE
THIS CONSTANT MISSED SHOTS

THAT ALMOST HIT US.

Man #3:
TO-- TO KEEP YOUR JOB,
TO KEEP YOUR SANITY,

NOT TO BE PARANOID,
YOU KNOW,

WONDERING IF SOMEONE
IS GOING TO TURN YOU IN OR--

YOU DON'T KNOW
WHAT PEOPLE'S INTENTIONS ARE.

YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE CAN SAY,
"OH, I'M COOL WITH IT."

BUT THE NEXT DAY
THEY CAN GO IN AND REPORT YOU,

AND, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONE.

DIXON OSBURN
OF THE SERVICE MEMBERS LEGAL
DEFENSE NETWORK JOINS US.

HE IS PART OF AN ORGANIZATION
THAT OPPOSES THE POLICY.

ANY POLICY THAT DISCRIMINATES
OR TREATS LESBIANS AND GAYS

DIFFERENTLY THAN HETEROSEXUALS
I THINK IS RIFE WITH PROBLEMS.

Dixon Osburn: THE PHONES
WERE RINGING OFF THE HOOK
FROM SERVICE MEMBERS.

"IS IT TRUE THAT WE
CAN SERVE OPENLY NOW?"

THEY WERE
LEFT OUT ON A LIMB.

NOBODY THOUGHT ABOUT
WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN

TO THE SERVICE MEMBERS
EXCEPT FOR THE PEOPLE
WHO FOUNDED S.L.D.N.

THEY KNEW
THAT SERVICE MEMBERS

WERE GOING TO GET TRIPPED UP
WITH THIS LAW.

DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL
WAS SUPPOSED TO MEAN

THAT IF YOU DIDN'T VOLUNTEER
THAT YOU WERE GAY OR LESBIAN,

YOU WERE OKAY
BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T ASK YOU.

WHAT WE THEN GOT WERE A LOT
OF MILITARY PEOPLE

ASKING, IN EFFECT--
DOING INVESTIGATIONS,

CHECKING PEOPLE'S EMAILS,
WATCHING WHO WENT TO A GAY BAR.

Aubrey Sarvis:
S.L.D.N. IS A LEGAL SERVICES
ORGANIZATION

THAT PROVIDES QUALITY
FREE LEGAL SERVICES

TO MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE
ON ACTIVE DUTY, IN THE RESERVES,

WHO HAVE BEEN ADVERSELY IMPACTED
BY DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL.

Osburn:
I KNEW BACK THEN THAT
THIS WAS GOING TO TAKE

A 20-YEAR EFFORT
TO GET THIS LAW UNDONE.

SO WE STARTED TELLING STORIES
OF SERVICE MEMBERS

WHO WERE BEING TURNED IN
BY THEIR PSYCHIATRISTS,

'CAUSE THERE'S
NO CONFIDENTIALITY IN TALKING
TO YOUR PSYCHIATRIST.

WE TOLD STORIES
OF PEOPLE BEING TURNED IN
BY THEIR PARENTS,

BECAUSE THEY HAD COME OUT
TO THEIR FAMILY AND THE FAMILY
REACTED BADLY TO IT.

WE TOLD STORIES
OF BEING TURNED IN
BY YOUR BEST FRIENDS.

WE TOLD STORIES OF PEOPLE
HAVING THEIR DIARIES TAKEN

AND THEY'D USE THAT
AS THE BASIS FOR
THEIR DISCHARGE.

WHAT WE FOUND
IN THE FIRST YEAR
UNDER DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL

IS THAT THE MILITARY
CONTINUES TO ASK,

IT CONTINUES TO PURSUE
AND IT CONTINUES TO HARASS.

Osburn:
I REMEMBER ONE SERVICE MEMBER
IN HAWAII

WHO WAS CAUGHT
IN A WITCH HUNT.

AND HE WAS SO SCARED
EVEN TO CONTACT S.L.D.N.

AND HE DESCRIBES HAVING TO GO
TO THE LIBRARY ON THE BASE

AND LOOK UP IN THE WHITE PAGES
TO TRY TO FIND OUR NUMBER.

AND HE WENT BACK TO HIS ROOM

AND HE PULLED THE SHEETS
OVER HIS HEAD

AND HAD A FLASHLIGHT
ON THE PHONE

AND THE PHONE NUMBER
AND CALLED US IN WHISPERS.

Nathaniel Frank:
IT'S A POLICY THAT WAS DESIGNED
TO MAKE SEXUAL ORIENTATION

INTO A KIND OF NON-ISSUE,
AND IT WAS SUPPOSED
TO END WITCH HUNTS

AND END PURSUITS.

BUT INSTEAD,
DISCHARGE FIGURES SHOT UP.

Reporter:
THE SERVICEMEMBERS
LEGAL DEFENSE NETWORK

REPORTS THE PENTAGON
IS KICKING GAYS OUT
OF THE MILITARY

AT A RAPID PACE
DESPITE THE DON'T ASK,
DON'T TELL POLICY.

THE GAY-RIGHTS GROUP
SAYS THAT'S A FIVE-YEAR HIGH.

Belkin:
WHEN YOU LOOK
AT THE EVIDENTIARY REQUIREMENTS

THAT ARE BUILT INTO THE LAW,

IT TURNS OUT
THAT ANY EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER

CAN BE USED TO PROVE
THAT SOMEONE HAS A GAY IDENTITY.

WALKING IN THE WOODS
WITH A PERSON OF THE SAME SEX

CAN BE USED TO PROVE
THAT YOU'RE GAY.

IT COULD BE A BUMPER STICKER.
IT COULD BE AN EMAIL.

Steinman:
A STATEMENT,
A TELEPHONE CALL...

ANYTHING WHERE YOU INDICATED
THAT YOU HAVE,

CURRENTLY DO, INTEND TO,
OR EVEN HAVE A PROPENSITY

TO ENGAGE IN HOMOSEXUAL ACTS
GETS YOU KICKED OUT.

PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DETERMINED
OR FOUND TO BE GAY
BY MILITARY JUDGES

FOR ATTENDING THE DINAH SHORE
GOLF TOURNAMENT.

AND SO BEHAVIOR WHICH
HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH SEX

BECOMES LEGALLY EQUIVALENT
TO A CRIME.

WRITTEN INTO THE LAW
IS SOMETHING CALLED

"A QUEEN FOR A DAY"
PRESUMPTION,

WHICH MEANS THAT IF YOU
ARE CAUGHT HAVING GAY SEX

BUT YOU CAN PROVE
THAT YOU'RE NOT GAY--

THAT YOU DON'T
CARRY A GAY IDENTITY,

THAT THIS WAS
A HOMOSEXUAL EMERGENCY,

THAT THIS WAS AN ACCIDENT,

THAT YOU WERE IN EFFECT
A QUEEN FOR A DAY,

THEN YOU ARE NOT PUNISHED
EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE
HAD GAY SEX.

Reporter:
WINCHELL WAS BEATEN TO DEATH
WHILE ASLEEP IN HIS BARRACKS

IN THE EARLY MORNING
OF JULY 5th.

HE WAS KILLED
WITH A BASEBALL BAT TO HIS HEAD.

Osburn:
BARRY WINCHELL FACED
ANTI-GAY HARASSMENT

EVERY DAY FOR FOUR MONTHS
PRIOR TO HIS MURDER.

AND HE EVEN CONFIDED
TO FRIENDS OF HIS--
"WHAT DO I DO?

I'M AFRAID TO GO TO MY COMMANDER
BECAUSE IF I TELL MY COMMANDER

I'M BEING HARASSED
BECAUSE PEOPLE THINK I'M GAY,

THEY'RE GOING TO KICK ME OUT
AND THE ARMY'S THE ONLY THING
I HAVE."

