[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 162 (Monday, September 20, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H4551-H4554]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       RECOGNIZING THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 4, 2021, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Takano) for 30 minutes.


                             General Leave

  Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 
include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, today's Special Order hour marks the 10-
year anniversary of the enactment of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal 
Act of 2010. This legislation represented the end of an era, the close 
of a dark chapter in our military history in which LGBTQ members of the 
Armed Forces were forced to hide who they were under the threat of 
investigation and discharge. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and 
queer servicemembers of that era paid a heavy cost to serve their 
country, one that required them to uphold an uncompromising oath of 
integrity while at the same time publicly denying a fundamental aspect 
of their lives. It is thanks to their resilience, their strength, and 
their activism that repeal was ever achieved, and we honor those 
veterans today.
  I believe it is important to hear from the veterans themselves from 
those who served and survived Don't Ask, Don't Tell. It is my pleasure 
this evening to welcome a number of my colleagues to the floor to read 
the testimony of five individuals who served under Don't Ask, Don't 
Tell.
  It is my distinct privilege to start with the testimony of Lindsay 
Church, a Navy veteran who served from 2008 to 2012. Lindsay is a 
third-generation sailor and the sixth in their family to serve in the 
military. They are a cofounder and executive director of the veteran 
serving organization Minority Veterans of America and have nearly a 
decade of experience in veterans advocacy. And this is Lindsay's story:

[[Page H4552]]

  ``In 2008, I joined the Navy where I would serve for 4 years before 
being medically retired. I served all but 3 months of my time under the 
military's discriminatory Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. I could tell 
you a lot of stories that range from bullying and reprimand for 
my nonbinary appearance, failed relationships due to the fact that I 
had to hide them at every turn, and exploitation by other 
servicemembers threatening to tell my secret if I didn't continue to 
date them. Even as I spent months recovering from life-changing 
injuries as a result of my service, I was made to suffer alone because 
my relationships were legally prohibited.

  ``As I have unpacked my service as a veteran, I look back at the 
intense scars that Don't Ask, Don't Tell inflicted on my life. In 
conversations with other Don't Ask, Don't Tell survivors, I have come 
to realize that serving under this policy has left a generation of 
queer servicemembers with intense trauma and a fracture of our 
identities. For veterans like myself, we were often faced with a choice 
upon leaving the military and coming to the veteran community: Be a 
veteran or be queer because you can't be both here.
  ``It has taken me nearly a decade since leaving the service to find 
healing and engage in healthy relationships. I couldn't speak out 
against this policy when I was in uniform, so it is imperative for me 
today to remind this body that policies like Don't Ask, Don't Tell 
cause widespread trauma and harm to generations of servicemembers who 
fought for our country but were forced to remain voiceless. Moral 
injury will follow with each of us for the rest of our lives.
  ``My story of service was tarnished by Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Every 
day I carried a lie while attempting to live up to the Navy's core 
values of honor, courage, and commitment. I am deeply proud of the 
years of my life I gave to serving my country, and that will never 
change. The scars I carry as a result of that service will also never 
change. Though they may fade, they will never be forgotten.''
  So I would like to extend my deep thanks to Lindsay, both for their 
service and the courage to share their story.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. 
Cicilline), chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus.
  Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Madam Speaker, it is a great honor to be part of this Special Order 
hour, and I thank Chairman Takano, who is not only a leader in the 
Equality Caucus but also chair of the Veterans' Affairs Committee for 
organizing our Special Order hour.
  I know we are joined by several other members of our caucus, 
including one of our new members, an extraordinary gentleman from New 
Hampshire, Chris Pappas, who we will hear from in just a moment.
  As chair of the LGBTQ-Plus Equality Caucus. I am very proud to be 
here tonight to stand alongside my colleagues as we mark this very 
important anniversary.
  Ten years ago, a, historic wrong was corrected when Don't Ask, Don't 
Tell was repealed. I wish I could say it is hard to remember when 
members of the LGBTQ community had to push for their right to serve our 
country openly. But we continue to struggle for full equality in our 
military and in many other areas of our lives.
  A few years ago, President Trump imposed a ban on transgender people 
serving their country in the military. Thankfully, President Biden 
reversed that move and just in the past days his administration has 
taken additional steps to ensure equal access to services for those 
unfairly discharged.
  Thousands of members of the LGBTQ community have served and continue 
to serve in our Nation's military, and we are grateful for their 
service. We understand that military service is inherently stressful 
and dangerous, and those who serve are heroes for putting themselves in 
harm's way to protect us all.
  Now imagine conducting that service knowing that your very identity 
must be kept hidden at the risk of being thrown out with a dishonorable 
discharge. And we know that LGBTQ servicemembers had more to fear than 
separation. They had to face discrimination and potentially violence 
within their ranks should their identity be known.
  The problems facing LGBTQ servicemembers did not vanish immediately 
upon repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. I am proud of my colleagues who 
continue to push to create a level playing field for those discharged 
under this discriminatory policy. I particularly want to acknowledge 
Congressman Takano and Congressman Pocan. But there is still more work 
to be done, and the LGBTQ-Plus Equality Caucus is committed to 
continuing this fight alongside those who have served.
  Today, as Chairman Takano mentioned, my colleagues and I will read 
some firsthand accounts from people discharged under Don't Ask, Don't 
Tell so the American people can really understand the story of their 
lives.
  My story is from John Hegwood, who served in the Army and identifies 
as a gay, bi-racial cisgender man.
  He writes: ``I joined the military knowing, at least intellectually, 
that I couldn't be my authentic self. However, it would take several 
years of introspection to realize what impact this would have on my 
life. I told myself it would be easy to navigate as a gay man since I 
grew up in the very rural and antigay western part of Texas. I thought 
this would be a proverbial `walk in the park.'
  ``When I first heard that Don't Ask, Don't Tell would be repealed, I 
was incredulous and nearly in tears. It was almost unimaginable that 
this would occur within my lifetime. My then-partner and I were both 
military and couldn't even acknowledge our relationship in the 
workplace. The darker side of this otherwise heartening news is that 
the coming months until it was fully repealed would feel like an even 
more hostile environment.
  ``With Don't Ask, Don't Tell as the status quo for over a decade, I 
had the privilege of mostly flying under the radar of most of my 
colleagues who deemed LGBTQ soldiers as a benign part of the fighting 
force. Now with the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell at the forefront of 
the military's collective consciousness, it all but painted a target on 
my back as I became the focus of everyone's ire if they disagreed with 
the repeal that was looming on the horizon.

