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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 2, 2011)
Page 4 3'l?* ^Jortianò (Phserticr YOU TAUGHT THEM TO STAND UP. WE'LL TEACH THEM TO STAND OUT. November 2, 2011 President Obama signs legislation to repeal the policy known as ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell. ’ Rights Group Applauds End of Ban “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repealed after 18 years by M indy C ooper You've worked hard to get your son or daughter started on the path to success. With the help ot the U.S. Army, you can be sure they'll get there. The U.S. Army trains in 150 career fields, provides money for college and builds leadership skills that last a lifetime. So if they want to talk to you about the Army, listen. You made them strong. We'll make them Army Strong. Learn more at goarmy.com/for_parents or contact an Army Recruiter at 1-800-USA~ARMY. ARMY STRONG.* You may also speak to a local US Army Career Counselor at 5 0 3 -2 8 4 -4 0 0 5 or visit us at 1317 NE Broadway Street, Portland OR 9 7 2 3 2 . < 2 0 0 9 . Paid lor by the United States Army. T he P ortland O bserver After 18-years of being forced to hide their identity, the law which required gay men and women to conceal their identity while serving in the Armed Forces, has been re pealed. On Sept. 20, the policy known as “D on’t ask, Don’t Tell,” which was made into law in 1993 during a na tional debate over the role of gay women and men in the military, came to an official end after more than 13,000 service members had been discharged under terms of the Con gressional action. "The key thing here is that there are military personnel who have been putting their lives on the line for this country, and yet, they couldn’t be true to who they are and experience the freedom they fight for,” said Jeana Frazzini, executive director of the statewide LGBTQ advocacy organization Basic Rights Oregon. Frazzini said because the military is a significant institution in this country, the repeal is a sign of the larger momentum forequality. “This is one piece of that bigger picture,” she said. President Obama campaigned with a promise to end the policy which was enacted after the Penta gon strongly opposed an attempt by former president Clinton to lift the ban on gays in the military en tirely. Although the repeal seemed hopeful in early 2010, a delay was catalyzed by Senate Republicans who detained action until Demo crats forced a vote last December. The repeal followed a ruling by a federal Judge in California that the law was unconstitutional. In July, the decision was upheld by a three- judge panel which ordered that the continued on page 6 The AARP Driver Safety Program Salutes Our Veterans! Special Offer to all Oregon Veterans in the Month o f November To recognize and thank Oregon veterans for their honorable service and dedication to our country, the AARP Driver Safety Program is proud to offer a FREE classroom course (a $14 value) to ALL veterans—regardless of age—from November 1 through November 30, 2011. All military personnel—active duty, retired, guard, or reserv e- are eligible to receive this nationwide promotion.* The AARP Driver Safety Program is the nation’s first and largest course for drivers age 50 and older. When you take our course, you'll learn valuable defensive driving skills and get a refresher on the rules of the road. Plus, once you complete our classroom course, you could even save money on your car insurance.** . • ■* * » » •••• Don’t miss this special offer! Sign up for a classroom course today, visit w w w .a a rp .o rg /ve te ra n s or call 1-888-227-7669 (AARP NOW). www.facebook.com/aarpdsp • www.twitter.com/aarpdsp • www.youtube.com/aarpdriversafety * Veterans include those individuals who have served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, National Guard/Reserves, or Coast Guard. To receive the free classroom course, veterans a n d /o r veterans' spouses must provide some form of m ilitary identifi cation, including but not limited to: Military ID, discharge papers (DD Form 214), Ameri can Legion card, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) card, dependent ID card, etc., to the host organization a n d /o r Instructor. This of fer is only valid for classroom courses that occur entirely in November. The offer is not valid for the online course. **Upon completion of the course, you may qualify for an automobile insurance discount given by your insurance company. Contact your insurance agent for more details. -AARP