Belkin:
IF YOU'RE GAY OR LESBIAN
AND YOU'RE HAVING A PROBLEM,

YOU CAN'T GO
TO THE PEOPLE

YOU'RE SUPPOSED
TO BE ABLE TO GO TO
AND SAY, "I NEED HELP.

I'M FACING
ANTI-GAY HARASSMENT.

WHAT CAN I DO?
HOW CAN YOU PROTECT ME?"

BECAUSE SIMPLY
HAVING THAT CONVERSATION

MEANS THAT THE PERSON
YOU'RE TALKING TO
COULD TURN YOU IN

AND YOU COULD END UP
LOSING YOUR CAREER.

Nathaniel Frank:
THIS IS BIGGER THAN JUST
GAY RIGHTS.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT CUTS
TO THE CORE OF WHAT AMERICA IS,

WHAT AMERICA IS FIGHTING FOR,
AND IS A REMINDER

THAT WHEN ONE GROUP'S RIGHTS
ARE TRAMPLED UPON,

THE ENTIRE CULTURE
IS DIMINISHED.

- I, GEORGE WALKER BUSH...
- William Rehnquist:
DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR...

DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR...

I'M FOR DON'T ASK,
DON'T TELL.

AND I THINK
IT'S UP TO THE MILITARY

TO MAKE SURE WE ENFORCE IT.

THIS IS A POLICY
THOUGHTFULLY PUT INTO PLACE.

Korb:
WHEN OTHER COUNTRIES,
OUR N.A.T.O. ALLIES,

ALLOW OPENLY GAY PEOPLE
TO SERVE,

PEOPLE WOULD SAY,
"YES, BUT THE BRITISH DON'T,

AND THEY ARE
THE MOST LIKE US."

WELL, THE EUROPEAN COURT
OF HUMAN RIGHTS

BASICALLY IN 1999
SAID, "YOU WANT TO BE
IN THE EUROPEAN UNION,

YOU'VE GOT
TO LET THEM SERVE."

SO THE BRITISH ALLOWED
OPENLY GAY PEOPLE TO SERVE

AND DIDN'T HAVE
ANY PROBLEMS.

OH SHIT!

WE KNOW THAT INTELLIGENCE
INTERCEPTED PRE 9/11

WAS NOT TRANSLATED
UNTIL AFTER 9/11

BECAUSE OF A SHORTAGE
OF LINGUISTS.

THE ARABIC LINGUISTS
THAT HAVE BEEN DISCHARGED
UNDER DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL

CERTAINLY COULD HAVE HELPED
FILL THOSE SHORTAGES.

TWO PHRASES IN AN ARABIC...
( speaks Arabic )

WHICH MEAN,
"TOMORROW IS ZERO HOUR.
THE MATCH BEGINS TOMORROW,"

WEREN'T TRANSLATED
UNTIL TWO DAYS AFTER 9/11.

AND TO ANYONE
WHO SPEAKS ARABIC,

YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE TWO
OF THE EASIEST PHRASES
TO TRANSLATE.

Belkin:
THE PREVALENT FEAR
IN THE CULTURE

WAS THAT TERRORISTS
FROM AL QAEDA

WERE GOING
TO SLIP A NUCLEAR WEAPON
INTO AN AMERICAN CITY.

THE FEARS
WERE INCREDIBLY INTENSE.

SO WHEN WE BROKE THE STORY,
IT WAS A VERY POWERFUL
"AHA" MOMENT

IN WHICH PEOPLE SAID,
"OH MY GOD." LIKE, "ALL RIGHT,

THERE'S THIS GAYS
IN THE MILITARY THING,
LIKE, WHATEVER,

BUT WE'RE DOING SOMETHING
WHICH COULD ALLOW
A NUCLEAR WEAPON

TO BE EXPLODED
IN AN AMERICAN CITY?
LIKE, THIS IS RIDICULOUS."

REGARDLESS OF WHAT
YOUR FEELINGS ARE ABOUT GAYS
IN THE MILITARY,

YOU DON'T WANT
CABLES TO SIT UNTRANSLATED.

Nathaniel Frank:
STARTING IN 2001,

GAY DISCHARGE NUMBERS
WENT DOWN EACH YEAR

BECAUSE COMMANDERS
IN THE FIELD

KNOW GAY PEOPLE
DON'T UNDERCUT THEIR MISSION.

Patrick Murphy:
I WILL NEVER FORGET
BEING A YOUNG FIRST LIEUTENANT

AND FOLKS
WHO DIDN'T WANT TO DEPLOY

WOULD COME IN AND BE LIKE,
"WELL, I'M GAY."

AND, I WOULD SAY,
"WELL, YOU'RE DEPLOYING."

Nathaniel Frank:
THERE ARE COUNTLESS EXAMPLES
OF COMMANDERS

WHO WERE TOLD BY SOMEONE,
"I'M GAY,"

AND THE COMMANDER
SAID, "NO, YOU'RE NOT,
GET BACK TO WORK.

YOU'RE GOING
OVERSEAS ANYWAY."

HE SAID, "LISTEN, IT'S NOT
A POLICY I AGREE WITH.

AND WE NEED THESE SOLDIERS."

Steinman:
THE RESERVE COMMANDER'S
HANDBOOK SAID,

"IF A RESERVIST HAS ORDERS
FOR DEPLOYMENT

AND HE OR SHE MAKES A STATEMENT
THAT THEY ARE GAY,

SEND THEM ANYWAY AND DEAL
WITH IT WHEN THEY COME BACK."

HOW THEN CAN YOU ARGUE
THAT THEY ARE A DISRUPTION
TO UNIT MORALE,

UNIT COHESION
OR COMBAT READINESS?

YOU'RE SENDING THEM TO COMBAT
KNOWING THAT THEY'RE GAY

AND THEN WHEN THEY COME BACK,

AFTER THEY PUT
THEIR LIFE ON THE LINE,
THEN YOU KICK THEM OUT.

DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE
AT ALL, DOES IT?

Korb:
THEY KEPT LOWERING
THEIR STANDARDS.

AND THEY WERE GIVING PEOPLE
MORAL WAIVERS,

INCLUDING SOME
WITH FELONY CONVICTIONS.

AND WE'RE THROWING
PEOPLE OUT

FOR NO OTHER REASON
THAN THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATION?

Korb:
LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE
OF SOMEBODY WE TOOK IN.

THERE'S A YOUNG MAN,
A FORMER ARMY PRIVATE
BY THE NAME OF STEVEN GREEN

WHO'S NOW SERVING
A LIFE SENTENCE IN KENTUCKY.

WHEN GREEN
TRIED TO JOIN THE ARMY
IN TEXAS IN 2005,

HE'S A HIGH-SCHOOL DROPOUT;

HE HAS THREE
MISDEMEANOR CONVICTIONS;

HE'S GOT SOME
PERSONALITY PROBLEMS--

THEY GAVE HIM A WAIVER
WHEN THEY TOOK HIM IN--

SENT HIM TO IRAQ.

HE ENDED UP
WITH TWO OTHER PEOPLE

RAPING A YOUNG LADY,

THEN BURNING HER BODY
AND HER FAMILY'S.

SO TO ME, IT WAS HURTING
NATIONAL SECURITY.

I MEAN
WHO WOULD YOU RATHER TAKE,

HIM OR SOMEBODY
WHO IS GAY OR LESBIAN

WHO'S GOT A PERFECT RECORD,
HIGH-SCHOOL GRADUATE,

STELLAR PERFORMANCE
ON THE APTITUDE TEST,

NO MORAL PROBLEMS?