  ``I now carry with me a sense of resentment towards the military 
because of the harassment, hazing, bullying, and discrimination I 
encountered while serving from those that I was supposed to trust my 
life with. I had to choose between serving my country and my 
relationship.
  ``Now, we might have made some progress as a society. Last month I 
celebrated 10 wonderful years with that same man I couldn't even 
acknowledge in the workplace 10 years ago. He is now my husband, and 
the military that would have discharged him a decade ago now honors our 
marriage and was very accommodating in granting a compassionate 
reassignment of duty location when I was diagnosed with stage III non-
Hodgkin's lymphoma.
  ``This doesn't mean that homophobia simply disappeared, or that 
everyone suddenly had no issues with us simply existing as we are. To 
this day it is not entirely safe for us to hold hands in public, and 
members of the LGBTQ community are still facing discrimination in our 
Armed Forces and in society as a whole.''
  Madam Speaker, those words powerfully written are really a call to 
action as we celebrate 10 years of the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell 
to recognize we have much more work to do to ensure that all members of 
the LGBTQ community can live full lives free from discrimination of any 
kind.
  Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Cicilline for that 
testimony that he read on behalf of John Hegwood, former Army 
servicemember.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. 
Pappas) to share the story of Air Force veteran Landon Marchant.
  Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding and for 
his leadership on the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and for his 
longstanding commitment to fighting for those who have served all of 
us.
  So today does mark the 10th anniversary of the end of Don't Ask, 
Don't Tell. It was a deeply flawed, deeply prejudiced policy of our 
government that prohibited LGBTQ individuals

[[Page H4553]]

from serving openly in the Armed Forces.

