NEWSDON'T ASK DON'T TELL

In an op-ed featured in the Huffington Post, Jessica Gerson, author of the Change.org petition "Dallas VA Medical Center: Fire Homophobic Nurse for Harassing Lesbian Marine Veteran," questions whether or not the VA hospitals are prepared to care for U.S. gay & lesbian troops.

Jessica shares to story of her friend Esther Garatie, a lesbian Marine veteran who alleges that she was harassed for being gay at the Dallas VA Medical Center.

"Fortunately for me, and for all those who know and love Esther, she didn't end her life that afternoon. And though I couldn't repair all the damage done, I could make it my mission to ensure that what happened to Esther never happened again to any gay or lesbian veteran."

After the event, Jessica launched a petition on Change.org calling for the Dallas VA to fire the homophobic nurse. More than 15,000 people have signed her petition in support of Esther.

A nurse practitioner at the Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center has been pulled from seeing patients and placed on administrative duties as the hospital investigates an allegation that she harassed a lesbian veteran with an anti-gay rant.

According to a report in the Dallas Voice, former Marine lance corporal Esther Garatie, 28, went to the Dallas VA Medical Center on October 12 to “seek treatment for severe depression and possible post-traumatic stress disorder -- including thoughts of suicide.” Garatie, who was wounded and honorably discharged from the Marines, claims that nurse practitioner Lincy Pandithurai told her that the reason she was depressed and contemplating suicide was because she is a lesbian.

In the wake of this incident, Garatie and her friend, Jessica Gerson, launched a petition on Change.org calling on the Dallas VA and the Texas Board of Nursing to investigate and fire Nurse Pandithurai. On Monday, after 12,000 supporters signed the petition, Monica Smith, a spokeswoman for the VA Medical Center, confirmed to Change.org in an email that Nurse Pandithurai will no longer see patients while the Dallas VA reviews the complaint and completes its investigation, which is expected to conclude by the end of the month.

"We started a fact-finding review when this allegation was first brought to our attention," said Smith. "To get a more in-depth look at the allegation, VA North Texas is now conducting an administrative investigation board review and expects to have that completed by the end of November. The nurse named in the allegation is currently placed on administrative duties while the investigation is ongoing."

On Veterans Day -- as one should everyday -- we acknowledge and show gratitude for the personal sacrifices made by the men and women in the U.S. military. And while that sentiment may be nice, unfortunately, the care we provide these brave soldiers after duty often fails to reflect that gratitude.

Esther Garatie, a 28-year-old lesbian Marine veteran who was honorably discharged, walked into a mental health clinic at the Dallas VA Medical Center on October 12, 2011, seeking treatment for severe depression and possible post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as thoughts of suicide. But instead of help, Esther asserts that she was subjected to a vitriolic, hateful rant that lasted three hours on the topic of Esther's sexual orientation. The protagonist: a homophobic nurse practitioner named Lincy Pandithurai.

“She sat down and looked at me, and her first question was, ‘Are you a lesbian?’” Garatie wrote in a personal statement written one day after the incident and published by the Voice. “Her second question to me was, ‘Have you asked God into your heart? Have you been saved by Jesus Christ?’”

“This is when I realized that I was no longer a United States veteran in her eyes,” Garatie continued. “I was just a homosexual.”

Immediately after the event, Esther reached out to her friend Jessica Gerson, who quickly launched a campaign on Change.org calling on the Dallas VA Medical Center to fire the anti-gay nurse. As of Veterans Day, more than 12,000 people have now signed Jessica's petition.

“I can’t imagine Esther’s feeling very appreciated this Veterans Day,” said Gerson. “Esther was honorably discharged from the military for an injury she incurred while serving her country. How dare Nurse Pandithurai attack her with such bigotry and intolerance? She should be fired from the Dallas VA Medical Center and have her license revoked by the Texas Board of Nursing.”

It's been a little more than a month since the repeal of the discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy went into full effect. But even though the ban barring gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military is gone, that doesn't mean bigotry and intolerance have left with it.

Just ask Marine veteran Esther Garatie.

According to a report in the Dallas Voice, former Marine lance corporal Esther Garatie, 28, went to the Dallas VA Medical Center on October 12 to “seek treatment for severe depression and possible post-traumatic stress disorder — including thoughts of suicide.” Garatie, who was wounded and Honorably Discharged from the Marines, claims that nurse practitioner Lincy Pandithurai told her that the reason she was depressed and contemplating suicide was because she is a lesbian.

“She sat down and looked at me, and her first question was, ‘Are you a lesbian?’” Garatie wrote in a personal statement written one day after the incident and published by the Voice. “Her second question to me was, ‘Have you asked God into your heart? Have you been saved by Jesus Christ?’ This is when I realized that I was no longer a United States veteran in her eyes, I was just a homosexual.”

Immediately after the event, Esther sought the advice of her friend Jessica Gerson, a MSW candidate at Tulane University, who launched a campaign on Change.org to support the veteran. Within hours, Jessica had recruited hundreds of supporters on Change.org, the world’s fastest growing platform for social change.