Josh:
THE FIRST THING
WE'RE TAUGHT IN BOOT CAMP--

BEFORE WE'RE TAUGHT
TO STAND AT ATTENTION,

THEY TEACH US
HOW TO SAY VERY LOUDLY,

"HONOR,
COURAGE AND COMMITMENT,"

AND WHAT
THOSE THREE WORDS MEAN.

Man: YOU WANT THOSE OF US
THAT ARE HOMOSEXUAL
TO HIDE OURSELVES.

THERE'S NO HONOR IN THAT.
THERE'S NO INTEGRITY.

Matthew:
DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL
FORCES YOU,

AND ACTUALLY TELLS YOU
AS A GAY PERSON,

THAT YOU NEED TO BE
UNTRUTHFUL AND DISHONEST.

Diana:
HOW CAN I BE MYSELF

AND HOW CAN I BE TRUTHFUL
AND HONORABLE IF I HAVE TO LIE?

Emily:
ESSENTIALLY WHAT
THEY'RE ASKING ME TO DO

IS LIE ON A DAILY BASIS
TO THE PEOPLE I LOVE THE MOST,

TO THE PEOPLE I WOULD LIKE
TO BE HONEST WITH.

Erik:
AS A LEADER IN THE MILITARY,

IT INTERFERES
BECAUSE THE INTEGRITY,

THE HONESTY ISN'T THERE.
AND THEY KNOW IT.

SO IT UNDERMINES
THEIR TRUST IN ME.

MY FAMILY HAS A RICH HISTORY
OF MILITARY SERVICE,

Man:
WE ALL TOOK THE OATH...

MY FATHER
IS A RETIRED SENIOR OFFICER
FROM THE AIR FORCE.

Man:
...AND WE ALL WEAR
THE UNIFORM...

I HAVE SEVERAL
OTHER UNCLES WHO RETIRED
FROM THE MARINE CORPS,

FROM THE ARMY.

...BUT THE SPIRIT
OF A SOLDIER?

THAT'S NEVER CHANGED.

THAT'S NEVER GOING
TO CHANGE.

Almy:
I HAD BEEN SERVING
IN IRAQ WITH MY UNIT.

I HAD WRITTEN A SERIES
OF EMAILS TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS

NO DIFFERENT FROM
WHAT ANYONE ELSE WOULD WRITE

TO THEIR LOVED ONES
BACK HOME.

SHORTLY AFTER
I HAD LEFT IRAQ,

THE UNIT THAT REPLACED MINE--
SOMEONE WAS DOING
A ROUTINE SEARCH

AND SOMEHOW OR ANOTHER
STUMBLED UPON MY PRIVATE EMAILS

AND PROCEEDED TO READ THEM.

AND THEY SEARCHED
APPROXIMATELY 500 EMAILS

AND PULLED OUT MAYBE A DOZEN
OR SO THAT WERE DAMAGING.

AND THEN MY COMMANDER
CALLED ME IN HIS OFFICE.

HE READ ME THE MILITARY'S POLICY
ON HOMOSEXUALITY.

I HAD NO CLUE THAT
ANY OF THIS WAS HAPPENING,

SO IT COMPLETELY
BOWLED ME OVER.

AND I TOLD HIM
I WOULD NOT MAKE A STATEMENT

UNTIL I HAD FIRST CONSULTED
WITH A LAWYER.

SO RIGHT THEN AND THERE
MY COMMANDER RELIEVED ME
OF MY DUTIES.

I WAS GIVEN A POLICE ESCORT
FROM THE BASE

AS IF I WERE
A COMMON CRIMINAL OR A THREAT
TO NATIONAL SECURITY.

IT WAS VERY INTENSE.

IT COMPLETELY DISPELS
THE NOTION

THAT AS LONG AS GAYS
AND LESBIANS ARE QUIET

AND DON'T MAKE ANY WAVES
FOR THEMSELVES

OR DON'T MAKE A STATEMENT,
THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE JUST FINE.

BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE.

HEY, GUYS, HOW ARE YOU?
I'M PATRICK MURPHY.

Reporter:
OF THE NINE IRAQ VETERANS
RUNNING FOR CONGRESS THIS YEAR,

MOST OF THEM ARE ANTI-WAR.

CAPTAIN PATRICK MURPHY
SERVED SEVEN MONTHS IN IRAQ.

Patrick Murphy:
I AM STRAIGHT. I HAVE TWO KIDS.
I HAVE A BEAUTIFUL WIFE.

BUT LISTEN, I TAKE AN OATH
AS A CONGRESSMAN,

JUST LIKE I DID
AS AN ARMY OFFICER,

TO SUPPORT
AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION
OF THE UNITED STATES.

LISTEN, IF YOU WANT TO TAKE
A BULLET FOR YOUR COUNTRY,

SIGN UP,
GRAB A RIFLE AND SERVE.

THAT'S WHAT IT'S ABOUT.

- IS THAT THE--
- OH NO.

I ALREADY GOT IT--
GOT THE CALL IN.

EVERY DAY WE'RE UP
ON CAPITOL HILL,

OVER AT THE PENTAGON
OR AT THE WHITE HOUSE

URGING REPEAL
OF DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL.

I'LL PROBABLY BE BACK
IN ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF.

Murphy:
WHAT WOULD BE THE GREATER
THREAT TO OUR NATIONAL SECURITY

AND MILITARY NECESSITY--

LEAVING A TERRORIST DOCUMENT
UNTRANSLATED

OR HAVING A GAY SOLDIER
FIGHT ALONGSIDE A STRAIGHT ONE?

Elaine Donnelly:
WE NEED PEOPLE
WHO ARE GOOD LINGUISTS,

BUT NOT NECESSARILY
SHOULD THEY BE GAY.

I MEAN THAT'S A STEREOTYPE--

RIGHT, BUT LET'S
BE STRAIGHT HERE.
LET'S BE STRAIGHT.

THAT'S WHAT
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT.

WE HAVE LET GO
12,000 AMERICAN MEN
AND WOMEN SOLDIERS,

NOT FOR SEXUAL MISCONDUCT,
BUT BECAUSE OF THEIR SEXUAL
ORIENTATION.

58 OF THOSE ARE TRANSLATORS.

WE COULD REDUCE
THIS NUMBER TO ZERO

IF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
DROPPED DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL

AND ENFORCED THE LAW PROPERLY.

WE SHOULD NOT BE TRAINING PEOPLE
WHO ARE NOT ELIGIBLE

TO BE IN THE ARMED FORCES.

WELL, THERE'S ALREADY RULES
IN PLACE TO ADDRESS
SEXUAL MISCONDUCT,

WHETHER IT'S
HOMOSEXUAL MISCONDUCT
OR HETEROSEXUAL MISCONDUCT,

AS COMPARED
TO YOUR ORIENTATION.

AND WE NEED MORE GOOD PEOPLE
WHETHER THEY'RE GAY OR STRAIGHT

TO JOIN OUR MILITARY
AND TO SERVE HONORABLY.

DO YOU THINK THAT
THERE WOULD BE MORE PEOPLE

WILLING TO JOIN
THE SUBMARINE FORCE

IF THEY KNEW
THAT PROFESSED HOMOSEXUALS
WOULD BE ON SUBMARINES?

- I DON'T THINK SO.
- WELL, MISS DONNELLY,
YOU KNOW, I HAVE FAITH

- IN THOSE 18-,
19-YEAR-OLD SOLDIERS--
- ( Donnelly continues talking )

OKAY, I LET YOU
ASK ME A QUESTION.
I'M GOING TO ANSWER IT.

YOU KNOW, USUALLY IT COMES
FROM THE OTHER SIDE
OF THE DAIS, BUT...

Reporter:
THE PENTAGON CONFIRMED TODAY

MILITARY LEADERS
ONCE PROPOSED BUILDING
A SO-CALLED GAY BOMB.