                              {time}  2030

  The policy told LGBTQ individuals that they were not welcome to serve 
their country, that their government viewed them as second-class 
citizens.
  It also forced many who swore an oath to give everything for their 
country, up to and including their lives, to hide who they were and to 
live in secret or to face the loss of a job, a life's calling, 
financial security, health, and happiness.
  Americans who were ready, willing, and eager to serve their country 
were forced to leave the armed services for good, many receiving less-
than-honorable discharges. It is estimated that over 13,000 
servicemembers were discharged in the 17 years that Don't Ask, Don't 
Tell was enforced.
  A decade after its repeal, Don't Ask, Don't Tell still casts a long, 
dark, and disgraceful shadow and haunts those who were targeted. We 
have much more work to do to correct this tremendous injustice endured 
by those who served and were discharged during Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
  That is why I was proud to introduce the Securing the Rights our 
Veterans Earned Act, or SERVE Act, to help correct these injustices and 
guaranteeing VA benefits for LGBTQ-plus veterans forced out of service 
for being themselves. This includes veterans who were discharged under 
Don't Ask, Don't Tell, those issued so-called blue discharges during 
World War II, as well as those forced out under the Trump's 
administration discriminatory policy on transgender servicemembers.
  I want to highlight one story of a courageous veteran, Landon 
Marchant. Landon Marchant is a transgender veteran of the Air Force who 
enlisted to serve their country and for the promise of a better life. 
But after just 22 months, they were dishonorably discharged.
  As Landon writes: ``The impact of Don't Ask, Don't Tell did not end 
when I received my discharge paperwork, and it did not end when the ban 
was finally repealed. It has impacted my post-military life. I was 
discharged less than 2 months before reaching the 2-year minimum for 
full GI Bill eligibility, and I have had to fight for my disability 
benefits while having inconsistent employment.''
  So it took nearly 10 years after their discharge to be awarded the VA 
benefits that Landon had earned, and still, this fight continues.
  Stories like Landon's are heartbreaking. I thank them for having the 
courage to stand up and to speak out about this personal experience.
  Don't Ask, Don't Tell isn't just about a policy on paper. It is about 
living, breathing people, like Landon and thousands more who lived with 
the stigma, the trauma, and the adverse effects.
  I applaud the Department of Veterans Affairs for announcing that it 
will work to correct injustices like Landon's. And I urge my colleagues 
in this Chamber to support these efforts and others that will provide 
all LGBTQ-plus servicemembers and veterans with the full measure of 
equality, of care, and of respect that they have earned through their 
service.
  Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Pappas for sharing 
the testimony of Landon Marchant.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. 
Moulton), a Congressman who himself is a Marine veteran, to share the 
story of Air Force veteran Hanna Tripp.
  Mr. MOULTON. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for 
yielding.
  Hanna Tripp served in the Air Force from 2009 to 2013. Hanna is also 
a Team Moulton alum, where she did extraordinary work for veterans in 
Massachusetts' Sixth District. Today, as a senior policy adviser at 
Minority Veterans of America, she continues to advocate for veterans 
everywhere.
  I am grateful to be here on this year's 10th anniversary of the 
repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and I am honored to share Hanna's 
story with you all.
  This is her story, in her words: ``I graduated flight school at the 
top of my class; flew 20 combat missions in Iraq; and later brought 
back the remains of our fallen from Afghanistan.
  ``Objectively, I was a good airman. However, nothing that I did or 
could do would supersede the fact that I was trans. In coming out, my 
service to this country would have been made irrelevant simply by this 
one aspect of who I was.
  ``So, in order to remain, I chose to bifurcate myself; to project a 
facade of the person the military expected me to be. The catch-22 was 
that while I heard members of my squadron talk about how `the gays' 
would destroy our combat effectiveness, I was unable to demonstrate 
that it didn't. This is the most enduring aspect of Don't Ask, Don't 
Tell for me. It was not that people like me were banned. It is that we 
were denied the opportunity to show our worth.
  ``Being trans in the Air Force was to live two versions of a lie: the 
lie you showed to the world in denying this fundamental truth and the 
lie that you told to yourself in doing so.
  ``There was also a feeling of betraying the community. How can I 
expect change if I don't have the courage to be the change I want to 
see? Why would those who had negative perceptions of `the gays' think 
any differently if I was too cowardly to show them?
  ``With absolutely no hubris, I can say that my service to this 
country was both valuable and needed. I enlisted in the middle of a war 
to serve in a career field that guaranteed I would be sent to the front 
lines. I recognize the contributions I made, but I can't say I am proud 
of my service, as I failed to stand up for the very values that I was 
fighting for.
  ``What is strange to me is that being trans is such a small part of 
who I am, but because of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, it has become a large 
part of how my service is perceived.
  ``I still feel the legacy of Don't Ask, Don't Tell even to this day. 
At the VA, I was denied emergency care for no other reason than I was 
trans. Even now, I remain cut off from most of the people I served 
with.
  ``When squadmates died from suicide, when Iraq fell to ISIS, and 
while I battled my own experiences from the war, I did so alone. To 
this day, people with no service in the military still freely challenge 
the veracity of trans service.
  ``For people such as myself, Don't Ask, Don't Tell meant that our 
accomplishments, our stories, and our service was hidden because we 
were forced to remain hidden.''
  That is powerful testimony from Hanna Tripp, an American hero.
  Mr. TAKANO. Madam Chair, I express my gratitude to the gentleman from 
Massachusetts for sharing Hanna Tripp's story. She truly is and was a 
courageous member of our Armed Forces, and it was very moving 
testimony. I read it in advance and nearly teared up.
  I thank the Member for being here today to share with the rest of the 
country who Hanna is. I thank all the Members for sharing the stories 
of our LGBTQ members.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Ms. 
Spanberger), my colleague, to share the story of Army veteran Stephanie 
Merlo.
  Ms. SPANBERGER. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember and celebrate the 10-year 
anniversary of the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
  The repeal of this policy allowed thousands of American 
servicemembers to live and serve without fear. Finally, brave Americans 
are able to defend their country--our country--without worrying about 
both the stigma and the punishment that they could face because of whom 
they loved.
  This decision, the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, impacted many of 
my constituents in Virginia's Seventh District, including Stephanie 
Merlo, an Army veteran. With her permission, I am honored to share her 
story tonight on the floor of the House of Representatives.
  Stephanie begins by explaining that: ``A year after 9/11 happened, I 
enlisted as an Active Duty servicemember in the Army. My mom cried; my 
brother was proud; and I was honestly excited and scared both at the 
same time.
  ``Was I scared of deploying? Sure, a little. Was I afraid of failing? 
Of course.
  ``But my overall fear, that which consumed me beyond the point of 
depression, was the fear of being `ousted' and discharged for being a 
lesbian. In February of 2004, that fear showed its

