Gay rights groups plan August lobbying blitz to repeal ‘Don’t ask'

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http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/112375-gay-rights-groups-plan-august-lobbying-blitz-to-repeal-dont-ask

Gay rights activists will lobby senators in 10 states this month to rally support for repealing the law that bans openly gay people from serving in the military.

Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) — two organizations on the front lines of the repeal fight — will send staffers and allies to the offices of senators from Arkansas, Indiana, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Virginia as part of their Countdown 2010 advocacy campaign.

“As we approach the waning days of this congressional session, we must continue to demand immediate action on critical legislation,” HRC President Joe Solmonese said in a statement. “LGBT voters and our allies will be keenly aware of congressional action or inaction as the November elections approach.”

(snip)
Supporters of the “Don’t ask” repeal are pressing Congress to act while Democrats still hold majorities in both chambers. Aubrey Sarvis, the executive director of SLDN, said the defense authorization bill containing the repeal provision is unlikely to move forward in the Senate without 60 votes in favor — a level of support that may be unreachable after the midterms.