Reporter #2:
"ONE DISTASTEFUL BUT COMPLETELY
NON-LETHAL EXAMPLE

WOULD BE STRONG APHRODISIACS,

ESPECIALLY
IF THE CHEMICAL ALSO
CAUSED HOMOSEXUAL BEHAVIOR."

A GAY BOMB, SO-CALLED,

THAT WOULD RENDER ENEMY FORCES
SO SMITTEN WITH ONE ANOTHER,

THEY WOULD FORGET
ABOUT FIGHTING.

Belkin:
THE IDEA WAS THAT
BECAUSE HOMOSEXUALITY

IS THE SAME AS WEAKNESS
AND EFFEMINACY,

THAT IF ONLY
WE COULD MAKE THE TROOPS
OF THE OTHER SIDE BECOME GAY,

THEN WE COULD PREVAIL
ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

IT SHOWS THE EXTENT
OF THE SILLINESS

THAT SURROUNDS THE ISSUE
OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION

IN SOME PEOPLE'S MINDS

WHEN THEY'RE IGNORANT
ABOUT THE ISSUE, BASICALLY.

IT BASICALLY IS A REFLECTION
OF IGNORANCE.

Sarvis:
I'M GOING TO BE RUNNING
OUT OF THE OFFICE.

I'M GONNA ASK KEVIN
TO GET BACK TO YOU

AND WORK WITH YOU ON THIS.

I JOINED THE MILITARY BECAUSE
I COME FROM A MILITARY FAMILY.

MY FATHER WAS IN THE AIR FORCE
FOR 20 YEARS.

MY MOTHER
WAS IN THE AIR FORCE.

I'VE BEEN IN THE AIR FORCE
FOR 18 AND A HALF YEARS NOW.

ON 9/11 I WAS ONE
OF THE FIRST ALERT CREWS

FLYING OVER WASHINGTON D.C.

MY FIRST COMBAT MISSIONS,
DROPPING BOMBS IN IRAQ,

WERE THREE, FOUR DAYS
BEFORE THE WAR ACTUALLY STARTED,

BEFORE ANYBODY SAW BOMBS
DROPPED ON TV.

DECORATIONS-- NINE AIR MEDALS
AND ONE FOR HEROISM;

FIVE AIR FORCE
COMMENDATION MEDALS;

A NAVY MARINE CORPS
COMMENDATION MEDAL;

AND THEN THREE AIR FORCE
ACHIEVEMENT MEDALS.

THE WORST DAY OF MY LIFE
WAS MAY 16th, 2008.

THAT WAS THE DAY
THE AIR FORCE SAT ME DOWN
AND SAID, "HERE'S WHAT WE GOT.

WE'RE GONNA LAUNCH
AN INVESTIGATION.

YOU'LL PROBABLY GET THROWN OUT
OF THE AIR FORCE FOR THIS."

Woman:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

PLEASE JOIN ME IN PRESENTING
THE BARRY WINCHELL COURAGE AWARD

TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL
VICTOR FEHRENBACH.

LAST MAY WHEN I CONTACTED
S.L.D.N.

AND TOLD THEM I HAD MADE
THE DECISION TO GO PUBLIC,

I WAS SCHEDULED TO APPEAR
ON "THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW"
ON TUESDAY,

BUT THERE WAS A CATCH.

IT WAS FRIDAY

AND I HADN'T EVEN COME OUT
TO MY FAMILY YET...

...LET ALONE TOLD THEM
I WAS GETTING THROWN OUT
OF THE MILITARY,

LET ALONE TELL THEM
I WAS GOING ON NATIONAL TV
TO TALK ABOUT IT.

I DROP BOMBS
FOR A LIVING...

...BUT I'M PRETTY SURE

THESE WERE THE THREE
BIGGEST BOMBS I EVER DROPPED.

MY FAMILY ALL AGREED--

NOT ONLY SHOULD I DO THIS,
BUT I HAD TO DO THIS.

IT WAS A DUTY
AND AN OBLIGATION.

Sarvis:
BECAUSE VICTOR FEHRENBACH
AND MAJOR MIKE ALMY

WENT BEFORE
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE,

THEY MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE
IN THIS DEBATE.

BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM,

THEY HAD BEEN DEPLOYED
TO IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN
MORE THAN 10 TIMES.

VICTOR FEHRENBACH--

THE AIR FORCE HAD INVESTED
MORE THAN $20 MILLION
IN HIS TRAINING.

AND THEY WERE GETTING READY
TO THROW THAT OUT OF THE WINDOW.

WHEN YOU HAVE
OVER 13,000 SERVICEMEMBERS
DISCHARGED UNDER THIS LAW,

IT ISN'T WORKING.

WHEN YOU HAVE EVEN MORE
WHO HAVE RESIGNED

BECAUSE THEY DID NOT WANT
TO SERVE ANYMORE

UNDER DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL,
IT'S NOT WORKING.

WHEN YOU HAVE A GENERATION
OF YOUNG PEOPLE

NOT EVEN CONSIDERING THE SERVICE
BECAUSE OF THE STATUTE,

IT'S NOT WORKING.

Barack Obama:
I HAVE STATED REPEATEDLY

THAT DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL
MAKES NO SENSE.

WHY WOULD WE NOT WANT
ABLE MEN AND WOMEN

WHO ARE WILLING TO SACRIFICE
ON OUR BEHALF--

WHY WOULD WE TELL THEM NO?

John McCain:
I BELIEVE THAT DISCRIMINATION
IN ANY FORM

IS UNACCEPTABLE
IN AMERICA TODAY.

NOW HAVING SAID THAT,
I HAVE TO TELL YOU

THAT I SUPPORT
THE DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL POLICY
IN THE MILITARY.

Murphy:
I WAS ONE OF THE FIRST GUYS
FOR BARACK OBAMA.

ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT HE TALKED TO ME ABOUT

WAS TO REPEAL
DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL.

AND I TOLD HIM HOW I SAW
SO MANY GREAT LEADERS
GET THROWN OUT

JUST BECAUSE THEY HAPPEN
TO BE GAY,

NOT FOR ANY TYPE OF MISCONDUCT,
AND HOW WRONG I THOUGHT IT WAS.

AND HE SAID
HE AGREED WITH ME.

I, BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA,
DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR...

I WILL WORK WITH CONGRESS
AND OUR MILITARY

TO FINALLY REPEAL THE LAW
THAT DENIES GAY AMERICANS

THE RIGHT TO SERVE
THE COUNTRY THEY LOVE
BECAUSE OF WHO THEY ARE.

Murphy:
ONE OF HIS FIRST MEETINGS
WITH THE CHAIRMAN

OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF
AND HIS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE,

HE SAID, "GUYS, YOU KNOW,
THERE'S A PROBLEM.

YOU KNOW, THIS DON'T ASK,
DON'T TELL IS UNAMERICAN
AND IT'S WRONG.

AND WE GOTTA CHANGE IT."

AND SOON AFTER, WE BEGAN
TO WORK AND DO JUST THAT.

Barney Frank:
THERE'S A BIG FIGHT
TO GET THE VOTES.

THE RIGHT WING WILL TRY
TO PORTRAY THIS AS THE END
OF THE MILITARY, ETCETERA.

THE SENATE'S NOT ENGAGED ENOUGH
AND WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY

TO ASK EVERY SENATOR
TO STAND UP

AND STATE
WHERE THEY ARE ON REPEAL--

REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS
AND THE INDEPENDENTS.

WE'RE TRYING TO HARNESS
THE MOMENTUM GAINED EARLIER
THIS WEEK...

- RIGHT.
- ...AND RIDE IT.