[[Page H4554]]

face, and I was backed into a corner with deciding how I wanted to 
proceed with my military career.''
  How many servicemembers had this fear? How many brave soldiers served 
honorably but with a secret, a secret that they knew could end their 
career in the military, their career of service to our Nation?
  And Stephanie had two secrets: her sexuality, a secret she kept to 
protect her military career, and a secret regarding the sexual assault 
she suffered while in the Army. You see, reporting it could also mean 
revealing the secret of her sexuality.
  Stephanie couldn't seek justice as a victim because seeking justice 
would mean she could potentially bring an end to her career. She could 
potentially be identified as gay in the military.
  Stephanie was faced with this horrible choice, this horrible reality, 
and all the while, her intention had been to bravely serve our Nation, 
as so many brave LGBTQ Americans have.
  I am proud to share this story because Stephanie reflects on the fact 
that had Don't Ask, Don't Tell not been in place, perhaps a bit of her 
story would have gone differently. She says that she never regretted 
her decision to join the Army, but she still lives with the regret of 
not allowing herself to live her truth.
  Stephanie's story is emblematic of the struggles, the hardships, and, 
most importantly, the triumphs of so many who have served in our Air 
Force before the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
  During that time, members of our military showed tremendous courage, 
selflessness. They served our country with the utmost honor and valor, 
and they put their service to country above even living their own 
truth. But our military is stronger because of the repeal.
  Our military has always been strong because of brave servicemembers, 
brave soldiers like Stephanie, and our Nation is better because it has 
been protected by people like Stephanie and so many of the stories we 
have heard today. Our Nation is better protected because of the 
protections afforded to those who put on the uniform.
  Tonight, we have the opportunity to reflect on the importance of this 
decision on the 10th anniversary of the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't 
Tell. For thousands of servicemembers and veterans like Stephanie, this 
decision was long overdue.
  May we always look to defend and support those who are willing to 
serve our country, sacrifice on behalf of our fellow Americans, and 
build a stronger Nation. I am grateful to every LGBTQ servicemember who 
has served, past or present. I thank them for their sacrifice to our 
country, and I am so grateful that as they serve today, they can do it 
celebrating their full selves.
  Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Virginia for 
sharing the very moving story of Stephanie Merlo, for expressing her 
humanity on the floor today. The Representative exemplifies, to me, the 
best of my Caucus, the Democratic Caucus, and the values we stand up 
for, which is to include more people in ``we the people.''
  Madam Speaker, this concludes our Special Order hour. I thank my 
colleagues for their participation and each of the veterans who shared 
their stories and, in particular, every veteran and servicemember who 
gave their service to our country in the face of overwhelming 
prejudice.
  We recognize today as the 10th anniversary of an important first step 
toward making the Armed Forces more inclusive and accepting, a 
commitment that I and all my colleagues here today will continue to 
carry forward.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to include in the Record a 
statement of a constituent of mine, Staff Sergeant Ashley Carothers, 
who is a veteran of the United States Air Force. Staff Sergeant 
Carothers served from 2005 to 2013, and thus was subject to the ``Don't 
Ask, Don't Tell'' policy for most of her service. I share her story as 
we commemorate 10 years since the repeal of ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell.'' 
Staff Sergeant Carothers was honorably discharged in 2013 and lives in 
the District of Columbia.
  This is what she has said about her experience:

       During my Air Force career, I lived a double life. I was an 
     actress portraying a straight Airman on a stage called life 
     and behind closed doors a very broken human being that 
     desperately just wanted to be herself. I was a lesbian in 
     hiding. I was the Airman that did it all, scored as high as 
     they could on tests, worked to know the job better than the 
     rest and volunteer for everything that I could in hopes that 
     my busy life would never uncover the truth. Behind the 
     curtain I dated but relationships couldn't really completely 
     build because there was always a sense of getting caught 
     especially in a mil to mil relationship. Supervisors 
     constantly questioning you and trying to set you up with the 
     new guy in the shop and always prying into why you constantly 
     denied any male advances. The worst part was the feeling of 
     always being alone while fending off the wolves (male airmen) 
     and dodging sexual harassment and assault as a woman just 
     trying to serve her country. I guess it made me stronger in a 
     weird messed up way as I was able to provide support to 
     others later in my career, support I never had.
       While serving in Germany I had the privilege to be one of 
     the chapter leaders for the then-underground organization 
     known as OutServe. Prior to the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't 
     Tell we had a large number of LGBT service members all over 
     the European theater that relied on each other for support 
     and a sense of community. During this timeframe, multiple 
     individuals struggled further with their military leadership 
     as those opposed to the repeal expressed their views 
     verbally, leaving many with anxiety about the future. There 
     were many late-night phone calls trying to be the voice of 
     reason in moments of doubt and desperation when options to 
     turn to mental health professionals were nonexistent for fear 
     of discharge. Not being able to fight for them and speak 
     freely and openly to commands for support damaged individuals 
     beyond repair. If anyone went to speak to a mental health 
     professional and disclosed the fact that they identified as 
     gay, lesbian or bisexual, they would be on the chopping block 
     as they were serving under Don't Ask, Don't Tell. On top of 
     that, many served in career fields that they had to report 
     any visit to a mental health professional, further limiting 
     these individuals who desperately needed assistance. These 
     individuals had no one to turn to and suffered in silence. 
     Most even after the repeal couldn't come out as lesbian, gay 
     or bisexual for fear of mistreatment from their superiors. 
     Some suffered greatly by coming out to their commands, as 
     they had to work twice as hard to prove themselves and were 
     often overlooked for promotion and awards.
       Balancing my own life struggles and the struggles of those 
     that looked to me for support was a pretty demanding time in 
     my career. My career and health did suffer, but I often think 
     about what life would have been like if I hadn't been able to 
     give so much or if the military would have just let humans be 
     humans by being their true authentic selves in the first 
     place. The constant jokes, ridicule and mistreatment from 
     superiors hasn't gone away. On this anniversary, I hope that 
     those in charge will finally take the right steps and change 
     the culture.

  Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to share Staff Sergeant 
Carothers' story and to remember the thousands like her who were harmed 
by Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

                          ____________________