Last year, the Space Needle made history by flying the Pride flag for the first time ever during Seattle's Pride weekend. Thousands of people celebrated  under the Space Needle and a giant rainbow flag showing the company's commitment to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.

Notably, Representative Jim McDermott addressed a crowd of hundreds at Pride. He spoke about how important it was to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."  LGBT service men and women stood with roses in front of the stage as he spoke.

My partner was among those veterans. He was brought to tears as the power of that moment overwhelmed him. I remember watching him, and the other soldiers and feeling incredibly sad that our soldiers not only had to fight for our freedom abroad, but their own freedom at home as well.

Dan Choi, forever the activist, set off a firestorm late Wednesday night when he tweeted, "To the U.S. Marshals who came to my friend's NYC apartment looking for me: I don't couchsurf there anymore. I'm at 6 Traymore Cambridge MA," which was then followed by, "Well, I do owe the Army a few thousand $ for my DADT discharge (and refuse to pay a cent.) Or it could be for D.C. direct actions."

Dan Choi's "direct action" -- chaining himself to the White House fence -- didn't win him much love from the government the first time, but the last time he did it seems to have garnered some "attention." Dan, along with some of his fellow members of the "White House 13" -- the 13 GetEQUAL activists and LGBT vets who chained themselves, for the last time, to the White House fence in November -- received visits from the U.S. Marshal, "generously" reminding them of upcoming court appearances. Intimidation, much? John Aravosis speaks to this vindictive, abusive use of power here and here.

Robin McGehee, GetEQUAL Co-Founder and of the "White House 13" told me today that the U.S. Marshals have attempted to contact all 13 protestors. She adds, "I believe the efforts being made by the U.S. Government to collect the debt of soldiers who were unjustly and unconstitutionally thrown out under DADT is unethical and morally wrong. These individuals did nothing but serve their country -- many of them not coming out to themselves or to others until after serving years in the military. Asking those who have served our country, and then were discriminated against to repay such a loan is completely absurd and should easily be forgiven.  As for our U.S. Marshal visits, I am willing to take whatever punishment set forth, as I was aware that I was taking such a risk -- but, that risk was taken to highlight and illuminate the homophobic and transphobic policies of our U.S. government and as our government begins to right a wrong -- they might consider dropping charges since our actions were used to bring mainstream attention to their oversight.  At the very least, save tax payer money and send us a letter about future court dates, instead of the "attempted" intimidation of a U.S. Marshal."

What would you do with $193 million dollars? That's what the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) ban on openly gay servicemembers cost our country between 2004 and 2009, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

The GAO says that during that time period, 3,664 servicemembers were separated under DADT. Of those, 1,442 "held critical occupations, such as infantryman and security forces," and another 23 "held skills in an important foreign language, such as Arabic or Spanish." Seven separated servicemembers fell into both categories. All told, that's about 40 percent of all DADT discharges who were in critical roles.

It cost the government -- read, you and I, as taxpayers -- $185.6 million to recruit and train replacements and $7.7 million in administrative costs.

Most people remember iconic actor Gregory Peck as the progressive lawyer Atticus Finch in the 1962 big screen adaptation of To Kill a Mocking Bird.

Fifteen years prior, however, Peck starred in a different book-to-movie production, Gentleman's Agreement, in which he plays another idealistic hero, reporter Philip Schuyler Green, who pretends he's Jewish to write an article about anti-Semitism.

His trials and tribulations speak to any number of the nation's ongoing social ills, like homophobia, and this 64-year-old movie's something more than just entertainment: it's a road map on fighting bigotry in its many forms.

Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty announced yesterday on a conservative talkshow that he would reinstate "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" if he were running the country.

“I’ve been a public supporter of maintaining ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ and I would support reinstating it as well," he said. It is rumored that he may run for president in 2012, a thought that reasonably causes many an LGBT voter to shudder. Then again, Pawlenty may also open a margarita bar instead, as he has repeatedly joked. Doesn't he know Jimmy Buffet is so passe?

"I'm not just a fiscal conservative, I'm a social conservative," T-Paw, as Pawlenty has been nicknamed, relayed on the radio show. When asked how he would treat "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" if elected president, he said, "I believe strongly in traditional marriage. I don't believe all other domestic relationships should be on the same platform as traditional marriage. I just don't buy that." He went on to reinforce that he believes strongly in a "conservative interpretation" of the law.

North Carolina politician Bill James has taken his anti-gay extremism too far.

The Mecklenburg County Commissioner has used his position as an elected official to call gay people “sexual predators,” to label homosexuality a “crime against nature,” and to argue that homosexuality should be a criminal offense. He even told a fellow Commissioner whose son died of AIDS that he was a “homo.”

LGBT activists in Mecklenburg County and thousands of Change.org members have urged the Mecklenburg County Board to hold Bill James accountable. Now it looks like they’re willing to take the first step.

Tonight, fellow Commissioners on the Mecklenburg County Board will debate a resolution condemning bias against LGBT people. And they’re doing so because of pressure put on the Board by gay rights advocates, who no longer want to see Bill James given a free pass for hate speech.