OKAY, SO THAT'S D.O.D.
AND THEN S.L.D.N.'S NUMBER...

Joe Lieberman:
THE THING THAT HAPPENED HERE
DIFFERENT FROM '93

IS THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT
WAS ORGANIZED

AND EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE.

I MEAN
SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES,

REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS,
WHO ENDED UP SUPPORTING REPEAL

OF DON'T ASK DON'T TELL

DID SO BECAUSE THEY WERE
VERY EFFECTIVELY LOBBIED.

AND THAT'S TOTALLY DIFFERENT
THAN EXISTED IN '93.

- SOUNDS GOOD.
- AWESOME.

- LET'S GO WITH IT.
- THANKS.

Rachel Maddow:
JOINING US NOW IS DAN CHOI.

Dan Choi:
I AM AN INFANTRY PLATOON LEADER

IN THE NEW YORK ARMY
NATIONAL GUARD.

AND BY SAYING THREE WORDS
TO YOU TODAY-- I AM GAY--

THOSE THREE WORDS
ARE A VIOLATION OF TITLE 10
OF THE U.S. CODE.

FUNDAMENTALLY,
I AM A TROUBLEMAKER

WHO AGITATED A SITUATION

BY SAYING THREE WORDS.

ARE YOU WORRIED
YOU COULD LOSE YOUR JOB?

POLITICS IS WAR
WITHOUT BLOOD.

WAR IS POLITICS
WITH BLOOD.

IN WAR WE RECOGNIZE
THAT THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES.

WHY IS IT THAT IN POLITICS,
PARTICULARLY FOR GAY PEOPLE--

WHY IS IT
THAT WE REFUSE TO WIELD
THE SWORD OF CONSEQUENCE?

ONE PARTICULAR MEETING
REALLY INSPIRED ME TO ACTION,

AND THAT WAS WHEN I MET
WITH LIEUTENANT DAN CHOI.

HE SAID THAT, YOU KNOW,
WE ARE ASKING THESE MEN
AND WOMEN

TO LIE EVERY DAY.
AND IT WAS SO POWERFUL TO ME

BECAUSE I COULDN'T EVEN IMAGINE
THAT FOR A STRAIGHT OFFICER.

SO WHY WOULD YOU ALLOW IT
FOR A MEMBER WHO'S GAY?

SO I THOUGHT IT WAS TIME
THAT I PROVIDED LEADERSHIP.

I WROTE A BILL
TO REPEAL THIS POLICY.

ONCE I WROTE THE BILL,
I STARTED COUNTING THE VOTES

AND I DIDN'T HAVE QUITE 60.

BUT BECAUSE I WAS SO CLOSE,

THE FEW SENATORS
WHO WERE UNDECIDED SAID,

"I FIRST NEED TO SEE
LEADERSHIP FROM THE MILITARY."

AND SO I WENT
TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ARMED
SERVICES COMMITTEE,

CHAIRMAN LEVIN,
AND I ASKED HIM--

I SAID, "WOULD YOU PLEASE
HOLD A HEARING

ON DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL?"
AND HE SAID YES.

Carl Levin:
WHAT I'M HOPING TO DO
IS TO PERSUADE COLLEAGUES

TO REPEAL
THE DISCRIMINATORY PROVISION.

AND IN THE MEANTIME,
SUSPEND DISCHARGING PEOPLE

WHILE THIS ISSUE
IS BEING RESOLVED.

Man:
A NEW ARTICLE IN THE PENTAGON'S
OWN TOP SCHOLARLY JOURNAL,

"JOINT FORCE QUARTERLY,"
WRITTEN FOR THE JOINT CHIEFS
OF STAFF

BY AN AIR FORCE COLONEL
HAS CONCLUDED THAT,

QUOTE, "THERE IS
NO SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE
TO SUPPORT THE CLAIM

THAT UNIT COHESION WOULD BE
NEGATIVELY AFFECTED..."

IN THIS ARTICLE,
AN ACTIVE-DUTY AIR FORCE COLONEL

WORKING IN THE PENTAGON

MAKES THE POINT
THAT DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL
IS UNNECESSARY.

WE DON'T NEED IT.
IT'S NOT GOING TO DEGRADE

UNIT MORALE, UNIT COHESION
OR COMBAT READINESS.

AND HE PROVIDES A VERY FORCEFUL
SERIES OF ARGUMENTS

TO PROVE HIS POINT.

I'M GONNA CALL
CHAIRMAN LEVIN'S COUNSEL NOW

TO LET HIM KNOW
THAT YOU WILL TESTIFY.

THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE HEARING
WAS ADMIRAL MULLEN

TESTIFYING
ON DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL.

I WAS SO EXCITED.

I WAS SITTING THERE
WATCHING ADMIRAL MULLEN
AND I WAS OVERJOYED.

MR. CHAIRMAN, 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.

- ( all cheer )
- YES! UNBELIEVABLE.

Sarvis:
I THINK MY HEART STOPPED
FOR MORE THAN A MOMENT.

FRANKLY, I--
I HAD TO AVOID A TEAR.

Mullen:
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.

I HAD TEARS IN MY EYES.

IN FACT, I HAVE TEARS
IN MY EYES NOW BECAUSE
I'M THINKING ABOUT THAT--

A SORT OF CATCH MY VOICE.
IT WAS A VERY EMOTIONAL MOMENT.

Lieberman:
I THOUGHT THAT
WAS A CRITICAL MOMENT

IN THE WHOLE EFFORT TO REPEAL
DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL.

ADMIRAL MULLEN SPOKE
REALLY FROM HIS HEART.

Levin:
SECRETARY GATES.

WE HAVE RECEIVED OUR ORDERS
FROM THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF,

AND WE ARE MOVING OUT
ACCORDINGLY.

I HAVE APPOINTED
A HIGH-LEVEL WORKING GROUP

THAT WILL IMMEDIATELY
BEGIN A REVIEW OF THE ISSUES

ASSOCIATED WITH PROPERLY
IMPLEMENTING A REPEAL

OF THE DON'T ASK,
DON'T TELL POLICY.

I'M DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED

IN YOUR STATEMENT,
SECRETARY GATES.

I WAS AROUND HERE IN 1993
AND WAS ENGAGED IN THE DEBATES.

YOUR STATEMENT OBVIOUSLY
IS ONE WHICH IS CLEARLY BIASED.

THIS IS A LETTER SIGNED

BY OVER 1,000 FORMER GENERAL
AND FLAG OFFICERS

WHO HAVE WEIGHED IN
ON THIS ISSUE.

A MAJORITY OF THOSE
FLAG OFFICERS ARE IN THEIR 70s;

SOME ARE IN THEIR 80s.

SOME OF THE PEOPLE'S NAMES
ON THERE ARE DEAD.

McCain:
I THINK THAT WE ALL
IN CONGRESS

SHOULD PAY ATTENTION
AND BENEFIT

FROM THE EXPERIENCE
AND KNOWLEDGE

OF OVER 1,000 FORMER GENERAL
OFFICERS AND FLAG OFFICERS.

THEY WANT THE MILITARY
TO BE THE WAY IT WAS

WHEN THEY SERVED.

SOME OF THEM
WERE IN THE RANKS

WHEN THE MILITARY SERVICES
WERE SEGREGATED.

YOU ARE SAYING IT'S NOT
WHETHER THE MILITARY PREPARES

TO MAKE THE CHANGE,
BUT HOW WE BEST PREPARE FOR IT.

WELL, I'M HAPPY TO SAY
THAT WE STILL HAVE A CONGRESS

IN THE UNITED STATES
THAT WOULD HAVE TO PASS THE LAW

TO REPEAL DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL
DESPITE YOUR EFFORTS.

Sarvis:
EVEN WITH SENATOR McCAIN'S
CHALLENGE,

IT WAS EXTRAORDINARY.

WE'VE NEVER HEARD THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES,

THE SECRETARY
OF DEFENSE AND THE CHAIRMAN
OF THE JOINT CHIEFS

ALL IN A MATTER OF A FEW DAYS

CALLING FOR REPEAL
OF DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL.

SO IT'S AN EXTRAORDINARY DAY
FOR US AND FOR SERVICEMEMBERS

WHO WANT TO SERVE
THEIR COUNTRY OPENLY.

Jeh Johnson:
I KNEW THAT WE WERE
STEPPING INTO

A VERY EMOTIONAL
POLITICAL ISSUE

THAT DIDN'T GET TALKED ABOUT
A WHOLE LOT AROUND THE PENTAGON

OR AROUND THE ENTIRE MILITARY.

WE WERE GONNA REALLY BE
STIRRING THE POT.

WE SET OUT TO SYSTEMATICALLY
ENGAGE THE FORCE.

THAT MEANT A SURVEY
TO 400,000 SERVICEMEMBERS,

WHICH WAS PROBABLY
THE LARGEST SURVEY

EVER OF THE U.S. MILITARY,
ASIDE FROM THE CENSUS.

WE SURVEYED 150,000
MILITARY SPOUSES.

WE GOT 72,000 EMAILS.

WE WENT AROUND THE COUNTRY.
WE WENT OVERSEAS.

AND WE CAME
FACE TO FACE WITH ABOUT
25,000 SERVICEMEMBERS.

AND THIS WAS A TOPIC
THAT THE YEAR BEFORE
NEVER GOT TALKED ABOUT

IN A GROUP
LARGER THAN THREE OR FOUR.

Man:
THERE'S NOTHING SERIOUSLY
HOMOEROTIC ABOUT A SUBMARINE.

THERE'S THE OLD JOKE THAT,
YOU KNOW,

100 GUYS GO DOWN
AND 50 COUPLES COME UP.

BUT THAT'S REALLY
NOT THE CASE.

THE SHOWERS ARE ALL ENCLOSED.
THE RACKS HAVE CURTAINS
ON THEM.

I'VE NEVER SEEN A NAKED PERSON
ON A SUBMARINE.

IT'S BASICALLY A MOVING
NUCLEAR POWER PLANT.

AND THERE'S NOTHING SEXY
ABOUT A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT.

Erik:
SINCE I HAVE BEEN
IN THE MILITARY,

I HAVE HAD ONE INSTANCE
OF TAKING A GROUP SHOWER

THAT EVERYONE
SEEMS TO BE TERRIFIED ABOUT.

Marcus:
IT'S LIKE THE ASTRONAUTS
THAT HAVE TO ANSWER,

"HOW DO YOU GO
TO THE BATHROOM IN SPACE?"

IT'S THE SAME LEVEL OF JUST,
YOU KNOW, COME ON.

YOU KNOW?
( laughs )

Steinman:
IF YOU'RE A GAY GUY
IN THIS COUNTRY,

YOU'RE IN THE SHOWERS
WITH STRAIGHT GUYS
YOUR WHOLE LIFE.

AND SO FOR A GAY GUY,

IT'S: BEEN THERE, DONE THAT.
NO BIG DEAL. WHO CARES?

BUT FOR A STRAIGHT GUY

WHO IS ALMOST NEVER NAKED
IN THE SHOWER WITH A WOMAN,

IT'S A QUITE
A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE

AND WOULD
BE SEXUALLY TITILLATING.

SO YOU CAN SEE HOW HE WOULD
PROJECT THAT ONTO THE GAY GUY,

AND THINKING THAT THE GAY GUY
WOULD REALLY BE SEXUALLY
ATTRACTED TO HIM--

TO THE STRAIGHT GUY
IF HE WAS NAKED IN THE SHOWER
TOGETHER.

AND SO YOU HAVE TO
SORT OF TALK ABOUT THAT.

YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN
IN THE SHOWER WITH A--
YOU KNOW, WITH A GAY GUY;

YOU JUST DON'T KNOW IT.

THE ISSUE ISN'T WHETHER OR NOT
GAY AND LESBIAN AMERICANS

ARE SERVING IN THE MILITARY;

IT'S WHETHER OR NOT
WE TALK ABOUT IT.

SO HOW ARE YOU GOING
TO GET THEIR INPUT
IN THIS SURVEY?

ALL RIGHT. ACTUALLY, I MEAN,
MY TAKE ON THAT IS...

WELL, HANG ON A SECOND.
UM...

I THINK THAT--
THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO...

LOOK VERY CAREFULLY
AT HOW WE WOULD DO THAT.

DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL
SHIELDS ITSELF FROM SCRUTINY,

FROM STUDY,
FROM EXAMINATION,

BECAUSE IT PREVENTS
GAY SERVICEMEMBERS FROM TELLING
THEIR STORIES.

J.D. Smith:
SOMEONE WAS BLACKMAILING ME

AND A BUNCH OF MY FRIENDS
FOUND OUT ABOUT IT.

AND THEY GOT
VERY UPSET ABOUT IT,
SO THEY CREATED A WEBSITE

TO SHARE STORIES ABOUT
PEOPLE BEING BLACKMAILED

OR IN BAD SITUATIONS.

AND WHAT WE DID WAS WE CREATED
A HIDDEN FACEBOOK GROUP

TO CONNECT PEOPLE
ACROSS THE MILITARY.

YOU'D HAVE TO BE INVITED
OR BE REFERRED TO GET
INTO THIS GROUP.

AND THAT'S HOW PEOPLE
ARE ABLE TO SEE EACH OTHER,

TO CONNECT WITH ONE ANOTHER.

John:
ONCE YOU MEET ONE OR TWO,

YOU MEET HUNDREDS
OF OTHER GAY MILITARY.

Marcus:
IT'S JUST THIS
GEOMETRIC EXPANSION

OF THE WHOLE NETWORK.

ONCE YOU GET TO KNOW
ONE GAY PERSON IN THE MILITARY,

THERE'S REALLY KIND OF A WHOLE
LITTLE INFORMAL NETWORK

BUILT UP THERE OF PEOPLE
WHO ALL KNOW EACH OTHER.

J.D. Smith:
THE D.O.D. WAS GOING
TO DIFFERENT BASES

TO TALK TO PEOPLE
ABOUT HOW THEY FELT

ABOUT THE DON'T ASK,
DON'T TELL POLICY.

BUT IF YOU WENT
TO THESE BRIEFINGS,

YOU WERE TOLD NOT TO IDENTIFY
YOUR SEXUAL ORIENTATION.

ANYONE THAT WAS STRAIGHT
WAS ABLE TO VOICE THEIR
OPINION VERY OPENLY,

BUT IF YOU WERE GAY,
YOU COULDN'T OPENLY SPEAK
ABOUT THE POLICY AT ALL.

SO WE WROTE THIS LETTER
TO SECRETARY GATES.

WE WERE EVENTUALLY BROUGHT
TO THE TABLE AT THE PENTAGON
WORKING GROUP.

Man:
AMENDMENT #79,

OFFERED BY MR. PATRICK MURPHY
OF PENNSYLVANIA.

McCain:
THIS IS A BLATANT
POLITICAL PLOY

IN ORDER TO TRY TO GALVANIZE
THE POLITICAL BASE

OF THE OTHER SIDE WHICH
IS FACING A LOSING ELECTION.

THE MOTION IS NOT AGREED TO.

Sarvis:
SENATOR McCAIN HAD THE VOTES
FOR A DELAY.

AND THAT'S WHAT
THIS VOTE REPRESENTS.

IT'S A STANDOFF
AND TIME IS THE ENEMY.

David Martin:
THIS WAS NOT THE LAST CHANCE

TO REPEAL
DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL,

BUT IT MIGHT
HAVE BEEN THE BEST CHANCE
FOR SOME TIME TO COME.

Gwen Ifill:
POLITICAL AFTERSHOCKS
ECHOED IN WASHINGTON

AND AROUND THE COUNTRY TODAY
AFTER REPUBLICANS

SCORED RESOUNDING VICTORIES
IN THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS.

YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE
FRANKLY SAID THAT,

YOU KNOW, I LOST MY RACE
BECAUSE I LED THE FIGHT

TO REPEAL DON'T ASK,
DON'T TELL.

GOOD GIRL.
DROP DROP DROP.

I'M NOT SURE IF IT--
IF IT'S TRUE OR NOT,

BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY,

MY JOB IN CONGRESS
WASN'T JUST TO GET REELECTED.

YOU KNOW, MY KIDS, ONE DAY,
WHEN THEY'RE GOOGLING
THEIR DADDY

AND WHAT HE DID
WHEN HE WAS IN THE CONGRESS--

YOU KNOW,
WHAT DID HE STAND FOR?
WHAT DID HE FIGHT FOR?

I WANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT THEY KNOW

THAT THEIR DADDY
FOUGHT FOR WHAT HE THOUGHT
WAS RIGHT FOR OUR COUNTRY.

AND I WANT THEM TO BE PROUD.

Sarvis:
THE MIDTERMS MADE IT
MORE IMPORTANT

TO GET IT DONE THIS YEAR.

IT'S CHALLENGING ENOUGH
IN 2010 TO DO THIS,

AS YOU HAVE SEEN
FOR THE PAST 18 MONTHS.

YEAH. IT WILL BE
EXTRAORDINARILY TOUGH.

BUT LOOK,
WE DIDN'T COME THIS FAR
TO GIVE UP TODAY.

THERE'S YET ANOTHER
BREAKING STORY TO TELL YOU

ABOUT A FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT
JUDGE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

RULING THAT THE MILITARY'S
DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL POLICY

IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL UNDER
THE FIFTH AND FIRST AMENDMENTS.

Johnson:
THE LOG CABIN
REPUBLICANS' CASE

SENT US INTO,
FRANKLY, A REAL PANIC

BECAUSE ON OCTOBER 11th,

WE HAD A LAW
THAT WE WERE ENFORCING
ON A DAILY BASIS.

THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN
ON OCTOBER 12th,

A DISTRICT JUDGE TELLS YOU,
YOU MUST STOP.

YOU HAVE TO TELL
A FORCE OF TWO MILLION PEOPLE,

STOP ENFORCING THIS LAW
ON A WORLDWIDE BASIS.

THAT HAD A REAL IMPACT
ON SECRETARY GATES.

NOW THAT WE HAVE
COMPLETED THIS REVIEW,

I STRONGLY URGE THE SENATE
TO PASS THIS LEGISLATION

AND SEND IT TO THE PRESIDENT
FOR SIGNATURE

BEFORE THE END OF THIS YEAR.

I BELIEVE THIS IS A MATTER
OF SOME URGENCY

BECAUSE, AS WE HAVE SEEN,
THE FEDERAL COURTS

ARE INCREASINGLY BECOMING
INVOLVED IN THIS ISSUE.

THE DATA ALSO SHOWS...

Belkin:
IT WAS A VERY POWERFUL MOMENT

FOR THE MILITARY
IN ITS OWN VOICE TO SAY

WE CAN HANDLE THIS TRANSITION
WITHOUT PROBLEMS.

AND THAT ACTUALLY MOVED
A LOT OF PEOPLE

IN THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE.

Sarvis:
IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT DAY.

17 YEARS AGO, PRESIDENT CLINTON
SIGNED DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL.

NOVEMBER 30th, 1993.

NO KIDDING.

HOW IRONIC THAT THIS REPORT
SHOULD COME OUT 17 YEARS LATER?

Gates:
IN SUMMARY,
A STRONG MAJORITY

OF THOSE
WHO ANSWERED THE SURVEY,
MORE THAN TWO-THIRDS,

DO NOT OBJECT
TO GAYS AND LESBIANS

SERVING OPENLY IN UNIFORM.

Mullen:
THESE ARE THE THINGS
THE STUDY TELLS US.

NOW LET ME TELL YOU
WHAT I BELIEVE.

I BELIEVE
OUR TROOPS AND THEIR FAMILIES
ARE READY FOR THIS.

MOST OF THEM ALREADY
BELIEVE THEY SERVE

OR HAVE SERVED
ALONGSIDE GAYS AND LESBIANS.

AND KNOWING MATTERS A LOT.

WELL, I COULDN'T
DISAGREE MORE.

WE SEND THESE YOUNG PEOPLE
INTO COMBAT.

WE THINK THEY'RE MATURE ENOUGH
TO FIGHT AND DIE.

I THINK THEY'RE MATURE ENOUGH
TO MAKE A JUDGMENT

ON WHO
THEY WANT TO SERVE WITH.

WHY WOULDN'T WE JUST
ASK THE QUESTION?

BECAUSE I,
FUNDAMENTALLY, SIR,

THINK IT'S
AN INCREDIBLY BAD PRECEDENT

TO ASK THEM ABOUT--

YOU KNOW, TO ESSENTIALLY
VOTE ON A POLICY.

I CAN'T THINK OF A SINGLE
PRECEDENT IN AMERICAN HISTORY

OF DOING A REFERENDUM
OF THE AMERICAN ARMED FORCES

ON A POLICY ISSUE.

ARE YOU GONNA ASK THEM
IF THEY WANT 15-MONTH TOURS?

YOU GONNA ASK THEM
IF THEY WANT TO BE PART
OF THE SURGE IN IRAQ?

THAT'S NOT THE WAY
OUR CIVILIAN-LED MILITARY

HAS EVER WORKED
IN OUR ENTIRE HISTORY.

PROBABLY THE ONE INSTITUTION--
CENTRAL INSTITUTION
IN OUR COUNTRY

THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
STILL HAVE TRUST IN

IS THE AMERICAN MILITARY.

Sarvis:
JOHN McCAIN--

FRANKLY HE'S BEING
A BIT OF A BULLY HERE.

AND THE CLOCK
IS RUNNING OUT.

WE STILL DON'T KNOW
WHAT'S GOING TO BE THE OUTCOME.

WE HAVE TO MEET THAT THRESHOLD
OF 60 VOTES IN THE SENATE.

AND WE'RE--
WE'RE AT THE BRINK.

AND WE-- AND WE LITERALLY
DO NOT KNOW.

Reporter:
AN EFFORT TO LIFT
THE MILITARY'S BAN

ON OPENLY GAY TROOPS
HAS FAILED TO GET OFF
THE SENATE FLOOR.

THE LAST-DITCH EFFORT THURSDAY
FELL THREE VOTES SHORT.

THE MEASURE WASN'T A VOTE
ON THE POLICY,

BUT A PROCEDURAL MOVE
THAT NEEDED 60 VOTES
TO ADVANCE.

David Hall:
I THINK WHAT I ALWAYS DO
IS YOU ALWAYS LOOK AT AUBREY.

BECAUSE IF HE LOOKS UPSET
AND IF HE LOOKS LIKE--

LIKE, "OH MY GOD,"
THEN I WOULD BE WORRIED.
BUT HE DIDN'T HAVE THAT LOOK.

AND I REMEMBER HIM, LIKE,
"LET'S LOOK AT THE PROCEDURES.

HOW DO WE GET A BILL
FROM THE HOUSE TO THE SENATE

WHERE IT DOESN'T
HAVE TO GO THROUGH COMMITTEE,

BUT IT CAN BE DONE IN DAYS?

BECAUSE, LIKE,
WE'RE OUT OF TIME."

Steinman:
MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW
THAT WHEN THE CRUNCH CAME,

AUBREY SARVIS
CAME UP WITH THE IDEA

TO HAVE A STAND-ALONE BILL
VOTED ON IN THE HOUSE
AND SENATE,

AND WORKED
WITH SENATOR LIEBERMAN
AND CONGRESSMAN MURPHY

TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

OKAY.

AND THEN WE'LL
MAKE A COPY OF IT

AND THEN YOU CAN
GIVE IT BACK TO ME.

ANYTIME I STARTED
QUESTIONING MYSELF

WHETHER OR NOT
WE COULD ACCOMPLISH IT,

I THOUGHT BACK
TO AN EMAIL I GOT

FROM A COMPANY COMMANDER
IN KABUL, AFGHANISTAN.

AND HE SAID,
"I'M ON MY 4th DEPLOYMENT.
I LOVE SERVING IN OUR MILITARY.

BUT NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS

DID I THINK
WHAT HAPPENED TONIGHT
WOULD HAPPEN TO ME.

THE PROBLEM IS
THAT I HAPPEN TO BE GAY.

AND MY PARTNER,
AFTER FOUR DEPLOYMENTS,
JUST COULDN'T DO IT ANYMORE.

AND HE WROTE ME A LETTER
AND LET ME KNOW

THAT HE WASN'T GONNA BE THERE
WHEN I CAME HOME.

AND I FELT SO ALONE.
AND I HAVE NOWHERE TO GO.

I CAN'T GO INTO
MY COMMANDER'S OFFICE.
I CAN'T GO TO THE CHAPLAIN.

I CAN'T GO TO A BATTLE BUDDY.
SO I'M SITTING HERE

AND I'M CRADLING
MY 9mm WEAPON

AND I'M THINKING ABOUT
BLOWING MY BRAINS OUT.

BUT THE ONLY THING
THAT GIVES ME HOPE

IS THAT KNOWING
THAT ANOTHER IRAQ WAR VETERAN

NAMED PATRICK MURPHY
FROM PENNSYLVANIA IS FIGHTING
FOR ME."

SO HE JUST SAID,
"KEEP FIGHTING.

JUST KNOW
THERE'S SO MANY OF US
THAT ARE COUNTING ON YOU."

ON THIS VOTE, THE YEAS ARE 250;

THE NAYS ARE 175.

THE MOTION IS ADOPTED.

MY WORK KIND OF
FRANKLY WAS DONE.

WE GOT IT DONE IN THE HOUSE
AND NOW IT WAS IN THE SENATE.

Sarvis:
IN THIS CONGRESS,
WE RAISE OUR VOICES AS ONE

AND SAY, "SENATORS,

KILL THIS LAW. KILL THIS LAW
BEFORE YOU GO HOME."

DON'T GO HOME!
DON'T GO HOME!

DON'T GO HOME!

DON'T GO HOME.
DON'T GO HOME.

DON'T GO HOME.
DON'T GO HOME.

DON'T GO HOME...

I'M-- WELL, I'M MORE
THAN HOPEFUL.

I'M REASONABLY CONFIDENT
WE-- WE HAVE THE 60,

UNLESS SOMETHING HAPPENED
LAST NIGHT

THAT I DON'T KNOW ABOUT,
OR THIS MORNING.

SO WE'RE FEELING GOOD.
BUT NEVER TAKE IT FOR GRANTED.

SO WE'RE STILL CHECKING IN
TO MAKE SURE THAT THE VOTES
ARE SOLID.

UNFORTUNATELY, THE MAJORITY
IS USING THE LAME-DUCK SESSION

TO PUSH AN AGENDA.

Lieberman:
It's not a Republican

or a Democratic idea;
it's an American idea,

consistent with
American values.

WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY
NOT JUST TO RIGHT A WRONG,

BUT TO ADVANCE THE VALUES

THAT THE FOUNDERS
OF OUR COUNTRY ARTICULATED

IN OUR ORIGINAL
AMERICAN DOCUMENTS.

TO THOSE WHO ARE PUSHING
THIS PROCESS,

IT IS NOT APPRECIATED.

Gillebrand:
THIS IS A POLICY
THAT IS CORROSIVE.

YOU ARE ASKING MEN
AND WOMEN WHO WANT NOTHING

BUT TO SERVE THIS COUNTRY,
TO GIVE THEIR LIVES
FOR THIS COUNTRY,

TO SAY, "NO, YOU CANNOT
BECAUSE OF WHO YOU LOVE."

THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
HAVE SPOKEN,

AND YOU ARE ACTING
IN DIRECT REPUDIATION

OF THE MESSAGE
OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

Evan Bayh:
THE QUESTION NOW OCCURS
IN THE MOTION TO CONCUR

IN THE HOUSE AMENDMENT
TO THE SENATE AMENDMENT

TO HOUSE RESOLUTION 2965.

THE YEAS AND NAYS
HAVE BEEN REQUESTED.

THE YEAS ARE 65;
THE NAYS 31.

THE MOTION TO CONCUR
IS ADOPTED.

Murphy:
THE PHONE RANG
AND I SAID, "HELLO?"

AND HE SAYS, "PATRICK?"
AND I SAID, "YES."

AND HE SAID,
"IT'S BARACK."

I SAID, "HEY, MR. PRESIDENT,
HOW ARE YOU, SIR?"

AND HE SAID, "GOOD."
HE GOES, "HELL OF A JOB."

HE SAID, "CONGRATULATIONS.
WE GOT THIS DONE."

AND I SAID,
"WELL, THANK YOU, SIR."

AND I SAID,
"THANKS FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP."

I SAID, "WE DID IT."
HE SAID, "YOU'RE SURE AS HELL
RIGHT WE DID."

Barack Obama:
AND NOW IT IS MY HONOR
TO SIGN THIS BILL INTO LAW.

THE STORY
OF DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL

IS THE STORY OF GAY RIGHTS
IN THIS COUNTRY.

HOW CAN ONE POSSIBLY JUSTIFY
ANY KIND OF DISCRIMINATION

IN ANY OTHER PART
OF OUR SOCIETY

IF THE MILITARY SAYS IT'S OKAY
FOR GAYS TO SERVE?

WHEN YOU PUT YOUR LIFE
ON THE LINE FOR YOUR COUNTRY,

HOW CAN YOU THEN
BE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST

IN HOUSING OR JOBS
OR ANY OTHER SILLY THINGS

THAT UNFORTUNATELY
THE GAY COMMUNITY STILL
HAS TO SUFFER FROM?

Brandon:
YOU KNOW, BEING GAY
OR BEING BISEXUAL

OR LESBIAN OR WHATEVER,
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE SERVING
IN THE MILITARY;

YOU'RE SERVING
FOR YOUR COUNTRY;

YOU KNOW YOU'RE POSSIBLY
GIVING YOUR LIFE,

YOU KNOW, FOR THE FREEDOM
OF THE PEOPLE.

Marcus:
BY THE TIME
THIS WHOLE THING AIRS,

I'LL PROBABLY
BE IN AFGHANISTAN.

AND, YOU KNOW, IF ANYTHING
HAPPENS TO ME OVER THERE

AND I DIDN'T COME BACK,
YOU KNOW,

WHEN SOMEBODY'S DOWN
ON ONE KNEE PRESENTING A FLAG

ON BEHALF OF THE PRESIDENT
AND THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

AND A GRATEFUL NATION,
I JUST WANT MY PARTNER--

I WANT IT TO BE HIM
GETTING THAT FLAG.